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Old 28th Apr 2019, 1:09 am   #1
bill knox
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Default UPS in a wooden cupboard

Hi

I use a UPS and to quieten the internal fans I built a box to put it in, that quietened the fans a treat but the only problem is that the UPS gets a little too hot for my liking, so, I bought a 120 X 120mm fan to cool the UPS down, now the UPS runs very cool but the extra noise from the new fan is more noisy than before I built the case.

What I would like to know, does anyone know of a mains powered thermal switch that I could mount on the UPS so that the fan does not operate all the time, before the fan noise drives me bonkers.

Bill
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 1:32 am   #2
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

This kind of thing?

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/therm...tches/2282557/

There seems to be some confusion in the RS description as to whether it opens or closes as temperature rises, but NO types normally close on rise so could switch the fan directly.
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 8:03 am   #3
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Larger fans are quieter than smaller ones as they turn at a lower RPM. You can get near silent PC fans, maybe use a couple and run them at a lower voltage to give sufficient airflow and they should be virtually inaudible.
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 10:38 am   #4
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

The 140mm ones used in arcade machines are nice and quiet.
I use one for a home brew beer cooler and it is near silent at 11 volts.
It is marked 12 volts.
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 11:28 am   #5
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Noctua fans are very quiet but a bit expensive.
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 12:19 pm   #6
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

The one I use is branded Corsair.
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 2:58 pm   #7
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

One trick I've used in the past is to wire two 230V fans in series, so they run slower/quieter but still provide a worthwhile degree of air movement.

[You can then use a thermal-sensing device and a multi-pole changeover relay to switch them so they each see the full 230V when the temperature rises].
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Old 28th Apr 2019, 3:04 pm   #8
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Or just short out one of them, a single fan on full volts will give much more air flow than two in series.
 
Old 29th Apr 2019, 11:31 am   #9
bill knox
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Hi Herald1360

Yes, that is the sort of thing that I am after, I will have a look at RS and see if they do lower temperature setting version, BUT, but I would want one the goes S/C at say 20C so the fan would be inactive until the temperature of the UPS rises and then cut in to activate the fan and so lower the temperature

Bill
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Old 29th Apr 2019, 12:28 pm   #10
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

20C? Do you mean that or 20C above ambient?

I would think a 40C or 50C stat would make more sense- it would cut the fan in at a sensible temperature UPS wise. (Most electronics is perfectly happy at 50C, though lead acid batteries don't like it- their expected life halves for every 10C above 20C!).
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Old 29th Apr 2019, 12:30 pm   #11
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

I appreciate that this is not actually answering the question, but might it be worth re-locating the UPS to someplace where the noise will not be nuisance ?

I put mine in the bathroom, in a cupboard with a mesh door. The continual slight heat output avoids any risk of the plumbing freezing in severe weather.

Be aware that even a slight increase in temperature significantly reduces the life of the batteries.
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Old 30th Apr 2019, 7:52 pm   #12
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

This isn't directly answering the question either; but you can build an extremely simple fan control circuit using nothing but a potentiometer and a mosfet connected as an emitter follower. Fan noise drops rapidly as you drop the fan speed.

I did some experimenting with this a while back for a project (using a microcontroller rather than a potentiometer) and concluded that if you don't mind losing some energy in the transistor, voltage control is much quieter than PWM for fan control.
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Old 1st May 2019, 10:51 am   #13
bill knox
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Hi

I have contacted Honeywell and am waiting for a reply, RS online only did "Normally Closed" switches so they were the wrong way round for my purposes and the temperature ranges they had were to high.

I am at the moment trying a normal central heating room stat but it is not looking to hopeful.

There are lots of temperature control PCB units on eBay but they are low voltage supply and I do not want to have to build another PSU to power it so I am still looking

Bill
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Old 1st May 2019, 1:29 pm   #14
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

When I sorted out a 140mm mains fan that was very noisy the replacement was 12V DC.
I used a two secondary 9 volt transformer.
I found a double diode in an old computer power supply and fitted it between the two middle terminals and linked the outer terminals.
I added a capacitor of a value that gave enough average voltage according to the amount of noise I was prepared to put up with.
It has been working for years.
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Old 1st May 2019, 2:09 pm   #15
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Quote:
Originally Posted by Herald1360 View Post
This kind of thing?

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/therm...tches/2282557/

There seems to be some confusion in the RS description as to whether it opens or closes as temperature rises, but NO types normally close on rise so could switch the fan directly.
RS description has now been amended to clarify.

Other than that, I haven't a clue what this thread is about.

What is (or was) a 'UPS'?
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Old 1st May 2019, 5:48 pm   #16
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Uninterruptible power supply, in other words a battery backed power supply. Sufficient to keep something working for a while in the event of a power cut.
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Old 1st May 2019, 8:37 pm   #17
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Hi , The NISSEI DPS300GL 30A 13.8 psu uses this neat little circuit. All non critical except the thermistor which you will have to experiment with a variable resistor first before choosing a part unless spares are availiable for these things.

The thermistor is on the heat sink though which gives it quite a temperature range to work with.
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Old 1st May 2019, 10:43 pm   #18
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

That circuit in post #17 would most likely work with a single MOSFET salvaged from an old computer power supply. Just connect the fan in the source where the base of the PNP is in that circuit.
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Old 2nd May 2019, 10:07 am   #19
bill knox
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Default Re: UPS in a wooden cupboard

Hi

I am still using a normal room stat to switch the fan on/off but I re-thought how I connect the stat to the fan.

At first I connected the fan between connections 1-3 these are the connections that you would normally use in a central heating system, it did not work, as I seemed to be chasing the stat up the temperature scale but then thought, using the connections 1-4 would be better as these connections are made as the temperature drop's.

I have got the temperature set to 25o C, and I am waiting for an IEC C13 plug to arrive so that I can take the supply from one of the 230V outlets on the back of the UPS and tidy the installation up.

I think that I will still look for a "silent fan" I am a great believer in "Silence is golden"

Thank you for all the inputs from forum members, all greatly appreciated.

Bill
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