Rheostat with a Gable Fan?

Posted by ToddP on October 29, 2007, 12:27 pm

I have a gable fan that is very loud. I'd like to slow it down via a
rheostat/potentiometer. Is this possible? Is it advisable? If so,
can anyone suggest a rheostat that is adequate for the job?

TIA

Posted by Bob F on October 29, 2007, 12:42 pm

>I have a gable fan that is very loud. I'd like to slow it down via a
> rheostat/potentiometer. Is this possible? Is it advisable? If so,
> can anyone suggest a rheostat that is adequate for the job?

It is going to depend on the type of motor used in the fan.

Don't try a light "dimmer". They are not designed for motor control.

Is it direct drive, or belt driven? If belt driven, you could change pulley
sizes to change the speed.

Bob

Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on October 29, 2007, 12:59 pm

Many fractional HP motors can be controlled by a rheostat, similar to a
light dimmer switch. Be sure you have one that can handle the HP of hte
motor.

Posted by on October 29, 2007, 1:36 pm

> >I have a gable fan that is very loud. I'd like to slow it down via a
> > rheostat/potentiometer. Is this possible? Is it advisable? If so,
> > can anyone suggest a rheostat that is adequate for the job?
> > TIA

> Many fractional HP motors can be controlled by a rheostat, similar to a
> light dimmer switch. Be sure you have one that can handle the HP of hte
> motor.

Every AC motor that would be used in a gable fan that I have ever seen
is fixed speed and determined by the freq of the AC source driving
it. You can't slow it down by lowering the voltage with a rheostat,
which wouldn't be very good idea to begin with. You;d just be
dissipating energy as heat.

Either get a quiet new fan or maybe switch to a passive ridge vent
system.

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