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I attach it to the same timer that powers my lights. Lights on, fan on. Light off, fan off.
Hi folks,
Just like to find out if you leave on the fans to run 24 hr or do you use a timer to control it ? I realise if I leave it turned on all the time, evaporation in my 2 ft low-light tank can be as high as 1.5 litre a day ! I'm now using the timer for my lights to turn ont he fan and the temp is around 27 deg. Is this good enough for crypts, java ferns and mosses ?
Thks.
I attach it to the same timer that powers my lights. Lights on, fan on. Light off, fan off.
I let my fan runs a cycle of 45mins ON and 15mins OFF during photoperiod. That keeps temp to about 29~30C during the hot season.
[quote:2232507003="geoffrey"]I let my fan runs a cycle of 45mins ON and 15mins OFF during photoperiod. That keeps temp to about 29~30C during the hot season.[/quote:2232507003]
Why do you set it this way? Any special reason?
My understanding is that most electrical equipment wears out faster when it is turned on and off compared to running continously.
BC
My method is something like Geoffrey's. I used a separate timer for the fan. When lights on, fans are on. When lights off, fans turn on/off at intervals.
I thought of the 2 reasons:
- Save on wear/tear on the ac/dc adaptor. I once turn them on 24h daily and it burnt out in a about a week.
- During day or lights on period, the temp is higher and so I forced more cooling by the fan. At night the weather is not as warm but I want to cool the tank further before it starts heating up next day.
koah fong
Juggler's tanks
Don't be afraid of my duck!
I am using a MH so there's quite a bit of radiating heat even after the lights are switched off, so I like to leave the fans on for 3-4 hours after the lights are off.
Bclee is right.
It is best not to turn the fan on/off frequently at short interval as this will shorten its life-span.
I on/off only once a day, coinciding with photoperiod. Temperature 24-26C.
I run mine 24/7...One thing I notice is the type of thermometers that folks are using might play an issue in the temperature that they are getting. I never really trusted those electronic ones....gives such impressive readings (very low even on a very hot day). The notion was kinda of confirmed when I visit keong seong a couple of days ago...the crypt holding tank near the exit with those electronic type of thermometer with no chiller was showing 23 degree celsius on a very hot day!
Regards
Peter Gwee
[quote:4ebf39d48e="goh"]Bclee is right.
It is best not to turn the fan on/off frequently at short interval as this will shorten its life-span.
I on/off only once a day, coinciding with photoperiod. Temperature 24-26C.[/quote:4ebf39d48e]
Just a question:
What about the ac/dc adaptor? Doesn't prolong use cause it to wear out faster? I noticed it gets very hot after a while.
koah fong
Juggler's tanks
Anything with motors draws a lot of current when accelerating, from zero speed especially. When the fan is simply running, it is drawing the stated current on the specs, but when it's accelerating, it's drawing many times that. That is the operating characteristic of an electric motor. Same for the adaptor, it is designed to give out the specified current and heat. So you are actually getting the adaptor to produce high current many times in a day by turning on and off repeatedly, thereby shortening the life. Also high current produces more heat, and heat increases wear and tear, so you are also shortening the life of the fan. The only thing is I'm not sure how much the life is shortened by...
Side track, next time you go onto the MRT, listen carefully when the train starts up, as it gathers speed, there is a distinct change in the sound of the motor. This is due to it switching low to high gear or low speed to high speed motor (depending on which system). The low gear/low speed motor is used only for accelerating to lower the current drawn in that period. After that, the high gear/high speed motor takes over.
Smile, and the world smiles with you!
[quote:7da9142c32="juggler"]
Just a question:
What about the ac/dc adaptor? Doesn't prolong use cause it to wear out faster? I noticed it gets very hot after a while.[/quote:7da9142c32]
AC/DC adaptors got not moving part so wear and tear is not an issue. The only problem is the DC fan but these can be replace easily, as each cost $2 only (PC fan).
I've been using it for about a year already. So far so good. .. touch wood.
