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
16 years ago
Rheostat with a Gable Fan?
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- posted
16 years ago
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
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- posted
16 years ago
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.
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16 years ago
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.