Centrifugal Fans

[billhickslives]

ive just bought a 200mm Spectrum, centrifugal fan and mountain air filter.Ive always believed that dimmers are bad for electrical motors, fans included. Is this true? My local hydro shop is selling,"fan speed controllers" that are basically black transformer looking things, similar to a mobile phone charger, with a small smooth twisting knob on the front to control fan speed, and its labelled fan speed controller, it piggy backs the power plug..Is this thing safe?????

Its only $50, i want one to keep my fan a little quieter, but i dont want to burn my house down.Has anyone ever used the fan speed controller from a normal desk type fan on an exaust/centrifugal fan???? Would this work???

Anyones help would be much appreciated...

 

cheers.

[Tom]

Light dimmers are bad for the motors but you should not have any problems with a fan speed controller.

 

[billhickslives]

Tom, when you say fan speed controller, do you mean one from a desk fan? I tend to think the "fan speed controller" at my hydro shop is just a regular dimmer, the reason i think this is because, a fan speed controller shouldn't have a smooth twist, to slow down or speed up, it should have a selected speed, like 1-2-3 on desk or ceiling fan..Is this right??

So that means a desk fan, fan speed controller should be ok to use in centrifugal fan?? Doesn't it???

 

Cheers

[merlin2004]

My fan speed controller is running a 860L/sec centrifugal fan and it is a variable speed controller.

My understanding is that the fan speed controller has different circuitry in the controller unit from a dimmer and won't cause any damage to the motor. One other thing is that the fan will still draw the same amount of power even tho running at a reduced speed.

 

Don't know about a desk fan speed controller, but you can use a speed controller from a ceiling fan as long as it has a high enough amp rating for the fan.

 

Hope that helps

[Frazz]

Merlin is 100% correct

 

BTW they dont have to have 1,2,3 on speed controller as HPM elct. products make a dial type controller specifically for fans. Check with sparky or elect w/house

[Mushaman]

from what I read you need to get a purpose built fan speed controller to be safe - HPM or OZfans on ebay is where I got mine in the end oh yeh, and mine is a smooth twist knob not a 1,2,3 switch

[OldmanMozz]

I use fan controls with my work every day,

have both smooth control an 3 clicks ones, with HPM being most popular, an only costing bout $15 each, after running on middle speed forwhile (year) your speeds will drop, having 2 low speeds an one fast. But if ya change little black box behind control (capacitor) your away agin.

cheers beers an cones Mozz :whistling

[Luke Skywalker]

Yup, those black ones are fine, they do have different makup from a normal dimmer.

 

Provided it's labelled as a "fan speed controller" you should do okay. Ask them to show it working for ya.

[billhickslives]

thanks 4 all the help, because my fan is 105w, most fan speed controllers are only rated to 100w(thats according to the dude at J.R.Turk).I was looking at about $50-60 just for the controller, so i bought a similar one (boxed) rated to 400w at my local hydro shop for $75.

thanks again for everyones advice......

 

 

cheers

Edited September 27, 2005 by billhickslives

[jackfrost]

your hydro shop will sell 2 types 500va (cheap, under 50) and a 700va (dear abou 100 dollars) type of fan speed controlers. The dearer ones does centifugial type of fans where the cheaper ones does small inline fans (not TD inline fans)

 

Jack