Cooling Fans Connection

[galaxynovaLV]

I gutted my Biocube 29g Coralife LED bar setup for a better LED that sits across the aquarium with hood closed. I left these fans just in case I needed them for cooling. Is it possible to connect these two cooling fans to a USB cord or something to make them run? Do they even make anything where you plug these 'picoblade"? connectors into?

 

[DanyL]

Fans are usually run off 12v, and the amperage varies - but there are oddities.

If it is 12v than USB (5v) is unlikely to be sufficient, although you may still be able to run them at a slower RPM.

If you screw one of the fans off you should have a sticker with the power consumption on the other side.

As for the connector, there are many different types and you’ll likely find the exact one if you look for it online, but granted - it’ll be easier to just snip it off and put your own, or to connect it directly to a power supply.

 

[galaxynovaLV]

Fans are usually run off 12v, and the amperage varies - but there are oddities.

If it is 12v than USB (5v) is unlikely to be sufficient, although you may still be able to run them at a slower RPM.

If you screw one of the fans off you should have a sticker with the power consumption on the other side.

As for the connector, there are many different types and you’ll likely find the exact one if you look for it online, but granted - it’ll be easier to just snip it off and put your own, or to connect it directly to a power supply.

Thank you for the explanation. I will remove the fan tomorrow and see what information is available.

 

[galaxynovaLV]

Thank you for the explanation. I will remove the fan tomorrow and see what information is available.

Yes, the fans are 12V. Will remove and probably buy a fan on Amazon that runs by USB. I appreciate your expertise on this topic.

 

[DanyL]

Is there any particular reason you prefer using a USB over a simple power supply?

Usually USB based fans aren’t as good as regular 12v fans like you have here, and honestly - you already have the fans, so it really is just a matter of wiring them to a power supply.

If you aren’t handy with a solder iron, you can use a waterproof screw in connector, or even use a regular one and simply tape it all around for isolation.

 

[galaxynovaLV]

I know nothing about electrical wiring and just wanted to plug the white connectors ends into a power supply. Since that’s not possible could you recommend the exact connector and power supply? A picture or actual item on Amazon would be helpful. I would like to keep these two fans and hook them up to one supply if possible. I appreciate it.

 

[DanyL]

Sure thing.
I looked the spec of these fans, and they only consume 0.25A, which means that any standard 1A PSU will be sufficient.

If you have old power supplies laying around the house, there’s a good chance you’ll find one that fits, otherwise you can get one of these (or look for any other 12v, 1A and above PSU):
https://a.co/d/9h20Cwp
https://a.co/d/d6WYIHC
https://a.co/d/1nXoYml

As for wiring them up - generally, red/yellow wires usually are the positive side, and the black/white ones are negative. All you really need to do is to attach both of the positives of the fans to the positive of the PSU, and do the same with the negative. Don’t be afraid to wire them incorrectly - at most, the fan wouldn’t work, or spin the other way.

To make this connection between the wires:
https://a.co/d/9x43EJv

These are heat shrinks with solder inside of them - you insert the 2 negative or positive wires of the fans on one side, and the matching PSU wire on the other, making them all touch each other right in the middle, and then simply take a lighter and start heating it all up while moving the lighter from side to side, to ensure you aren’t burning it.

https://a.co/d/hcbcJKp

These are crimp wire terminals - you basically take all the wires together and insert them into the terminal, than you take pliers and squish it all together. These aren’t waterproof, so you’ll also want to tape it around with an insulating tape.

https://a.co/d/2UVTwL1

These are waterproof couplers.
You basically have to pull the leaver up, insert the wires from each side, and than push the leaver back down.
The coupler itself sits in a waterproof case.


Also, some of the power supplies I linked above come with a screw terminal, where you basically just need to release a screw, insert the wires and screw it back in.
They aren’t waterproof though, so you’ll need to insulate it with a tape as well.

There are a few other options if you look around in Amazon, but I think these will likely be the most straight forward for you to work with.

Good luck!

 

[TokenReefer]

I think I'd give these a shot for $8..

 

[DanyL]

I think I'd give these a shot for $8..

The fans above don’t have a standard PC fan connector. These wouldn’t fit, nor would they be able to run them at their appropriate speed (if at all, depends on the fans).

