Curtis Scott December 26, 2012 Share December 26, 2012 (edited) Current recommends the 3" fan from MD. I need to replace my fan on my lights. Current says to use a fan that is a really horrible product. ( I have had to replace this fan 3-4 times in 2012, very hit or miss, but always gets loud and fails.) http://currentusa.ze...ntries/20785543 Instead of a 3" replacement fan from here: http://www.marinedep...ILTACAF-vi.html I am wondering if I could use something like this instead? http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835150007 I notice there are 3 wires for this fan, how would this work with the current setup only having 2 wires? Edited December 26, 2012 by Curtis Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind December 26, 2012 Share December 26, 2012 The computer fan will work. Radio Shack or another computer store might have them locally. The Red and Black wires are the positive and negative wires. The Yellow is for the tachometer or RPM signal. You will not need to use that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott December 26, 2012 Author Share December 26, 2012 The computer fan will work. Radio Shack or another computer store might have them locally. The Red and Black wires are the positive and negative wires. The Yellow is for the tachometer or RPM signal. You will not need to use that one. Good to know, thanks! These are a lot cheaper, and I am hoping, more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike December 26, 2012 Share December 26, 2012 Get this one instead. I can't hear it when all 4 are on in my hood. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835226034 Those you listed will be louder and ,more importantly, have sleeve bearings that will fail in a short amount of time. Wouldn't trust them to last long at all in a saltwater environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott December 27, 2012 Author Share December 27, 2012 (edited) Get this one instead. I can't hear it when all 4 are on in my hood. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835226034 Those you listed will be louder and ,more importantly, have sleeve bearings that will fail in a short amount of time. Wouldn't trust them to last long at all in a saltwater environment. Thanks, I'll give it a shot! I just noticed there are even more fan bearing options. Now I'm wondering if there is an even better one I should consider? Edited December 27, 2012 by Curtis Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike December 27, 2012 Share December 27, 2012 Those are almost as silent as I could find. More quite=way more money if I remember right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott January 3, 2013 Author Share January 3, 2013 I tried to use this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007 and it just popped and sparked. Here's what I did: cut and taped up the yellow wire and connected the other two the wires in the light, turned it on and it popped and sparked and didn't work so I switched the wires thinking I might have them backwards. Still didn't work though, just burnt up the fan. I have another one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835226034) coming in today/tomorrow. I give it another shot but I'm worried the same thing might happen. It would be nice to be able to use a better quality fan that are < $10 rather than $30 each. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 Are you matching the voltage of the existing fan to the new one correctly? Where was it sparking from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 Are you sure the specs for the original and replacement fans are the same? You shouldn't have sparking, even if the fan is wired backwards. Maybe the original fan is 120VAC and you're using a 12VDC replacement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 The first fan (in your newegg post above) is a 12VDC fan according to the picture on Newegg's website. The replacement fan operates off 6-14VDC. On a typical 3-wire interface, pin 1's wire is normally black and is the ground. Pin 2 is next to pin 1 and may be red or yellow (most of the time it's red). It's normally the positive voltage. Pin 3 is the tach output line and can sometimes be either red or yellow (but most of the time it's yellow)). Leave it unconnected. Sometimes the wire colors vary on some fans, so it's safest to look at the fan's power connector when you first get it and take note of the middle wire's color. This will be you connect your positive voltage. Four wire fans follow a similar convention: Pin 1 is ground; pin 2 is +V. Leave pins 3 and 4 unconnected. PC fans that are designed to be powered from the motherboard are almost always DC fans. You need to read the label on the fan to be sure though.SilenX makes a nice fan. I've used them before in an old Biocube 29 that I had a few years back. Neither will work because your first picture (in your first post) indicates that you'll need an AC fan.