Computer fans

To everyone that grows in like a box or whatever that uses a computer fan... what do you use to power it? You can't have it like hooked up to a computer can you? And if you don't and you hook it straight up to the wall outlet, won't it pump way too much and explode it?

At my hydro store they have prewired "computer fans" that plug right in to AC outlets. I use a 105cfm axial fan (computer fan) wired this way for my air intake.

12 volt AC to DC adapter (cell charger) i have a few of them i wired up this way.

jkeddy said:

12 volt AC to DC adapter (cell charger) i have a few of them i wired up this way.

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Do you just cut the charger wire, twist up the computer fan wires around the charger wire, tape it up, and you're in business? I'll also be looking into pre-wired computer fans, haven't been to my local hydro store yet, but it isn't very big so I'd be surprised if they had them.

you're messing with electricity so be careful, i know its only 12volts but i'm an electrician and i always am careful, no need to start bad habits that could lead to trouble in future projects.

buy the fans, read the labels look for the amperage... cut and splice to a 12v ac to dc with MORE amperage than the total amperage of your fans. leave no exposed wires (fires aren't good for the plants lol) plug it in, does it work? if not, switch the wires around until it does.

I actually have 3 fans connected to a motherboard that is outside of the closet.

how much more amperage?

Just more than your fans add up to. If you have less than your fans won't spin as fast as they should (or not at all)

Once you do it and it runs you'll realize it is really simple

So there's no limit, like I won't get one with too much amperage and blow the fans up?

thats right,but keep in mind i used to go through a ton of these ,then i broke down and bought real ones at the hydro shop,they get hot and noisy very easy.

If you were hoping to use all your leftover cell phone chargers and stuff, forget about it. They don't have enough output to power computer fans, even if they are 12 volt output. I suggest you get a leftover computer power supply, short two of the pins on the ATX connection so it stays on all the time. One of these power supplies can power lots of little fans. I like this method because I have lots of leftover computer parts.

Best thing to use to power computer fans imo is an old power supply, it is so much easier to hook up and handle. I've done the 12v adapter route and it gets annoying. Also, unless you get the right adapter for the fan, chances are it won't spin at 100%.

All you need to do is

http://pinouts.ru/Power/atx_v2_pinout.shtml

green to ground, if your psu has a on/off switch on the back use this to turn it on/off. It's what I do to power my two vantec tornado 92mm fans. Those fans are really powerful and using a 12v adapter wouldn't work, they would overheat very fast.

Most chargers laying around don't flow enough power to handle a computer fan and you run the risk of a fire. Trust me, get a psu and wire it up. Much less of a hassle. I've done both and I will pick a psu over a bunch of adapters in a heart beat.

It doesn't even have to be a nice one, you can find them at pawn shops or on newegg you can get a dirt cheap 250w one for like 15 bucks. You'd never consume that much power with fans.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822006


I'm a pretty stubborn individual and I tend to do everything the hard way knowing I should be doing it a different way. So I spent literally days digging to find old adapters to try and find one that could handle my fans only to say fuck it and get my old power supply out of the attic and wire it up.

Also, if you're using more than one fan, it's a whole lot easier to connect them to a bunch of molex connectors on the psu than going out and buying/finding power strips to connect your adapter wired cpu fans.

Honestly, computer fans are iffy. I wouldn't bother using one unless it has a super high cfm like a vantec tornado. I've used normal 40-60cfm fans and they don't have the force behind them to really do much.

Would there be another way to ventilate a rubbermaid storage bin? Going to try to use it as clone / veg box.