# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Installing Fans into a canopy, some questions



## motifone (Apr 7, 2005)

Thanks to this board and Plantedtank, I feel a little bit more educated about installing fans into my canopy. I'm not electrically inclined, so I just want to ask a few things before I buy up the parts. My tank is 36" long with 192w of AH Supply Light. My canopy has an open back, which is where I plan to somehow mount or velcro hang the fans.

-- I'm thinking of buying 2 of these 12vdc 80mm Silencer Fans aimed inward, blowing into the tank:

http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/alarmandaccesories/silencerfan/index.htm

-- Getting this 12vdc adaptor:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1&catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F004%5F001%5F001%5F000&product%5Fid=273%2D1667

-- And this device which plugs into the above adapter, giving me two free wires (as opposed to slicing off the end of the adapter):

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F009%5F001%5F001%5F004&product%5Fid=273%2D1742&site=search

INSTALLATION

So I buy the Silencer Fans. Do I chop off that white adapter on the Silencer, leaving me with an exposed red wire and a black wire? Or do I make use of the adapter somehow? Let's say I chop it off.... Using a wire nut, I would join the Silencer's red wire to a black wire on the AC adapter, and then join the Silencer's black wire to the other black wire on the AC adapter? Plug it in, it should run?

Ok, here's where am lost. How to I add the second Silencer fan into this configuration. Keep in mind I want to put the second fan at the opposite end of the tank, 36" inches away or so from the other fan, connected to and powered by the same AC adapter. Do I need to buy something like this and some extension wire:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F003%5F009%5F000&product%5Fid=274%2D677&site=search

Again, I don't have a lot of wiring experience. Sorry for the chatty post, I just need someone to baby step me a bit here -- some confirmation on my questions and some guidance on connecting multiple fans to one power adapter.

Thanks!!

Steve


----------



## Hawkeye (Aug 20, 2004)

This what I would do. 

1) put your fans so that they will pull air out not blow in.
2) cut off the white plug off the fans.
3) add some extra wire if needed to get the fan separation you want.
4) use inline connecters to extend the wire from one fan to the other.
5) you have to hook the fans up in parallel so you don't have a voltage drop. That means red to red - black to black on the fans then connect to the 12v adapter. Check the direction of the fan to make sure you get positive - negative right.

Hawk


----------