You will be suprise what a tiny DC fan can do if you operate 24/7. They perform better than a 6inch AC Fan which operate during light-on time only. When fan operate 24/7, the lower temp at night will help to bring down the temp of the tank. As water is a bad conductor of heat it, the low temp will be retain longer during light-on. I got this theory from KL, a moss king.
Now my moss are doing better.
[quote:82108c2b03="kc"]
AC/DC adaptors got not moving part so wear and tear is not an issue. The only problem is the DC fan but these can be replace easily, as each cost $2 only (PC fan).
[/quote:82108c2b03]
Not wear and tear per se but shortening of life. A light bulb also has no moving parts, but it will also fail with time. Same thing for all electrical stuff, even the IC in your electrical appliances and PC.
Smile, and the world smiles with you!
[quote:691e4120e5="stocker"]
Not wear and tear per se but shortening of life. A light bulb also has no moving parts, but it will also fail with time. Same thing for all electrical stuff, even the IC in your electrical appliances and PC.[/quote:691e4120e5]
Ok, I agree with you.
Wear and tear or not, the tank (fish and plant) come first. You can set timer to rotate several fans as an alternative option.
Yup, so just leave it on 24/7 is a win-win situation! save your fan, adaptor and fish and plants!
Smile, and the world smiles with you!
I agree with BC, cycling causes wear and tear to the fan. But I can get fans easily :P Secondly, it's getting noisier !So I hope to get 15 mins of peace out of an hour
[quote:6e7af50df7="geoffrey"] Secondly, it's getting noisier !
You must be using AC fan. Have you try DC fan? So much quieter.
My DC fan is also noisy tooI guess it's all my fault. I hardly maintain it and it is covered with dirt.
[quote:5000ae5dec="kc"][quote:5000ae5dec="juggler"]
Just a question:
What about the ac/dc adaptor? Doesn't prolong use cause it to wear out faster? I noticed it gets very hot after a while.[/quote:5000ae5dec]
AC/DC adaptors got not moving part so wear and tear is not an issue. The only problem is the DC fan but these can be replace easily, as each cost $2 only (PC fan).
I've been using it for about a year already. So far so good. .. touch wood.
You will be suprise what a tiny DC fan can do if you operate 24/7. They perform better than a 6inch AC Fan which operate during light-on time only. When fan operate 24/7, the lower temp at night will help to bring down the temp of the tank. As water is a bad conductor of heat it, the low temp will be retain longer during light-on. I got this theory from KL, a moss king.
Now my moss are doing better.[/quote:5000ae5dec]
I once experience this: My timer for the ac/dc adaptor broke down. So no choice I turned on the fan for 24/7. After a week, the adaptor died. So now I don't let the adaptors run 24/7.
Anyway, not only the DC fans are cheap, you can source for cheap ac/dc adaptors at Sungei Road flea market -- at your own risk of course.
koah fong
Juggler's tanks
[quote:27159715eb="kc"][quote:27159715eb="juggler"]
Just a question:
What about the ac/dc adaptor? Doesn't prolong use cause it to wear out faster? I noticed it gets very hot after a while.[/quote:27159715eb]
AC/DC adaptors got not moving part so wear and tear is not an issue. The only problem is the DC fan but these can be replace easily, as each cost $2 only (PC fan).
I've been using it for about a year already. So far so good. .. touch wood.
You will be suprise what a tiny DC fan can do if you operate 24/7. They perform better than a 6inch AC Fan which operate during light-on time only. When fan operate 24/7, the lower temp at night will help to bring down the temp of the tank. As water is a bad conductor of heat it, the low temp will be retain longer during light-on. I got this theory from KL, a moss king.
Now my moss are doing better.[/quote:27159715eb]
Where did you get the PC fan at $2 ?? Cheapest I can find at Sim Lim Square is $5. Thks.
Thks all for the feedback and info.
[quote:694b2c07b7="geoffrey"]My DC fan is also noisy too
I ran mine at 9V ... seems to be optimum air versus noise level. 12v is much noisier and not really blowing a lot more air. my 2 cents worth.
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