DC inline fans

[fishboybug]

hey guys, i was searching ebay for some inline fans the other day and ran across a couple of fans that are used in NASCAR and on boats. they are obviously 12v but they push about 240cfm out of a 4" fan. i was curious if you could run these just like the cpu fans without using an ac/dc convertor. these fans run about $25-$30 bucks each as compared to the vortex fans costing 3x that amount. any help would be much appreciated! :holysheep:

 

[ArtVandolay]

I have a few, too. Not sure what you mean - you're going to need 12 volt adapters with enough amps to run them

 

[fishboybug]

I have a few, too. Not sure what you mean - you're going to need 12 volt adapters with enough amps to run them

ok, so i can use an ac adapter power cord just like the one used in the pc fan diy as long as the amps of the cord and fan match? man, thats a pretty big adapter. these fans run around 4 or 5 amps i believe

 

[ArtVandolay]

I looked at mine - it usually provides the amps on the fan but it doesn't ? I have mine hooked up to 1.5 amp adapter, though. I remember knowing the required amps when I bought them, though

 

[Tater]

Most fans are actually ran off DC motors and just have the AC/DC converter mounted on them. You could just use an old pc power supply as the AC/DC converter and most are capable of producing at least 300 watts of power, most newer ones are in the 400-500 range, just becareful when messing with those things, if you don't understand what you are doing you can get a healthy zap.

EDIT: Just wanted to mention if you ran an electric motor (im not sure if this applies to all electric motors but deffinetly most) on AC it would spin on way then try to spin the other 60 times a second and accomplish nothing. With DC current the motor spins according to which way you run current through it. Pick up Electronics for Dummies or any other beginner electronics book to get a better grasp on whats happening in your everday electronics in your home. Its a really neat hobby, my favourite one actually, besides growing dope lol.