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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: tp4tissue on Sun, 24 April 2022, 17:38:31

Title: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 24 April 2022, 17:38:31: Motor keeps burning out after ~1.5 years,

What do you guys use ?

(https://i.imgur.com/hVaXskJ.gif)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: kurplop on Mon, 25 April 2022, 16:32:24: Does your attic have adequate ventilation to handle the air volume? If not, you may be overtaxing the motor.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 25 April 2022, 16:41:35: there holz everywhere, it's barely sealed (https://cutekawaiiresources.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/61.gif?w=560)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: noisyturtle on Mon, 25 April 2022, 18:03:04: If it's not a hardware issue, it's installation or environment. Check if there's something effecting the integrity of the fan like extreme heat or moisture, then do some testing on the wiring and outlet.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 25 April 2022, 19:40:00: Quote from: noisyturtle on Mon, 25 April 2022, 18:03:04
extreme heat or moisture,

but it's an attic fan, those are the 2 conditions.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: yui on Fri, 29 April 2022, 14:42:37: i am not an electrician, just an amateur with a penchant towards electrical engineering, have you checked the wires going to the fan? if they can't handle the power and drop the voltage the current in the fan may climb and burn something (i am not sure a fan can do that though, i have seen switching supplies blow fuses from that phenomenon though, so maybe, i dunno, if you can't find anything else)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Fri, 06 May 2022, 10:44:35: Disassembled motor, everything seeeeems fine. coil's good thermal fuse blown, new fuses are $1.1 each.. why so spensive.... ??

(https://i.imgur.com/SIzjGPt.gif)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: yui on Sat, 07 May 2022, 15:11:27: Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 06 May 2022, 10:44:35
Disassembled motor, everything seeeeems fine. coil's good thermal fuse blown, new fuses are $1.1 each.. why so spensive.... ??

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/SIzjGPt.gif)

you are lucky it is a replaceable one, one of the reason they are rather expensive is that it uses rather rare metals to melt at a precise temperature, and also that you are buying only one, any electronic component is really expensive when bought by the unit. and if the windings were not fine the fuse would have not been doing its job :)
although if you are already that deep in it you could check the windings for a short with an ohmmeter/multimeter, and check online for typical resistances for those to make sure to not blow the new fuse right away :).
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 17 May 2022, 14:30:34: Got the new fuses,

Soldered, reassembled and installed.

2nd floor is much cooler now mid-day.

It's supppose to help improve durability of the roof itself, buhhhh that might just be Bulls....they tell you to sell you attic fans and installation services.

(https://i.imgur.com/HmeSYmM.jpg)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: Darthbaggins on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:17:50: I wish my house had an attic fan, miss having one when I was younger in my mom's house.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:22:30: Quote from: Darthbaggins on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:17:50
I wish my house had an attic fan, miss having one when I was younger in my mom's house.

you mean a whole house fan or an attic fan, the attic fan just cools the attic.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:31:33: Quote from: tp4tissue on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:22:30

the attic fan just cools the attic

Specifically, "whole house fans" usually vent house air into the attic (although the good ones take it outside) while "attic" fans vent attic air to the outside.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 18 May 2022, 16:33:15: The "turbine" fans you sometimes see don't always have motors, relying on air flow to to spin them.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 18 May 2022, 20:36:39: Latest theory, it's been burning out (past few years) because the "starting temp" is set too high.

For example, if the fan starting temp is set at 90, then the operating environment will stay cool ~100-110, the motor will heat up, but only to <128C of the thermal fuse.

HOWEVER, if the fan starting temp is set at 110, That's different because then the operating temp will push the PEAK motor temp <at least for a little while> to a HIGHER rung, and on a particularly hot day, with a heatwave or whatever, Pooof, the fuse blows.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: Darthbaggins on Thu, 19 May 2022, 05:57:36: I'm used to calling the "whole house fan" the attic fan due to the fact it pulls and vents the air through the attic.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 19 May 2022, 08:18:43: Quote from: Darthbaggins on Thu, 19 May 2022, 05:57:36
I'm used to calling the "whole house fan" the attic fan due to the fact it pulls and vents the air through the attic.

I suppose the venn diagram would work out that way. whole house fan a subset of attic fans.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 19 May 2022, 08:43:33: Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 19 May 2022, 08:18:43

a subset of attic fans

The ceiling where the house fan resides is the interface where "house" and "attic" meet, but unless the attic vents to the atmosphere there will be a reservoir of heat lurking up there.

https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/does-it-make-sense-to-move-the-building-envelope-to-the-roofline/ (https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/does-it-make-sense-to-move-the-building-envelope-to-the-roofline/)
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: Faceman76 on Thu, 19 May 2022, 13:53:32: After cutting down several old oak and maple trees, my central air has trouble keeping up on hot days. Time for an attic fan. May bite the bullet on solar as well...

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 19 May 2022, 13:58:55: I think U_shaped units are the way to go. There's not much reason to do the whole house if we just gon' be in the 'puter room.

But the basement is 70 pretty much all summer too.

Solar roof seems too difficult to service, if you have to call a tech out, it's going to be like $500-2000. With climate change, Mega Storms, high winds, seems dangerous to put more weight up high.

on 1 floor homes, they seem reasonably serviceble.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 21 May 2022, 13:50:24: Theory 2, Maybe, -previously-, the blade was installed too far at the end of the spindle. This causes more vibration and heat as the mass is spun further away from the center of mass. It's also possible that the vortex of air created did not properly pass through the motor's hub holes..

Tp4 has since moved the blade as close down as possible.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: Darthbaggins on Sun, 22 May 2022, 08:48:15: Was there and Isolating spacer between the base of the blade and the housing - I would think that would absorb/reduce any vibrations and add longevity to the motors that keep taking themselves out.
Title: Re: Attic Fan 2
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 22 May 2022, 11:09:39: Quote from: Darthbaggins on Sun, 22 May 2022, 08:48:15
Was there and Isolating spacer between the base of the blade and the housing - I would think that would absorb/reduce any vibrations and add longevity to the motors that keep taking themselves out.

nothing so high tech,
but it does have a wobbly mounting mechanism such that the whole thing goes.. (https://i.imgur.com/fIgQDR3.gif)