Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Thanks Rob and Roger -  just wanted to be sure i wasn't barking up the wrong tree!

Rob - my first thought was to enclose in some kind of housing to avoid unwanted contacts - but you are right, those heatsinks will need some airflow.  The remote control-knob looked like it could replace the existing control and reuse the knob, and park the controller somewhere safe, this is the point where i rue the closure of Maplins!

I really appreciate the advice :)

....... Andy

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Andy,

you will need a switch to turn it on and a switch/pot to regulate the speed.

This could all be done with a pot that has a switch on the back of it (rather like the on/off volume knob on the old gramaphone.

 example  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10K-Linear-16mm-Potentiometer-Pot-W-Switch/254472067847?epid=1876087718&hash=item3b3fb79b07:g:lxsAAOSw2QteERB1

or 4 position switch   https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rotary-switches/0320203/

 

Roger

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmmm I had been thinking about making something like this for my heater fan, mainly because the standard rheostat does not slow the speed enough once the cabin has got nice & warm (hood up of course).  For £13 it hardly seems worth the effort.

Bob.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Roger,

ahhh... ok, so I could keep the existing blower on/off switch to feed the controller (and then the fan), and the switch that comes with the controller to vary the speed - or do both with the eBay switch.

Thanks for the your help!

....... Andy 

Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, Lebro said:

Hmmm I had been thinking about making something like this for my heater fan, mainly because the standard rheostat does not slow the speed enough once the cabin has got nice & warm (hood up of course).  For £13 it hardly seems worth the effort.

Bob.

Hi Bob,

you do have a point - off or on is what I have always done, but if it wasn’t too much hassle I thought it would be an interesting update - particularly if I found my replacement fan generating a wind-tunnel!  ...... that is probably just me being super-optimistic though  :) 

........ Andy 

Link to post
Share on other sites
58 minutes ago, mike3md said:

Hi Mike,

thanks for these links, looking at those options, it looks like (if I have understood correctly) the first and third need a 3-speed fan.

In my case I think the only one that would vary the speed of a single-speed fan is the second one - the resistors may act as extra heating elements!

perhaps I could make a period-looking front for it.

........ Andy 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Andy,

those switches are rather dedicated.  I would stick with the PWM module.

You could use switch #1 and use its output tags to switch a resistor for each speed estimated from the PWM pot.

 Roger

Edited by RogerH
Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/24/2020 at 8:29 PM, RogerH said:

Hi Andy,

those switches are rather dedicated.  I would stick with the PWM module.

You could use switch #1 and use its output tags to switch a resistor for each speed estimated from the PWM pot.

 Roger

Thanks Roger,  i'll hook up a couple of options and see which i prefer - i'll probably use the simplest one which actually works :)  .   Given the extra current draw and its use will normally take place with wipers/lights etc. I will hook it up to a dedicated feed from my aux fusebox rather than leave it running through the std. harness. 

cheers, Andy

Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, Quicksilver said:

 Hi Andy,

i following your process/ upgrade of the heater fan  with great interest.  maybe this is the route for my to, to improve the fan capacity. 

Marcel.

 

Thanks Marcel - i hope it proves useful to yourself and perhaps others if they fancy doing something similar.... while i may play around with the variable speed, so far it seems to tick the two key points i was trying to cover of 1) generating more 'blow' and 2) not needing to heavily modify the airbox.

...... Andy

Link to post
Share on other sites

I am another following this with interest!

i have a spare tr6 heater box that I purchased solely for this project, to see what would fit.

Ive tried a small squirrel cage type fan, in the same orientation as the original but it didn’t give appreciably better performance.

Never considered a Small radiator type fan, but it looks ideal, to save chopping up a perfectly good heater box.

Particularly with the addition of a pwm switch device, ideally with the original fan switch attached.

Thanks for detailing this project

Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, Upriis said:

I am another following this with interest!

i have a spare tr6 heater box that I purchased solely for this project, to see what would fit.

Ive tried a small squirrel cage type fan, in the same orientation as the original but it didn’t give appreciably better performance.