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott January 3, 2013 Author Share January 3, 2013 Are you matching the voltage of the existing fan to the new one correctly? Where was it sparking from? I don't think the voltage matched.? Sparking came from the fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott January 3, 2013 Author Share January 3, 2013 (edited) Here is the info the for the fan that current recommends: 3" Cooling Fans: Dimension:80x80x25mm Current: 0.15/0.12A Air Flow: 20/22CFM Speed: 2500/2900RPM Power: 14/11W Frequency: 50/60Hz Voltage: 115V Noise: 32/35dBA Current-USA Item#1745 Purchase: http://www.marinedep...ILTACAF-vi.html Specs for the one I tried yesterday: Model FD08025S1M3/4 Fan Dimensions 80 x 80 x 25mm (l x w x h) Bearing Type Sleeve Bearing Fan speed 2,700 RPM +/-10% Fan Noise level 26.5 dBA Max. Fan Air Flow 32.95 CFM Max. Fan Air Pressure 2.98 mmH2O Rated Voltage 12 V Rated Current 0.15 A Rated Power 1.8 W Power Connector 3-pin motherboard; 4-pin power supply Life hours 30,000 hours Application Second case fan or other purpose http://www.masscool.....php?pid=&id=56 Specs for the one arriving today/tomorrow: Model Brand SilenX Model EFX-08-15 Spec Type Case Fan Compatibility Case Fan Size 80mm Bearing Type 3rd generation fluid dynamic bearings RPM 1700 RPM Air Flow 32 CFM Noise Level 15 dBA Color Red Physical Spec Dimensions 80 x 80 x 25 mm Features Features Power: Operating voltage: 6-14V Current draw: 0.09A Power consumption: 1.08W http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835226034 (under details) From what I'm seeing the SilenX won't work either because the operating voltage is 6-14V instead of 115V, is this correct? Edited January 3, 2013 by Curtis Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 That's correct. You need a 120VAC fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott January 3, 2013 Author Share January 3, 2013 The first fan (in your newegg post above) is a 12VDC fan according to the picture on Newegg's website. The replacement fan operates off 6-14VDC. On a typical 3-wire interface, pin 1's wire is normally black and is the ground. Pin 2 is next to pin 1 and may be red or yellow (most of the time it's red). It's normally the positive voltage. Pin 3 is the tach output line and can sometimes be either red or yellow (but most of the time it's yellow)). Leave it unconnected. Sometimes the wire colors vary on some fans, so it's safest to look at the fan's power connector when you first get it and take note of the middle wire's color. This will be you connect your positive voltage. Four wire fans follow a similar convention: Pin 1 is ground; pin 2 is +V. Leave pins 3 and 4 unconnected. PC fans that are designed to be powered from the motherboard are almost always DC fans. You need to read the label on the fan to be sure though. SilenX makes a nice fan. I've used them before in an old Biocube 29 that I had a few years back. Neither will work because your first picture (in your first post) indicates that you'll need an AC fan.... Great info Tom, sorry for the confusion. I am trying to find a replacement for the 3" replacement fan Current recommends. Please check out my last comment with the details of each fan and let me know if you think this will work. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Scott January 3, 2013 Author Share January 3, 2013 Ok, gotcha. I'll see what I can find for good 80MM 120VAC fans. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 This looks like a really nice one. Dual ball bearing, speed controllable, 22CFM, 32dB, dual screens and aluminum blades. $20 http://www.amazon.com/Control-Aquarium-Lighting-Incubators-Amplifiers/dp/B007ZLKCNM/ref=sr_1_7?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1357232319&sr=1-7 One thing to also watch out for is the depth / thickness of the fan. Also, here's another one. Slightly cheaper w/out the speed controller. http://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-LS8038A-X-Standard-Cooling/dp/B009OXTWZI/ref=sr_1_17?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1357232549&sr=1-17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 3, 2013 Share January 3, 2013 Curtis, try ebay. Search on "80mm fan AC" and you'll get several hits. At least one of the fans is 25mm thick and costs $14 with $5 shipping. If these fans are going to be mounted horizontally (the spin axis up-down), choose a fan with dual ball bearings rather than the ones with sleeve bearings). Here's one that might work for you: http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-115V-120V-AC-Cooling-Fan-80mm-x-25mm-/230623574202?pt=US_CPU_Fans_Heatsinks&hash=item35b23c78ba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike January 4, 2013 Share January 4, 2013 just find a power brick and run a wire for the fans, mine run off a brick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmatt56 October 25, 2016 Share October 25, 2016 Ok, gotcha. I'll see what I can find for good 80MM 120VAC fans. Thanks! My fan died. Were you able to find a good replacement? Thanks Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 25, 2016 Share October 25, 2016 My fan died. Were you able to find a good replacement? Thanks Matt You've responded to a post from 3 years ago... You may want to try ebay or amazon for an 80x80x25 mm 120VAC fan with ball bearings. Search "80mm fan AC." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 25, 2016 Share October 25, 2016 Here's one, for example, that might work. The images even include a mechanical drawing that shows mounting hole spacing (which should be standard in order to mount interchangeably in computer cases) which you can double check with the fan in your current light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 25, 2016 Share October 25, 2016 (Be sure to check noise specs for fans if noise is a concern. Some manufacturers trade off air flow for noise.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmatt56 October 27, 2016 Share October 27, 2016 Thanks for the advice! Sometimes the old threads brings new insights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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