On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 10:25:19 -0500, "Tyke" wrote:

Your options are :
a) Get a 110/220V transformer (not cheap)
b) Run a 220V line for this purpose. Your house will likely have 220V
capability. The normal 110V feed is two separate phase 110V line. You get
220V by having a breaker join both lines.
c) Get rid of the 220V units and replace with 110V units.

If you run the present fans on 110V they will burn out. The motor is
designed for a certain wattage. Watts = Amps x Volts. If the Voltage is
half design, the Amps will be twice design and normally burns out the motor,
typically very fast and "energetic".

Dave Paine.

wrote in message
roups.com...
I have six electric fans that were salvaged from an old computer
equipment cabinet (not a PC, but data center size equipment). I'd like
to repurpose them for either a downdraft cabinet or air filtration
system. The label states that they are 230V. Is there any possibility
of running them on standard 110V house current?

Thanks


If the fans are the square "muffin" or "boxer" type fans you might be
able to successfully run them off of 110v. Years ago we would
scavenge these type fans for use in cooling the home brew stereo amps
we constructed. Running them at 110v made them run at 1/2 speed which
would move some air but would not add any significant unwanted noise
if implemented carefully. We never had a problem with them
overheating that I am aware of, they were supposed to be internally
thermally protected, but we never had any shut down or do nay thin
else out of the ordinary.

It seems to me that even now that the ac powered fans are more
effective than the PC's 12v howling monsters. I found a reasonably
good source of both 110v and 220v ac fans at surpluscenter.com. I
always use them with an add-on fan filter mounted so it can easily be
changed/cleaned without having to disassemble whatever you are using
them for. I have used them for everything from replacement/upgrade
for commercial refrigeration condenser units to embedded cooling
inside built-in home theater systems. good luck, regards, Joe.