Never considered a Small radiator type fan, but it looks ideal, to save chopping up a perfectly good heater box.

Particularly with the addition of a pwm switch device, ideally with the original fan switch attached.

Thanks for detailing this project

Currently giving the box a bit of a clean-up and paint - it looked it’s age :)  - couple of seals on their way plus I need to dig out some grommets and reassembly awaits.

i’ll try and remember to take some more pics as I go to act as a bit of a reference.

.....Andy 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Next steps.... cleaned up heater box, and fitted it out with various lengths widths of closed foam around the matrix and housing, all nice and snug. Also added some foam to the flap to have a reasonable seal.

While I was at it, I hooked up a cheap/cheerful anemometer to compare the flow of the two fans... the Spal consistently measured 30% higher values, so it does give more puff (and satisfied my inner curiosity with a number) One thing I did notice was that the motor of the original fan actually blocks quite a lot of the airflow so there was a small sweet-spot where flow was at its highest - no point measuring immediately behind the motor!

Then used some thin foam around the circumference of the new fan to remove any chance of vibration - there weren’t any during my tests, but I don’t really want to pull it out again in the near-term.

the grommets haven’t arrived yet, so closing up the unit and wiring-up will now wait until next weekend.

few more pics, nearly there......... Andy 

 

062F1227-BD35-4863-85AD-5276AB125BCB.jpeg

7617F606-BCFF-4020-8A81-7CF5C285B94C.jpeg

E27A19B2-8B50-4E6D-B994-1071CBCD1BBD.jpeg

84C15E90-D5E2-478E-8A18-92ACE90A1AA1.jpeg

E1B3AEE9-C0BD-42F0-A071-31EF36B11636.jpeg

75404313-8BC6-48AA-96D6-60EDA97FFDD7.jpeg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Andy,

my fan turned up yesterday and the controller on Wednesday.

The gearbox is out and before I refit it I will refurb the heater box.

One concern I have is - will the more powerful airstream rob the matrix of heat - is there enough hot water flowing through !!!  ?

 

Roger

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Roger,

I suspect you’ll be finished before me, did you choose the same fan or go with a different one?  

I doubt the extra airflow will be a problem for the matrix - I’m sure they’ll be plenty of heat to go around!  In winter I have been known to block off half the rad (less unsightly than blocking half the grill) to keep the heat levels up though.

hope yours goes smoothly :)

........ Andy 

Link to post
Share on other sites
26 minutes ago, Andy Moltu said:

Any chance of posting links to the switches/fans.

Andy

Hi Andy, 

the fan I chose is a SPAL VA39-A101-45A.... 5.5” (140mm) fan,  I’m sure there are plenty of different suppliers but I purchased from T7 Design :

https://www.t7design.co.uk/spal-radiator-fan-5-5-140mm-pull-va39-a101-45a-289cfm.html  (they quote the lower cfm  of the A100 on their website, the 101 is higher than the 100)

I will hook up with the existing switch to start with, I have a 10a PWM from eBay (link earlier in thread) which I’ll hook up later - I think Roger may be doing something similar.

........ Andy 

Edited by AndyR100
Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/23/2020 at 10:18 PM, RogerH said:

Hi Andy,

you will need a switch to turn it on and a switch/pot to regulate the speed.

This could all be done with a pot that has a switch on the back of it (rather like the on/off volume knob on the old gramaphone.

 example  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10K-Linear-16mm-Potentiometer-Pot-W-Switch/254472067847?epid=1876087718&hash=item3b3fb79b07:g:lxsAAOSw2QteERB1

or 4 position switch   https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rotary-switches/0320203/

 

Roger

 

Would that pot handle the current of the heater fan? Looks more like that of an old radio which would need rather less current?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi AndyM,

 

this is what AndyR found on ebay  Controller

It is cheap enough to see how well it works.

I got another POT from RS Comps with a combined switch. So the one knob will turn it on and sort the speed.   Pot

The switch will handle 4amps. I am hoping the it switches on in very slow mode (min current).

Roger

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.