Speed Controller Hum?

MidnightJoker · May 26, 2011

When I bought my Speedster inline fan controller, I got a terrible hum in the fan. I knew that couldn't be a good sign, so I did some research on it.

It turns out the audible hum from your fan results from the Speedster constantly turning your fan on and off to control the speed. In the long run, this isn't a good thing for your fan, and will result in the fan life being greatly reduced.

While I have found that many people have picked up different speed controllers to reduce the hum, most of those aren't a safe alternative as they are in jeopardy of over heating your fan and again reducing the life of the fan.

I finally tracked down a fan controller that is actually a variable transformer. It will reduce your fan speed while keeping the fan from any audible hum and because it is a transformer, it will reduce your amps safely while turning down your fan. That's just my 2 cents on fan controllers.

Here is a link: http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7674

BendBrewer · May 26, 2011

hmm, I just thought that was how loud the fan was. I use a Speedster. Are you saying this made the thing a lot quieter? That the noise I am hearing isn't just the fan? I seem to remember it being pretty loud before I even used the Speedster.

MidnightJoker · May 26, 2011

If you are running your fan on full speed, then you will hear a lot of noise and that is just the fan. But when you turn down your fan to a lower speed, an audible hum can be heard and that is the Speedster constantly starting and stopping your fan because the Speedster acts as a power source interrupter. Now that I have the Variac transformer, there is no hum and has noticeably reduced the overall noise and the hum is gone. Night and day.

BendBrewer · May 26, 2011

Well that isn't a bad price at all. Thanks for the info.

jondamon · May 26, 2011

Variacs are the way to go for sure.

I use a variac on my 400CFM/660m3h RVK150L1.

J

LionsRoor · Sep 4, 2011

MidnightJoker said:
When I bought my Speedster inline fan controller, I got a terrible hum in the fan. I knew that couldn't be a good sign, so I did some research on it.

It turns out the audible hum from your fan results from the Speedster constantly turning your fan on and off to control the speed. In the long run, this isn't a good thing for your fan, and will result in the fan life being greatly reduced.

While I have found that many people have picked up different speed controllers to reduce the hum, most of those aren't a safe alternative as they are in jeopardy of over heating your fan and again reducing the life of the fan.

I finally tracked down a fan controller that is actually a variable transformer. It will reduce your fan speed while keeping the fan from any audible hum and because it is a transformer, it will reduce your amps safely while turning down your fan. That's just my 2 cents on fan controllers.

Here is a link: http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7674
View attachment 1619396

Nice info - thanks! I don't really have an issue with the 6" and 8" fans and the hum (using the Speedsters for years now without incident) - but a 4" Vortex is unusable due to the hum from the Speedster. I never realized the hum was caused by the Speedster. I am really interested to get one of these... they aren't much more than the Speedsters anyway!

Are you familiar with the fan controllers from GroZone? Do you know which method they employ for reducing the fan speed; is it Speedster-like or more like the Variac in design?

MidnightJoker · Sep 4, 2011

Actually, I was looking at the speed controllers from GroZone before I purchased my Variac. From the research I found, they employ the same method as a Speedster in reducing your fan speed and still cause a hum. I really think you will find the Variacs the best at what they do, which is to reduce your inline fan's amps to control your speed, rather than constantly shutting your fan on/off. Especially if you are using a Vortex, which is an expensive fan, I would really recommend a Variac to keep the life of your fan.

I have no audible hum from my inline fan and it is because of the Variac.

racerboy71 · Sep 4, 2011

i've always heard that there are two different styles of fans, one that is say a motor driven, and the other one, something different.. i'm not sure if i'm right about the motor drive or not, but i do recall reading ages ago that there's two different styles of fan fabrication, and that the one's not to really be used with the speed controllers, and the other style is ok to use with speed controllers..
pretty much the same thing that the op is saying about how his style of fan is making a terrible humming sounds when using the speed controller.. i have an active air fan, which is made by hydro farm, and i have a speed controller, which is also made by hydrofarm, and i hear no such hum coming from my fan at reduced speed, and i run my fan on like 1/3 power all of the time..
i'm going to do a lil research to see if i can find out about the two different styles of fans that i was talking about.. let me see what i can dig up..

amrcngror · Sep 4, 2011

racerboy71 said:
i've always heard that there are two different styles of fans, one that is say a motor driven, and the other one, something different.. i'm not sure if i'm right about the motor drive or not, but i do recall reading ages ago that there's two different styles of fan fabrication, and that the one's not to really be used with the speed controllers, and the other style is ok to use with speed controllers..
pretty much the same thing that the op is saying about how his style of fan is making a terrible humming sounds when using the speed controller.. i have an active air fan, which is made by hydro farm, and i have a speed controller, which is also made by hydrofarm, and i hear no such hum coming from my fan at reduced speed, and i run my fan on like 1/3 power all of the time..
i'm going to do a lil research to see if i can find out about the two different styles of fans that i was talking about.. let me see what i can dig up..

hey i use the same exact fan and same exact speed controller...no humming from my fan either...

Speed Controller Hum?

MidnightJoker

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BendBrewer

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MidnightJoker

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BendBrewer

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jondamon

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LionsRoor

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MidnightJoker

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racerboy71

bud bootlegger

amrcngror

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