The Question is: Is it possible to wire a dimmer/speed control to a BATHROOM exhaust fan? Now, this is not an in-line or squirrle cage blower, but a hardware store bathroom exhaust fan, a 70 CFM Braun. I don't know much about this, but I think electric motors don't like to be slowed down unless they're designed for it. But how bad could it be? And would a light dimmer work? Has anyone done this? I appreciate the inevitable responses. Let me know!
In my experience those are crap. They'll burn out quickly. If you need to use a bathroom exhaust fan they have more reliable squirrel fan types. To hook up a dimmer connect it just like a switch.
Oh and your right about some fans not like being slowed down. You'll notice more vibration which will lead to sooner failure. I'd get the fan, wire it up to a dimmer and test it. The worst thing you'll do is trip a breaker if you do anything wrong. Always work with the power off
Well, ok. At least it's something. I guess I can just try it. But it'd be good to know if something terrible is going to happen in advance.
Not at all. "Just go on and try it" is not really an answer. Besides, it would not trip a breaker in the worst case (it wouldn't at all, with such a small draw). The worst case I could think of is the dimmer working and slowing down the motor, but in the course of a few hours this causes the motor to heat up and light on fire while I'm asleep. I then have to run outside in my underwear, and when the cops come, they haul me away like that. The question remains: Is it a good idea to slow down an electric motor by limiting power??
You will trip a breaker if you screw up some wireing and it shorts out. I've had one of these fans burn out on me and it just stopped. It didnt catch on fire. IMO these fans are safe if they are UL approved. Also I have not tried this type of fan with a dimmer. Just wire it up to see if it has issues. If it runs smoothly your golden.
Oh and the fan was on for two days after being burnt out. It was of the $12 home depot quality................
http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/066028000033_4.jpg ^^^^ These work well and dont need a speed control because they are quiet.
Those things are only good for speeding up air in ducts. Bathroom exhaust fans actualy have some pushing/pulling power, they're designed to blow through a good length of ducting. Was yours in a grow? Did the hot air kill it? "cause the one in my bathroom has been running for like, a month, and it's fine. By the way, I'm not retarded, I'm not gonna screw up positive to pos., negative to neg., ground to ground. I appreciate the concern, though.
most exaust fans you can find will come with a plain old power plug, that you an connect to a system to have it hardwired if you choose to do so. But I just plugged mine to an extension cable an hooked it up to a timer. Was the easiest way for me to set one of them up with a timer. Not many of those bathroom fans can be slowed down without messing up the motor, but if your just looking to quiet it down a bit, most home improvement stores sell a "stealth kit" for bathroom fans that fit to most exaust fans. They have dampeners and another quiet-fan to swith out with the old one, and they definetely helped me (although only a little)
those inline fans will work if set up corectly i have two and the move allot of air. they are also quiet. One of them I put a dimmer on and have had no issues. about a month now. they are only $26, how can you go wrong. I have 6" going out of the space and 4" coming in that seems to pressurize it... No heat issues.....
a fan that has no speed control when manufactured has copper windings inside that determine speed and horsepower. these windings are fixed and unchangeable, and wired to be operated at a certain voltage, with a fixed amount of amp draw.
Ok, now we're getting somewhere. -mu and GrowBot, thank you, very usefull. Especially that fancollector website, that is a good source. Oh, and the reason I'd want to slow it down is because a 40 CFM draw in veg would be fine, and would be a lot quietter. Where I'm at, the noise is worse than the smell.