View Full Version : Wiring Fan Control - Where in the chain to place the control?
sub780lime
Feb 1, 2015, 03:27 PM
Hello,
I am wiring a motor with a fan control. I have the motor wired with continuous power right now from the wall outlet to an AC/DC power switcher which is then wired to a rectifier which is wired to a capacitor and then on to the motor. That chain works just fine, but of course, only provides continuous full power to the motor.
Now, I am I want to add a fan control this setup, but I am just unsure where I need to wire the fan control into the chain. After the AC/DC converter but before the rectifier? Between the wall and before the AC/DC converter? After the rectifier and the capacitor? Just don't know.
Thanks for any help.
Steve
donf
Feb 1, 2015, 03:50 PM
What you are asking for is electrical/electronic design information, not electrical residential wiring.
Not to mention, you have provided neither a schematic, a component placement layout or a design form factor so I suspect you would like us to guess about your problem?
sub780lime
Feb 1, 2015, 04:07 PM
I didn't see any other category that might be applicable on the forum. If you can point me in that direction, I would be happy to post it there.I was hoping this would be a simple question without needing the wiring diagram based on the parts mentioned. I will work one up if it will help, but based on your comment, it doesn't sound like the question is welcome in this forum. I'll move it to the correct one, if you can tell me where that might be. I found no other electrical category but the one in home and garden.
Cat1864
Feb 1, 2015, 04:36 PM
It has been moved to Home Electronics. No need to repost.
Do you need help on posting a picture of your layout?
donf
Feb 2, 2015, 06:55 AM
I'm sorry if I seemed unfriendly, that was not my intent at all. I read your question and asked that it be routed to the electronics forum.
This forum is intended for home electronics so it may not have any engineers online.
However, that said, if you can append a schematic, and component layout I will be happy to take a look at it.
Fair warning, I am a retired IBM field tech, not an engineer.
sub780lime
Feb 3, 2015, 09:36 AM
Thanks, Cat.
I wired my speed control between the wall plug and my power converter. What I am running into now is that, in my amateur opinion, the converter only provides power once it receives a certain level of voltage from the speed control. Essentially, turning the speed control on does nothing until you hit a certain spot and then the motor kicks on and once its on its speed is constant no matter the speed control level above that.
Here are the parts I am using
Motor: Wiper motor
Power Converter: LH Switching Power Supply (LIHUA-150W)
Speed Control: KB Speed Control (KBWC-18K)
And here is my poor wiring diagram. First up is everything to the converter.
http://i.imgur.com/MTxm3ur.jpg
The next shows the wiring from the converter to the plug/wall.
http://i.imgur.com/jOgeKwM.jpg
Note, the negative bypasses the speed control and goes straight to the wall plug. Also, if I wire from the converted to the plug with no switch, I get constant steady power to the motor. Now I am trying to regulate the speed of the motor. That is my end goal. I beginning to wonder if I should be using an AC speed control on the motor side instead of a DC controller on the other size of the converter.
Thanks for any help.
donf
Feb 3, 2015, 11:41 AM
Help me out a little, please.
Your source is a 120(+/-) wall outlet, correct?
From the source, the hot (usually black) goes to the line side of the variable speed switch?
1) Is the neutral (white required by the switch? I ask this because normally the variable speed switch does not require a presence of neutral. The source is routed to the switch, then interrupted by the switch and routed to the device.
Neutral is simply passed through to the junction box. That said, some newer level switches will require that neutral be used by the switch.
sub780lime
Feb 3, 2015, 04:48 PM
Hi Don,Correct, source is a 120 wall outlet. The speed control does not have any neutral wiring. In my current setup the neutral from the converter bypasses the switch and goes right to the wall plug. The positive (hot) goes from the speed control into the switch, back out the switch on a separate wire and to the wall plug. The only other wiring on the speed control is a ground which I wired into the ground line that runs from the converted to the wall plug.
donf
Feb 4, 2015, 08:36 AM
Wait a moment, please.
From what I see, you source of power for the fan is the wall receptacle. You should be pulling hot (black), Neutral (White) and ground (bare copper from the receptacle.
The black from the receptacle should feed the switch, white should bypass the switch, ground would be pigtailed (ground to the switch and then continued to the fixture.
Black from the switch would then connect to the fan control. White to white and ground to ground.
Then you set the fan on high and use the switch to control the speed of the fan.