 

[galaxynovaLV]

Sure thing.
I looked the spec of these fans, and they only consume 0.25A, which means that any standard 1A PSU will be sufficient.

If you have old power supplies laying around the house, there’s a good chance you’ll find one that fits, otherwise you can get one of these (or look for any other 12v, 1A and above PSU):
https://a.co/d/9h20Cwp
https://a.co/d/d6WYIHC
https://a.co/d/1nXoYml

As for wiring them up - generally, red/yellow wires usually are the positive side, and the black/white ones are negative. All you really need to do is to attach both of the positives of the fans to the positive of the PSU, and do the same with the negative. Don’t be afraid to wire them incorrectly - at most, the fan wouldn’t work, or spin the other way.

To make this connection between the wires:
https://a.co/d/9x43EJv

These are heat shrinks with solder inside of them - you insert the 2 negative or positive wires of the fans on one side, and the matching PSU wire on the other, making them all touch each other right in the middle, and then simply take a lighter and start heating it all up while moving the lighter from side to side, to ensure you aren’t burning it.

https://a.co/d/hcbcJKp

These are crimp wire terminals - you basically take all the wires together and insert them into the terminal, than you take pliers and squish it all together. These aren’t waterproof, so you’ll also want to tape it around with an insulating tape.

https://a.co/d/2UVTwL1

These are waterproof couplers.
You basically have to pull the leaver up, insert the wires from each side, and than push the leaver back down.
The coupler itself sits in a waterproof case.


Also, some of the power supplies I linked above come with a screw terminal, where you basically just need to release a screw, insert the wires and screw it back in.
They aren’t waterproof though, so you’ll need to insulate it with a tape as well.

There are a few other options if you look around in Amazon, but I think these will likely be the most straight forward for you to work with.

Good luck!

I found these power supplies laying in my house along with some others, but these were the only ones with at least 1A. One is 1.25A.

In the photo below circled in red, would I cut off the DC barrel connector and then splice (using crimp connector for example) fan wires to wires now exposed where DC barrel connector was located? Photo also contains a picture of other side of the fans showing the label information.

Just to make sure I understand correctly. I can put both red wires from both fans together and attach to the positive of the PSU and both black wires together and attach to negative of PSU? Or does each fan need its own PSU? In saying that, for the power supplies you suggested that have a screw terminal connector, can I insert both fan red wires on the positive side and both fan black wires on the negative side?

To insulate the non-waterproof connections, is electrical tape Ok or should I buy a specialty tape?

My apologies for so many questions, just want to make sure it’s wired correctly and I don't set the house on fire. Your explanations are so helpful, concise and professional. I feel like I owe you an electrical consultation fee.

Thank you so much for helping.

 

[DanyL]

I found these power supplies laying in my house along with some others, but these were the only ones with at least 1A. One is 1.25A.

Both of these supplies will be good enough for you.

In the photo below circled in red, would I cut off the DC barrel connector and then splice (using crimp connector for example) fan wires to wires now exposed where DC barrel connector was located?

Correct!
You may not have distinctive colors on the supplies below, but you can dry test it first by twisting 2 pairs and see in which position the fans start to work.

It’s a low voltage, so there’s no fear of being electrocuted, just make sure the positive and negative lines of the supply don’t touch each other, because this could fry the supply itself.

Photo also contains a picture of other side of the fans showing the label information.

Fans consumption looks to be lower than what I’ve found online (0.1A), but really any power supply above a 0.2A will be enough for you, including both of the ones you’ve found.

Just to make sure I understand correctly. I can put both red wires from both fans together and attach to the positive of the PSU and both black wires together and attach to negative of PSU?

Yes, correct!
That’s how you wire them in parallel, so both would get the same voltage, and each would be able to pull the current it needs.

Or does each fan need its own PSU?

With a single 1A PSU you can run up to 10 of these fans! Though it’s always recommended to have about 20% more current than needed, just to be safe.

In saying that, for the power supplies you suggested that have a screw terminal connector, can I insert both fan red wires on the positive side and both fan black wires on the negative side?

Correct! You can also purchase the screw terminal barrel connector separately, but note that there are many different sizes, and it sometimes hard to match.

