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Fan Speed Control
Thanks Larry Wade for this idea.

Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Fan Speed Control
Reply #1 –
Quote from: Don Malpas  - 
Thanks Larry Wade for this idea.
You will like the ability to control the speed and the big savings in power usage even better (when run at lower speeds).
We now have the Fantastic Fan, in the bath, equipped with a PWM speed control.
At the low speed setting, the one we use most, it uses half the power of the old, resistor speed control.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Fan Speed Control
Reply #2 –
When my original speed control failed on the forward fan in my '03 FL last year, I decided to try a PWM controller similar to the one mentioned here.  I was aware that not all motors play well with the PWM, and can be noisy at lower rpms, but tried it anyway.  It worked well enough, but it was too noisy at lower speeds to be worth the variable control. I was willing to buy a new motor to work with the PWM controller, but couldn't find anything that I felt confident in, so decided to put the idea on hold for the time being. 

Has anyone had a similar problem when installing a PWM on an older fan?  Maybe just buying a new motor for the fan would solve the problem, but it would be nice to know before I spend the money that it may be as simple as that.

Thanks in advance!
Bill
2003 -- 23' FL
 
Re: Fan Speed Control
Reply #3 –
Quote from: krmugn  - 

Has anyone had a similar problem when installing a PWM on an older fan?  Maybe just buying a new motor for the fan would solve the problem, but it would be nice to know before I spend the money that it may be as simple as that.
The converted Fantastic Fan, in our 2003 LD, is 14 years old, with many thousands of hours on it.
When running on the PWM controller, it is as quiet as before, when the resistor speed controller was used.
I see no reason why it would make any more noise with the PWM controller.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Fan Speed Control
Reply #4 –
Larry, so you replaced the resistor speed control with the PWM in the bath Fantastic Fan. Did you mount the PWM controller on the ceiling or what?

I never thought about removing the two position switch in my fan. I figured I would just leave in the High position.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Fan Speed Control
Reply #5 –
Quote from: Larry Wade  - 
The converted Fantastic Fan, in our 2003 LD, is 14 years old, with many thousands of hours on it.
When running on the PWM controller, it is as quiet as before, when the resistor speed controller was used.
I see no reason why it would make any more noise with the PWM controller.

Larry

Larry, 

I appreciate your reply.  That's what I needed to know, mine shouldn't be noisy with a PWM controller either.  There is a lot of discussion about noisy motors with PWM control when doing a search on the web.  Much of it over my head (electronic circuit design), but what I conclude from reading through them, along with your reply is that the PWM controller that I purchased (not the RioRand) must not have the necessary circuit design\filtering needed to prevent noise, particularly at lower speeds.  I'll order the RioRand and install it.  Thanks again!
Bill
2003 -- 23' FL