lighting and heat

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Guy W

AC Members
Apr 8, 2002
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Naples, FL
I have a question. over my tank I have 4x96w PC lights. They are in 2 6 foot light strip configurations, not in a canopy. I'm thinking of taking the strips apart and putting the relectors/bulbs into a wooden canopy in order to prevent my tank from getting so hot.

On an average day of running the lights for 8 hours my tank will go from 79-80 degree's to 81-82 degrees by the end of the day.

So, my question is this. after I get or build a canopy and mount the lights into it, I'd like to put some fans in the canopy to cool the lights.

I work at a computer store and was thinking i could just use some 80mm computer case fans but they are wired with 4 prong plugs that hook up to a computer powersupply.

Does anyone know how I could rewire those fans in order to hook them up to another type of power source?

Here is an example of the type of fan I'm talking about.

http://www.antec-inc.com/images/400/40mm4pin.jpg

Thanks,
Guy
 

Joe_K

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Apr 10, 2003
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Fans

Two ways to solve your problem. Install a power supply below your tank and run your wiring to the hood. or buy 120 volt fans. These are avalible.

I have installed a temp controller to turn on and off my tank heater. This uses a thermal probe in the tank. Now when the tank temp drops, I turn off the fans to allow the lamps to heat the water. Why waste energy.
 

gcvt

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Mar 15, 2001
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You've got a few options here...

1. Put the PC bulbs into the wooden canopy and see if they still heat the tank by 2 degrees at the end of the day.

2. Mount the 'computer' fans in the canopy and buy a single power supply for each one.

3. Buy 120v AC fan(s) from Radio Shack and wire them directly.

4. Sorry, I only have three suggestions at the moment.


I'll bet that mounting the bulbs in an open-back canopy will solve your heat problem - without the need for fans. ;)
 
Nonononononono!

As an aside, what do you do at the computer store?

1 power supply. ATX, although AT would probaly work. It could power multiple fans no problem. You plug the fan into a power supply lead. If you run out, as your PS may only have about 4, 4 prong plugs you can get adapters to add more. You work in a computer shop, someone there has gotta know right?



Originally posted by gcvt
You've got a few options here...

1. Put the PC bulbs into the wooden canopy and see if they still heat the tank by 2 degrees at the end of the day.

2. Mount the 'computer' fans in the canopy and buy a single power supply for each one.

3. Buy 120v AC fan(s) from Radio Shack and wire them directly.

4. Sorry, I only have three suggestions at the moment.


I'll bet that mounting the bulbs in an open-back canopy will solve your heat problem - without the need for fans. ;)
 

cpr4cpu

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Mar 25, 2003
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I wouldn't waste a PC power supply for something that simple.
I would use a 12V power supply from Radio Shack, any 12V supply will do fine. I would look for 600MA (milli-amp).
Then snip the connector off, making note which wire is positive and which is negative.
The negative is your ground and connects to the black fan wire. Cut the molex connectors off the fans and ganfg the colors together. I think the fan wires are black for ground (negative pole for the AC to DC adapter.) and red for positive 12V.
Gang all the wires and solder or wire nut them to the appropriate power supply wire. If the fans spin backwards, reverse the wires.

Buy a DC adapter, not AC to AC, but AC to DC 12V output.

If it's that difficult, email me and I'll send you a wire harness for goodness sake, but don't waste the heatload converting from 120V to 12V just to power a cooling fan!

I personally would get 115V fans and tie them directly into the lighting power directly so when the lights are on, so are the fans.
 
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