If you want to try and find out, you’ll need to measure both the diameter of the outside of the barrel connector, as well as the inside.

To insulate the non-waterproof connections, is electrical tape Ok or should I buy a specialty tape?

An electrical tape would work perfectly fine here.

My apologies for so many questions, just want to make sure it’s wired correctly and I don't set the house on fire

That’s perfectly fine! We all ask questions to learn be confident in what we’re doing!
If you’re insulating everything like described above, there shouldn’t be any fire hazard to be afraid of.

fire. Your explanations are so helpful, concise and professional. I feel like I owe you an electrical consultation fee.

Thank you so much for helping.

Haha it’s just some very basic electrical knowledge, and hopefully you’ll get it up and running in no time!

I’m glad I could help

 

[TokenReefer]

They're case fans. Should work. Nothing proprietary here

 

[DanyL]

Nothing is proprietary here.
But the connector here isn’t the one used for a standard case fans either.
It’s a smaller, 2 pin connector - look closely at the pictures above.

So he will end up needing to cut the adapter you posted above, as well as the fans, and then run them at a lower voltage.

A normal and appropriately speced PSU just makes a lot more sense here.

 

[galaxynovaLV]

Both of these supplies will be good enough for you.



Correct!
You may not have distinctive colors on the supplies below, but you can dry test it first by twisting 2 pairs and see in which position the fans start to work.

It’s a low voltage, so there’s no fear of being electrocuted, just make sure the positive and negative lines of the supply don’t touch each other, because this could fry the supply itself.



Fans consumption looks to be lower than what I’ve found online (0.1A), but really any power supply above a 0.2A will be enough for you, including both of the ones you’ve found.



Yes, correct!
That’s how you wire them in parallel, so both would get the same voltage, and each would be able to pull the current it needs.



With a single 1A PSU you can run up to 10 of these fans! Though it’s always recommended to have about 20% more current than needed, just to be safe.



Correct! You can also purchase the screw terminal barrel connector separately, but note that there are many different sizes, and it sometimes hard to match.

If you want to try and find out, you’ll need to measure both the diameter of the outside of the barrel connector, as well as the inside.



An electrical tape would work perfectly fine here.



That’s perfectly fine! We all ask questions to learn be confident in what we’re doing!
If you’re insulating everything like described above, there shouldn’t be any fire hazard to be afraid of.



Haha it’s just some very basic electrical knowledge, and hopefully you’ll get it up and running in no time!

I’m glad I could help

Please look over the pictures and tell me it looks correct. I had all the supplies at home which was convenient. The fans run well, somewhat louder than I anticipated. Maybe I can find less nosier ones and wire them up since I know how. It didn't take to much time and was pretty straight forward after doing it once. The hardest part was separating the fragile wire ends of the fans from the plastic sheaths. I used another PSU instead of the ones I previously mentioned. This PSU is only 500MA but according to our conversation that is sufficient since each fan is only .10A. I used electrical tape for the wires and then gorilla tape inside the canopy. Since both wires in the PSU were silver, I googled on how to find the correct charge. Once I split the PSU wires along the plastic sheath, one of them had ribs or markings on it, therefore was negative. So, I got the charges right the first time and didn't have to retry. That tidbit of about the markings was useful and for future knowledge. I actually feel a lot more confident wiring something and understand what the PSU should be verses what you are attaching. It's the very basic 101 of electrical wiring, but more than I ever understood before my contact with you.

I need to plug and unplug the PSU whenever I use it. That's ok for now, because they will only be used during the hottest days here in Las Vegas. We are below the 110s in temp, but anything over 110 the house AC has issues keeping up. These fans will supplement the heat exchange from the tank.

You have been the best teacher for this, and your explanations are precise and clear. Thank you over and over!!! I seriously can't thank you enough for the amount of time that you devoted to answering my questions.

Be well my friend.

 

[DanyL]

Please look over the pictures and tell me it looks correct.

It looks perfectly fine!

The fans run well, somewhat louder than I anticipated.

It is expected, unfortunately the smaller the fan is - the loader it’ll get

Maybe I can find less nosier ones and wire them up since I know how.

