Small fan to keep units cool...

[jself1982]

Don't know if this is the best place for this topic, but I have added another unit into my entertainment system and now notice they all get really hot, where can I find a small fan, possibly to place behind one of my units to keep the enclosure cool enough?

 

[Mr Tony]

I think Radio Shack still sells CPU type fans that run on 120v

they're about 4 inches square

 

[Hermitman]

I use several of those small fans to keep some of my equipment cool. The fans I use are from the power supplies of old computers people throw away. They operate on 12 volt DC but the fan speed can be adjusted by varying the voltage. I get the power from the wall wart power transformers that are all over the place. Something around 6-8 volts, 500 ma keeps the fan pretty quiet with good airflow. I also cut down the fan noise by installiing a small foam frame between the fan and the unit. Placing the fan so the airflow is going away from the equipment and not towards the units will keep them cooler. Some of my fans are positioned right over the units' power supplies, drawing the air over them, since that's normally the warmest part. Experimentation is fun and will result in the best outcome. Have fun.

 

[Anole]

fans, Fans, FANS !

I prefer the larger 120mm 12v fans.
You should be able to get them for $5, or else shop harder.
They -generally- run slower and so are quieter.

As mentioned above, if you have a fan that's too loud, lowering the voltage (8..10 volts) will help a lot.
Just put a couple of 1N4001 rectifiers in series with it, if you have a bag-full around.
Each will drop the voltage about 0.7 volts.

I cannot really recommend serious use of recycled fans.
They are often the part that quits to make your power supply overheat and die.
Of course, for experimenting, they do make an excelent source of parts.

The current crop of cheapie sleeve bearing units have a very limited life in 24/7 service.
I've had three similar 2-fan power supplies all fail recently.
They've run about 2..3 years.
And all the fans are locked up.

As for opening them up and cleaning their shaft, the gunk on there is all dried out and removable with a little alcohol.
Then, I applied a very light coat of silicon oil, the best thing I could think of.
Some of the fans I refurbished ran and some didn't.
The ones that did, died within a week.
So, now fans are just a source of pretty LEDs, and hall-effect switches from now on!

If you can find decent ball-bearing fans, they're worth the extra couple of dollars.

 

[1inabillion]

I been using the same 5 fans i got at Radio Shack for over 8 Years in my entertainment system. with a little Pm the fans last way longer. :up

 

[MotleyFool]

I use a "notebook cooler" I purchased from surpluscomputers dot com. It's sold as USB powered, but will run off a 5v wall wart if you hack, I mean modify the cable.