AndyR100 Posted May 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 23, 2020 Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted May 23, 2020 Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mike3md Posted May 24, 2020 Report Share Posted May 24, 2020 Multi speed heater switches: https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/micro-three-speed-fan-switch or https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/fan-speed-conversion-switch-three-position or https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/3-speed-heater-fan-switch-with-rubber-knob Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2020 58 minutes ago, mike3md said: Multi speed heater switches: https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/micro-three-speed-fan-switch or https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/fan-speed-conversion-switch-three-position or https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/3-speed-heater-fan-switch-with-rubber-knob Mike 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 24, 2020 Report Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) 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 May 24, 2020 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Quicksilver Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Upriis Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 30, 2020 Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted May 30, 2020 Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 Any chance of posting links to the switches/fans. Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) 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 May 30, 2020 by AndyR100 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 30, 2020 Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 Ditto. I shall use the same value pot but with a switch on the back (as per theold fashions volume control on TRanny radios) to turn on/off. It's all quite exciting. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 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? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Andy, the pot does not control the motor direct. It controls the circuit that controls the fan. The circuit will run 20 - 30 amps. The Pot will be running milli amps. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 That makes sense I couldn't see how you could put the full current through the pot! What were you going to use for the rest of the circuit? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 Missed that link completely which is why I struggled with how you planned to controlling it with just a pot. I was thinking of something like this - which has the pot too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Andy, that is very much the same thing as the one AndyR and myself are using. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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