Fan overvolting...

JudgeDredd

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Joined

Apr 25, 2002

Location

Austin, Texas

• Jul 19, 2003

• #1

I read somewhere that overvolting a fan doesn't damage it, but I'd like to get some more opinions. Firstly, how safe is it in terms off the fan heating producing more heat plus the fact that it's spinning faster than it was built for, and how detrimental is it to the fan in terms of life span?

Hope this isn't too shallow a topic for the deep end of the pool forum.

 

Finken

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Joined

Sep 6, 2002

Location

Sweden

• Jul 19, 2003

• #2

It depends on how much faster you run it...

You can give a lightbulb more voltage (overvolt it) and it will burn brighter, but it will also burn out sooner.
If you on the other hand give it too much voltage it'll burn out very fast!

I have overvolted some fans, but I have never used them 24/7 with to much voltage, so I can't really say for sure.
But my guess would be that you can run them faster within reason.

Just like overvolting your CPU...

 

S

sandman001

Just Freeze It

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Joined

Mar 11, 2003

• Jul 20, 2003

• #3

Someone should take one of those 120mm deltas and run them at like 36volts........be so loud.

 

OP

JudgeDredd

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Joined

Apr 25, 2002

Location

Austin, Texas

• Jul 20, 2003

• Thread Starter
• #4

Finken: Thanks for the advice. I also found the link where I first got this idea. http://www.overclockers.com/tips808/

sandman: See, that was one of my concerns. A little overvolting might not be bad, but do it that much and I'd be afraid of the fan blades breaking off. And if not, it would suck the components out of any case.

 

S

sandman001

Just Freeze It

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Joined

Mar 11, 2003

• Jul 21, 2003

• #5

True...maybe I should try it with an extra fan I have.

 

L337 M33P

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Jun 5, 2003

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TEH INTERNETS

• Jul 21, 2003

• #6

Fan blades can hit 35k rpm if they are a good quality plastic (ever see the Dremel-powered fan?)

I don't think that RPM will be an issue, just heat generated inside the motor due to the bigger eddy currents and more current flowing through the windings.

 

D

Daemonfly

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Joined

Aug 18, 2002

Location

NW Pa

• Jul 24, 2003

• #7

It completely depends on which fan you're going to overvolt, and by how much. You'd probably get a lot better results with a higher quality fan.

 

stompah

Deep Pain Senior Member

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Joined

Apr 16, 2001

• Jul 24, 2003

• #8

I can tell you that Delta 120mm 12volt fan can withstand 26+v BUT smells bad.

 

RoadWarrior

Senior Member

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Joined

Nov 25, 2001

Location

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

• Jul 24, 2003

• #9

Some fans have something like 7-17VDC in their spec, usually most any 12V fan is specced up to 15V.

 

ThePerfectCore

Red Raccoon Dojo

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Joined

Mar 1, 2002

Location

Texas

• Jul 24, 2003

• #10

Someone should take one of those 120mm deltas and run them at like 36volts........be so loud.

Click to expand...

And blow the walls of your house flat down into the yard surrounding them.

 

Caffinehog

Übercaffinated Member

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Joined

Dec 27, 2001

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In the lab

• Jul 24, 2003

• #11

L337 M33P said:

Fan blades can hit 35k rpm if they are a good quality plastic (ever see the Dremel-powered fan?)

Click to expand...

They're not going to hit 35K even with a dremel. But they can most certainly withstand as many RPM's as that fan motor can handle.

Be warned... too much energy could cause the capacitors on the fan to pop. Or it could make the mosfets on them overheat. Or it could burn the shellac off the copper wire and short the fan.

Also, if you attach a fan to the -12V line, you're really risking a lot. That line is only able to handle 0.5A. Some of the fans out there can use over 1A of power! There's no telling how much you could damage your computer if you pumped extra power in and made a -12V line go to +X.XV.