Post by thread:[OT] It's hot and my fan is broke.

Sorry for the off topic question, but it is truly only a sign of respect for the knowledge on this list, and also because it is 100+ degrees and I am going bonkers. I am in a small room with several heat spewing computers on a very warm Colorado summer day. The floor standing fan in the room with me keeps turning off every five minutes. Off-on-off-on, the temperature rises twenty degrees every time it goes off. This is not a thermostat-like feature on the fan, it is a recent development. Does anyone know what I can look at (I have my tools) to keep it going? Matt /*****************************************/ /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ /*****************************************/

Ahh, matt, the answer is simple. Your fan needs a fan. Chris Eddy Pioneer Microsystems, Inc. Matt Calder wrote: {Quote hidden}> Sorry for the off topic question, but it is truly only a sign of > respect for the knowledge on this list, and also because it is 100+ > degrees and I am going bonkers. > I am in a small room with several heat spewing computers on a very > warm Colorado summer day. The floor standing fan in the room with me keeps > turning off every five minutes. Off-on-off-on, the temperature rises > twenty degrees every time it goes off. This is not a thermostat-like > feature on the fan, it is a recent development. Does anyone know what I > can look at (I have my tools) to keep it going? > > Matt > > /*****************************************/ > /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ > /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ > /*****************************************/

Remove the electric motor, and use a small gasoline powered motor. They don't have this problem. -----Original Message----- From: Matt Calder [SMTP:spam_OUTcalderTakeThisOuTSTAT.COLOSTATE.EDU] Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 1998 4:11 PM To: .....PICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Subject: [OT] It's hot and my fan is broke. Sorry for the off topic question, but it is truly only a sign of respect for the knowledge on this list, and also because it is 100+ degrees and I am going bonkers. I am in a small room with several heat spewing computers on a very warm Colorado summer day. The floor standing fan in the room with me keeps turning off every five minutes. Off-on-off-on, the temperature rises twenty degrees every time it goes off. This is not a thermostat-like feature on the fan, it is a recent development. Does anyone know what I can look at (I have my tools) to keep it going? Matt /*****************************************/ /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ /*****************************************/

Hi Matt If this is not a joke here are some pointers Some fans have a thermostatic switch that cuts out when the fan is too hot Possible causes for the fan to overheat are [1] The 115 Vac mains is low - Not unusual in hot weather. no fix possible just turn the fan off to keep it from burning out completely [2] It needs oil - Just oil the motor bearing with 3 in 1 oil [3] The blades are very dirty - it increases air friction and makes the motor work harder than it should [4] It is too hot in the room - Time to go have a cool one at the pool > {Original Message removed}

It DOES sound like the fan is overheating and a thermostat is opening rather than having the motor burst into flames. You might need to oil bearings or clean the motor so it isn't loaded as heavily by crud and spins freely. I suspect the fan was designed to not normally overheat on a hot day... Harold On Tue, 14 Jul 1998 17:05:27 -0400 Chris Eddy <ceddyKILLspamnb.net> writes: {Quote hidden}>Ahh, matt, the answer is simple. Your fan needs a fan. > >Chris Eddy >Pioneer Microsystems, Inc. > >Matt Calder wrote: > >> Sorry for the off topic question, but it is truly only a >sign of >> respect for the knowledge on this list, and also because it is 100+ >> degrees and I am going bonkers. >> I am in a small room with several heat spewing computers on >a very >> warm Colorado summer day. The floor standing fan in the room with me >keeps >> turning off every five minutes. Off-on-off-on, the temperature rises >> twenty degrees every time it goes off. This is not a thermostat-like >> feature on the fan, it is a recent development. Does anyone know >what I >> can look at (I have my tools) to keep it going? >> >> Matt >> >> /*****************************************/ >> /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ >> /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ >> /*****************************************/ > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

With a 'circle of fans' at some point the heat of the fans would be the problem. If you are at a place of employment ,wearing shorts and a tee shirt may give someone a hint that you need a new fan. Also ask them for some salt tablets. As a final ploy, stop working because your PC is overheating. Or remove the PC's case so it will run cooler. Bosses panic when they see the case off a computer. Bill C.

Ask boss for adequate air conditioning - not for you of course, but for the sake of the equipment. Point out that computers run faster and live longer when cooled. Point out that's why properly managed computer rooms are so cool. Threaten to come to work naked. Order cold beer on company tab. Arrange buckets of water, birch twigs and sauna-related paraphernalia, hand towels to incoming visitors and charge admission. Invite secretaries in for Martinis. Charge 5 cents for baby oil application. (Is it just me or is my office getting hot too?). Make the problem into fun - and someone is bound to come and stop it! BTW, fans add heat energy to closed spaces: the cooling sensation is due to moisture evaporation from skin. Move your fan to suck hot air out of (or cool air into) your space. Or get one of those garden mist-sprays to spray easily evaporated liquid on your skin. Alcohol is better than water in this respect - a handy response to bosses questions! Vodka would be better than beer. Gasoline could be nasty. Alternatively you could get a PIC project to drive big red flashing 7-seg temperature displays, and synthesise the message "Thermal integrity limits overloaded - warp core breech imminent - - evacuate all life forms immediately!" loud enough for your boss to hear in his office. Jets of gas escaping from ruptures add to the dramatic effect.

Maybe remove the motor cover and attach a alumina plate or other cooling fin. It also happens like this if there is a minor electrical failure in some winding. Verify that the resistance of equal windings are the same! /Morgan / Morgan Olsson, MORGANS REGLERTEKNIK, SE-277 35 KIVIK, Sweden \ \ .....mrtKILLspam.....iname.com, ph: +46 (0)414 70741; fax +46 (0)414 70331 /

Thanks to all who answered my plea for help. I was very tempted to implement the "circle of fans" solution, it's appeal on aesthetic grounds far outweighed its economic downside. However, I did not have access to sufficiently many electrical outlets. Therefore, I went the more laborious "clean it and oil it" route. I am happy to report that the fan has been operating for two uninterrupted hours, and I am comfortable and cool. Thanks again, Matt /*****************************************/ /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ /*****************************************/

No, you're wrong Chris. His fan needs air-conditioner Chris Eddy wrote: {Quote hidden}> Ahh, matt, the answer is simple. Your fan needs a fan. > > Chris Eddy > Pioneer Microsystems, Inc. > > Matt Calder wrote: > > > Sorry for the off topic question, but it is truly only a sign of > > respect for the knowledge on this list, and also because it is 100+ > > degrees and I am going bonkers. > > I am in a small room with several heat spewing computers on a very > > warm Colorado summer day. The floor standing fan in the room with me keeps > > turning off every five minutes. Off-on-off-on, the temperature rises > > twenty degrees every time it goes off. This is not a thermostat-like > > feature on the fan, it is a recent development. Does anyone know what I > > can look at (I have my tools) to keep it going? > > > > Matt > > > > /*****************************************/ > > /* Matt Calder, Dept. of Statistics, CSU */ > > /* http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~calder */ > > /*****************************************/