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computer fan for radiator

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computer fan for radiator

Postby wallace » 09 Jan 2022, 13:34

A few years ago I built my kitchen, within the room are two radiators. I enclosed them with units and topped with oak worktops. I added a vent in the kickboards and in the worktop to allow heat to circulate. I'd like to improve the heat being moved because the units and tops are huge heat sinks. I'm not really bothered about warm cutlery, and my wife would much prefer the heat to be around her.

I had the idea of using pc fans underneath the radiator to force air through, what would be the best way to power the fans.

I just happened to find a product that does exactly this on youtube called speed comfort but they are out of stock every where.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby spb » 09 Jan 2022, 14:05

Regular computer cooling fans just need a 12V DC supply - source it from wherever you like. The third pin on the connector is for the fan to signal its current speed back to the motherboard, and can be ignored if you don't need to measure that. If it's a four-pin connector, then the fourth is for the motherboard to control the speed, and can also be ignored if you don't need it. Either buy a Molex connector with the right number of pins, or just cut it off and wire in to whatever you need.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby RogerS » 09 Jan 2022, 14:14

I'd probably install several per radiator in case one or more went u/s.

The immediate thought is to vent out the top but I was wondering if reversing that and having it exit at floor level...might warm her up better?
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby Phil Pascoe » 09 Jan 2022, 15:15

We had problems years ago with enclosed fridges and fitted a fan similar to this at one end of the unit with a vent at the other.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-xf10 ... lsrc=aw.ds
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby 9fingers » 09 Jan 2022, 15:26

Most pc fans these days are speed controlled by a temperature sensor. Without this they will run full speed and I suspect will be intolerably noisy in your application. You might have to replace the sensor with a variable resistor to get all round acceptable performance.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby droogs » 09 Jan 2022, 15:29

I would advise getting a speed controller to put into the circuit as the pc fan(s) will run at full throttle all the time otherwise and they will be noisy enough to irritate. You also want them to run at a much lower rpm to move the are slowly enough to give it time to warm up before being ejected out into the room.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby 9fingers » 09 Jan 2022, 15:37

Terrible echo in here :lol:
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby TrimTheKing » 09 Jan 2022, 15:52

And get 120mm case fans as they can run slower (and quieter) to help the above observations.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby wallace » 09 Jan 2022, 16:56

Thanks for the input chaps.

When I built the kitchen I made a little door to access the thermostatic valve but guess who forgot to change the position of the bleed valve. To access it now would need the worktops removed or a unit. :D
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby droogs » 09 Jan 2022, 17:41

9fingers wrote:Terrible echo in here :lol:
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lol you posted as I was typing
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby Robert » 09 Jan 2022, 18:01

might be a daft idea but I was wondering about a mains tower fan laid on its side built into the plinth?

Something like https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/pel019 ... ower%20fan
with the base taken off and no oscillation. Wrong time of year to find them in shops....and no idea if they work ok on their sides or if it would fit.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby jimmy s » 09 Jan 2022, 18:37

Jaga Radiators do a low temp radiator for use with heat pumps etc with fans - or they used to anyway. We used some a while back on a job with heat pumps (client didn't want UFH in part of the building). To keep the size of the radiators down - the fans on the Jaga rads looked like computer cooling fans to me. The controller had a button so you could vary the fan speed. Often with fan convectors (commercial ones) they have a low temp cut out on the fans so if the heat emitter is not up to temp then the fan doesn't start. Useful as you don't want it running all the time and heat output from a forced convection rad is proportional to its log mean temperature difference.

Only issue I saw with them is that they tend to get clogged with dust etc so ideally need to be accessible so you can clean them.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby wallace » 09 Jan 2022, 19:17

Jimmy that is what these things have a little sensor to switch off when the rad is cold. It looks like the company is having problems with customs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETd0_XE8nY
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby jimmy s » 09 Jan 2022, 23:54

The main thing would be a low temp cutout to stop it blowing cold air. We normally see them on the likes of Dunham Bush fan convectors - often used in older schools etc. You would want something like that wired in line with the fan with the fan starting once the radiator got to something like 45-50 deg C as much lower than that the fan will not help much.
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby eezageeza » 10 Jan 2022, 20:36

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0978K58YQ/ ... _lig_dp_it

One of these, powered from a USB lead might do it?
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby Cabinetman » 11 Jan 2022, 09:27

As Robert indicated above, fan heater but just turned onto fan, ie no heat, you can also buy them for fitting into kitchen plinths which might be suitable. Ian
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Re: computer fan for radiator

Postby Robert » 11 Jan 2022, 10:54

If you do go for a mains fan of some kind, search Amazon or ebay for temperature controller. You will find plug in devices with a thermocouple on a lead (for the radiator) that you can program to only turn on above a set temperature. If you go computer fan instead you can still use the controller to turn the power supply on and off.
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