Vent Fans into a DIY hood

[TimsViv]

Do you have suggestions of Fans to vent my DIY hood?
Can you get them to run off of a thermostat?
What is a good quiet fan to get?

Tim

[scolley]

Check out this thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/5030-jbj-formosa-suppose-loud.html .

[Hop]

Yes you can get fans with thermostats. I think you could save your self some cash though and go get a 4" fan from a local computer store or the like. You should be able to get a good quiet one for less that $20.00. Simple to install. You could put it on a timer in order to run when your lights are the hottest.

[TimsViv]

Thanks for the replys and link.

I picked up two Vantec ThermoFlow Temperature Controlled 60mm fans. They have a built in temperature sensor that is supposed to automatically adjust the fan RPM. - http://www.svc.com/60vanthercas.html -

My question now is how do I wire them to run off of a standard power supply outlet? What type of transformer do I need?

Tim

[malkore]

see if this works: http://xoxide.com/miposunocone.html
its what I use to power my 2 Lazer LED moonlights on my salt tank. Just a simple AC adapter with a molex plug on the end.
Just a thought...might not work.

[Opiesilver]

I went to radio shack and pick up some 120v 6 inch fan that are ultra quiet for under $20 each. I got the 120v so that I could just plug them into the same timer I have the lights on.

[TimsViv]

Well I went to Radio Shack and found several 12DC converters, however my fans have three wires; red, yellow and black, but the converters are two wire.

Any suggestions on how to wire them up?

Tim

[glass-gardens.com]

The red and black wires are for power (the yellow wire is for sending a signal to a speed sensor usually, probably the fans are for a computer power supply)

[TimsViv]

OK, I just connected the red and black wires to the 12VDC transformer (and ignored the yellow wires) and the fans are running fine.

The hood is almost complete and came out great. It is a real flame thrower with all 4 X 55s on.

I'll post some pictures when it's 100%.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Tim

[glass-gardens.com]

Uh Tim? Just to be sure, your home owners policy is current isn't it?

[TimsViv]

Here's a pic of my mostly (90%) completed hood.
Thanks for everyones assistance.
And yes, I am fully insured.

Tim

[Betowess]

Hey, nice looking! You're putting a hinged door up front, I'm guessing. And is that white paint on the inside? But I thought it was best to use a varnish on the inside and not a paint. I like the ballasts on the outside. Last two questions... How tall is it and is it for a 75 gallon or what. TIA as I'm researching a hood with at least a 4x55 for a four footer 80 or 90 gallon myself.

[TimsViv]

Betowess,

Thanks for nice complement.

The hood is for a 72 gallon bow front tank, it's 48" L, 13" D, and 10" H. The main reason that it is so tall, is to allow the curved glass top to open and clear the light tubes. There are two 24" piano hinges for the front panel, so that I can access the right, left or entire tank.

I painted the inside with white oil base paint to completely seal the wood and then installed the reflectors (from AH Supply). I work in the construction business, so one of the millwork contractors, that we work with, laminated the exterior with black laminate.

I got all of the compact fluorescents bulbs, ballasts and parts from AH Supply - http://www.ahsupply.com/ - I mounted the ballasts on the exterior and it has really helped to control the heat.

I'll see if I can post some more pictures after Christmas, I'll get on picture of the hood on the tank.

Tim

[Troy McClure]

Just for future reference, I have four of these Vantec Stealth 92mm fans that will be installed in my AHS 4x55 DIY canopy. I tested them a couple months ago and they are absolutely wonderful! Even with all four of them operating at the same time, I had to get my head pretty close before I can aurally tell they're running. They are extremely quiet and cheap - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...999-603&depa=1

Tim - what direction do you have the fans blowing?

[TimsViv]

Originally Posted by Troy McClure

Tim - what direction do you have the fans blowing?

Troy,

I've got one fan blowing in and the other blowing out, so I get a complete exchange of air. The fans are so efficient, I put them on timers to go off once an hour for five minutes. Since my tank is a paludarium, I need to maintain the humidity levels.

Tim