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Topic: Quiet AC Fans (Read 2406 times) previous topic - next topic
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Quiet AC Fans

Might be the wrong forum, but it's kind of audio related...

Basically, I want a fan (AC powered) to sit on top of my receiver, but I want it to be as close to silent as possible.  It doesn't have to move a lot of air.  Any suggestions?
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

Quiet AC Fans

Reply #1 –
Quote from: indybrett on
Might be the wrong forum, but it's kind of audio related...

Basically, I want a fan (AC powered) to sit on top of my receiver, but I want it to be as close to silent as possible.  It doesn't have to move a lot of air.  Any suggestions?


If you want it quiet and controllable consider a DC fan powered by a wall wart. I often use 12 Volt fans on 7 Volts to slow them down and keep the air 'stirred up' which is often sufficient. The wiring can be safer as well as you're only running low Voltage DC.

G²

Quiet AC Fans

Reply #2 –
Good idea

Maybe I'll look at some PC fans designed for quiet operation.
flac > schiit modi > schiit magni > hd650

Quiet AC Fans

Reply #3 –
I was going to recommend some low-speed AC fans, but they don't even seem to list a spec for noise level that seems acceptable.  DC fans meant for computers can at least be controlled through a pin that accepts PWM, and it wouldn't be difficult to even build a small circuit with a temperature sensor to control that PWM so you can get as little rotation and noise from a fan as possible to keep a stable temperature.  I wouldn't be surprised if there there are integrated circuits just for the purpose of taking the RPM signal from a fan, sense temperature from some sensor, and output a PWM signal for that fan.  A good starting point for quiet fans would be to look at fans made by "Scythe".

Quiet AC Fans

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Glenn Gundlach on
Quote from: indybrett on
Might be the wrong forum, but it's kind of audio related...

Basically, I want a fan (AC powered) to sit on top of my receiver, but I want it to be as close to silent as possible.  It doesn't have to move a lot of air.  Any suggestions?


If you want it quiet and controllable consider a DC fan powered by a wall wart. I often use 12 Volt fans on 7 Volts to slow them down and keep the air 'stirred up' which is often sufficient. The wiring can be safer as well as you're only running low Voltage DC.

G²

I agree with this. Generally a larger slower fan will be quieter than a smaller faster one for the same amount of cooling. This article over at silentpc is a few years old but may give some ideas:
Recommended Fans
 

Quiet AC Fans

Reply #5 –
Large and slow are quieter than small and fast. True.

Use variable speed control so you only have to run it (or them) as slowly as possible.

The vents on the top of the receiver aren't always actually placed where the cooling is needed most. The vents may be haphazard or randomly placed all along the top, without thought. A closer inspection by you, internally, as to where the actual heat generating components are located, will let you use spot cooling in the really important areas rather than just generically "all across the top".

Although in a perfectly optimal cooling world the fan should shoot up, like a chimney, and suck in air from below, this is also the second most obviously noisy location to place the fan [the worst being the front faceplate], if you want to isolate its noise from the room. Often a fan on the back panel shooting air out (assuming there are vent holes present), for example, is 90% as effective and 200% quieter from the room side's perspective.

Finally,  the placement of the entire fan cooled device [receiver in your case]  relative to you and hard reflective surfaces, is key. It may be that a shelf 2 feet lower than the one you are currently using, for example,  will make a night and day difference as to how loud it appears as measured at your ears' location.

If you want to go all out, research how to build a fan cooled "hush box".