There are some brands that put more effort to make their fans quieter, they usually also come with vibration dampeners

Look at Noctua, they are more pricy - but they’re also considered to be top tier and at least with their bigger fans do worth the investment.

But as I already mentioned above, the size of the fan does matter and will likely be the main limitation here

The hardest part was separating the fragile wire ends of the fans from the plastic sheaths.

haha yes, it can definitely be somewhat frustrating stripping thin wires

When I don’t have a dedicated wire stripper handy, I sometimes use a lighter to burn the plastic around the copper.
Most of the times it works well, but it varies and depends on how thick the plastic is.

I used another PSU instead of the ones I previously mentioned. This PSU is only 500MA but according to our conversation that is sufficient since each fan is only .10A.

That’s perfectly fine and awesome to see you’re following the logic behind it

I googled on how to find the correct charge. Once I split the PSU wires along the plastic sheath, one of them had ribs or markings on it, therefore was negative. So, I got the charges right the first time and didn't have to retry. That tidbit of about the markings was useful and for future knowledge. I

That’s great you’ve been able to find how to differentiate between the poles, and quite useful for future projects

However, not all generic PSUs follow these rules from my experience, so I usually hook up a multimeter just to be sure

Given that in your specific use case there were no negative side affects wiring it both ways, brute forcing is also valid way to determine the poles, and you don’t need a multimeter to determine it either - so it’s a great option when there are no marks you can depend upon.

That being said, you should be aware that not all devices would tolerate incorrect wiring nicely - so be carful and mindful when you decide to brute force, and when it’ll be better to use other, more precise methods instead.

actually feel a lot more confident wiring something and understand what the PSU should be verses what you are attaching. It's the very basic 101 of electrical wiring, but more than I ever understood before my contact with you.

Sometimes all we really need is a small push to gain the confidence in a new or previously unexplored field, but once you make the first steps you realize it isn’t as scary or complicated as it seemed

I need to plug and unplug the PSU whenever I use it. That's ok for now, because they will only be used during the hottest days here in Las Vegas.

You can easily add an on-off switch like the ones linked below, without any further wiring required:

https://a.co/d/5chm6KL

https://a.co/d/1zWi7Sw

Or, you can wire this DC on-off switch between the fans and the PSU, mount it through a small hole in the lid and cover the exposed side with hot glue or silicone for safety - the wiring here is through a screw terminal, so it should be straight forward:

https://a.co/d/5hv5MLa

Alternatively, you can also wire a potentiometer to be able to control the speed of the fans too, it uses screw terminals as well:

https://a.co/d/ddnuC8m

And if you want to take it one step further, you can hook both your heater and fans into a temperature controller, so that the fans will only kick in when the temp is higher than the set point you configured:

https://a.co/d/ePpac7F

We are below the 110s in temp, but anything over 110 the house AC has issues keeping up. These fans will supplement the heat exchange from the tank.

I live in Israel, so I know what it’s like to live in a sauna lol

In my case, it’s also very humid so fans can only do this much without an A/C running 24/7 for the whole summer, so it’s more common to see chillers here, similarly to Australia.

Combined with an A/C or a dehumidifier however, you should be able to keep the temps low enough.

That being said, I would highly suggest keeping an eye on it, because even softies (which are considered to be far more heat resistant than LPS/SPS) can too get stressed by temp fluctuations and high temps.

You have been the best teacher for this, and your explanations are precise and clear. Thank you over and over!!! I seriously can't thank you enough for the amount of time that you devoted to answering my questions.

Be well my friend

I’m glad it turned out this way
I knew this subject can sometime intimidate people, so I tried to be as descriptive as I possibly can, and seems like it worked well

Have a great and chilly weekend

 

[galaxynovaLV]

I appreciate all of your guidance and feedback on my newly found ability to wire a basic component. The various suggestions for adding products gives me many choices to choose from.

Reef2reef is absolutely a treasure trove of information and helpful resources like yourself.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My Biocube inhabitants thank you too.

Take care and stay cool from Las Vegas.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

If you want to be able to easily disconnect the 12 Vdc Power the 2.1 x 5.5 DC Power Socket to bare wire is what you need. The 12 Vdc Power end from the Transformer is always the Jack, “Male End.” They are available on Amazon.