what kind of adaptor do i need to run a pc fan?

[jessethestoner]

so i have a pc fan and two ac 12 volt adapters that i've tried to use unsuccessfully, i've followed a few methods and failed but i think that i need a dc adaptor am i correct? and i thought dc adapters were for cars or the ones i've seen at any rate. where can i find one that i could use in a outlet, what do i ask for
thank you in advance for any advice, links etc. , please say and i'll give more details

 

[rives]

The fan should have markings on it telling you the voltage and whether it is ac or dc. If it is really a pc fan, it should be either 5vdc or 12vdc, and you can power it with a wall wart type supply that comes close to matching up (on the voltage - matching the ac or dc is critical). You can use a lower voltage supply on a dc fan and run it slower than rated speed. I believe that Radio Shack has some semi-universal power supplies available for cell phones. The power supply needs to be able to source as much amperage as the fan draws.

 

[Pseudo]

i have a nice 120v pc fan

 

[rives]

i have a nice 120v pc fan

My guess is that you have a nice 120v axial fan. I have seen axial fans used for cooling industrial electronic components that are available in voltages up to 480. What I meant by a pc fan is an axial fan that was removed from a computer case, and all of them that I have seen are meant to run on low voltage from the case power supply. I've never seen a pc case that had 120v routed around in it for auxiliary equipment, and I've been inside a bunch of them, but anything is possible.

 

[jessethestoner]

i've got a foxcon dc brushless fan
dc 12 volt pc fan it says 0.13 A -A
so what do i look for?

 

[exploziv]

a 12 V DC adapter with at least 0.13 Ah rating.
you should easily find an 1 Ah one.
be aware that 1 A (Ah) also equals 1000 mAh.

 

[Stress_test]

Almost all pc fans are DC.
The smaller processor fans are typically 5v.
The 3" fans are 12 volt DC.

All DC motors can be run on variable controllers.

 

[FirstTracks]

So here's the 2 parter
(most has been addressed already, at least partially)

1) 12V dc -the recommended voltage of the fan.
-You can run your fan at 12v for normal speed, run it off 9 volts to be a little quieter and a little slower, or off 6 volts for really quiet/slow. I wouldn't go below 6V on a 12V rated fan, and I never have tried going over the voltage. Going over the voltage, i.e. running off 15V, would make the fan spin faster and louder, at the very least shortening its life, and at worst, starting a fire.

2) .13A (130mA) this is the Amperage the fan will draw from your power source at 12V
for example, you could wire in 1/.13 fans, or about 7 of these fans on a 1A adapter.
Often, you can find an adapter rated at .25A or .5A for less (and in a smaller size) than a 1A adapter.

when purchasing adapters, you can use the ones at radioshack, but you may find that its cheaper to get an adapter with another product, such as a cordless phone setup from wallyword, a garage sale, or your attic.

When wiring up, use wirenuts +electrical tape or solder +shrink tube/electrical tape.
Before securing all your wiring, test and make sure the fan turns on and spins the right way. If it doesn't, switch the leads and try again.

 

[Phychotron]

if it came from a pc then get a pc power supply that plugs into it directly. they should be relatively cheap for an old one.

 

[exploziv]

that, if you don't mind wasting some Watts of energy with a cheap pc power supply. the electronics take some current too, also most of them have a fan for cooling. and they take much more space than an usual ac/dc adapter.

 

[Phychotron]

you also have the ability to add more fans

 

[exploziv]

yeah. it's still more economical to run them on a adapter. and I dubt someone will use more than let's say 5 12v fans, that can easy be run on a 1 or 2 Amp. adapter. if you need more than that, it's easier to get bigger, 120 or 230V ones..

I've seen people using pc power supplies, but they usually use them because they found them lying around and prefered to use them rather than buy an adapter.

just my ..