USB Fan Out Of Old Computer Fan

In this instructable I took a USB cable and a old computer fan and made the fan USB compatable.

Step 1 Getting the usb.

Cut the USB cable to the desired length. Then Strip the cable so you see 4 wires. Cut or isolate the green and white wires. Now strip the red and black wires.

Comments

[Kissker]

As stated, the USB only provides 5 volts power, if you really wanna make it into useful-fan ness, then just splice some battery connectors together out of old toys.

12V = 1x 9v battery clip (which you can buy in bulk for under 0.25 each) or salvage from toys + 2x "AA" battery holder (since most AA are 1.5v each, although rechargable ones vary - so do your math)

Wire em up and add an "On/Off" switch and then encase the whole circuit to make a fully powered, fully recycled (or at least mostly) fully portable fan.


Also make note NOT to mix alkaline based and other based batteries, just because of all the problems and dangers. If you use a alkaline 9v, use alkaline "AA"s as well.

[wbwillie]

yes, USB only supplies 5v, but you could use a voltage regulator circuit and increase the voltage that way

[williamhaze]

Hi there!

I'm planning a project using a 12vdc case fan to inflate a plastic bag for a school project.

I have located a 9v battery clip and a 2xAA battery holder and was wondering how i'd go on with wiring them together.

I was also wondering if it was possible to reverse the polarity, thus creating a vacuum effect. If so i'd like to have a 3 prong switch to control the case fan.

I appreciate any help you could provide me. Thanks!

[kbwillert]

I did something similar before seeing this, just spliced an old phone usb cord to the old desktop fan. I bought a tv stand with glass doors and didn't want the xbox to overheat in there, so I cut a hold in the top/back of the stand to put the fan blowing out and plugged it into the xbox. I had figured the xbox usb ports only had power to them when the xbox was on, but I shouldn't have assumed that. But, it will work with my bluray so I'll just make another for the xbox with a master/slave power switch. Fun idea though!

[fretted]

I just built one of these it works great used an old intel fan dc12v 0. 13A startled be when it first came on thought i was gonna jump out of my chair when it hit my pinky but it works well just enough to keep air circulating around my computer while im using it .....

[Alex1M6]

(removed by author or community request)

[this nick is invalid]

lol 1 9v and 1 aa makes 10.5 v xD

[beehard44]

you can safely raise the voltage

[kyismaster]

you always could try a fan controller.

[cgman]

This works fine when using USB with up to a 9v DC fan. When trying to use the USB port for any12v and up fan, it will not work. I still have not found a way to combine 2 usb ports for these larger fans without causing a short and the PC turning off one of the ports. Any ideas??

[ladyharley05]

Just did this with a 4" PC fan 12V .29Amps and plugged it right into the USB port and it works and spins just fine.

[Palalaika]

if u got 1 fan then im not sure about USB as power source but one 12v fun chills pc very good when useing 12v adapter to power it . I dont think USB fists for 12v fun power source . Best way is to attach 12v adapter with laptop adapter wire and let it be like one wire with has 2 things at the end what can ya put into a wall(thats how i imagine it) xD best way i can tell with my English skills .

[wobbler]

You can't increase the voltage by "stacking" two USBs in series, it will ALWAYS short out the supply, no matter now you do it. The only way to increase the voltage is, as mentioned elsewhere, by using a DC-DC voltage converter, but that seems a little like overkill when you can just use a 12v mains adapter.

[chetan_m.p]

i have made one but it spins too slowly...

[henrysaunders]

this works really great only i used too much usb cable so the fan was underpowered a bit but a really good and easy tutorial

[ab727]

Does the length of the cable also play a part? I used a long cable too. Would I get better result if I used a smaller cable? I do not know the length but I used one of those usb extender cables for this.

[shabaki]

ha i just did this, i need to test a comp fan for aproject and coulndt find any batteries lying around with wenough power :P but i wonder if you spliced a few usbs together...................

BUT if some can get a bunch of these and a nice SMALL power source then i see a rc heli,hovercraft,boat, blimp......need i go on?XD

and anyone know if comp stores might sell old fans for cheap? like a few dollars cheap :P?

[Palalaika]

Hello . Looks interesting :) lego tower cooler :) i pet that the hard part was to build that tower . I bought some cheep cooler http://img20.imageshack.us/i/dsc01702rk.jpg/ 300mm x 240mm with tree 60mm x 60mm coolers witch sucks btw and doesnt do the job even when programming ( when gaming pc turns into oven ( made eggs once :) I didn't find anything better from any shops so now im trying to make one and thats the part where i have alot of questions :( Plan next , i want to supply 2x http://www.arvutikeskus.ee/index.php?pid=0&id=33&menyy_id=33&action=look&lookid=91755 with one 12voltage adapter and question is does they cool less when they have one power source or should i use adapter per Fan ?

[harry88]

you could hook to or three usb cords in a parrelel

[calikoala]

USB provides 5volts at 500ma. most fans are 12 volt so there won't be much power to run it very fast.

[zkemppel]

Just did this with a 12v 0.12a computer fan. It spins, but doesn't get very much power from the usb. Fun to make, but rather useless.

[vov35]

A wild dc-dc converter ic appears...

[FuzzyBearGeek]

I put my laptop on a box fan in my lap. It keeps my pants dry and my computer cool!

[rickythemaniac]

I can see, that the case is from an older dell, i had one in my old dell...

[ghostsmurf]

I tried to do that once but it failed miserably because the fan ran on 12v but the usb only gives out 5v

[bikerbob2005]

instead of a usb try an old serial cable most computers dont even use that port

[Punkguyta]

There is little to no power that goes through a serial port, even a parallel port. That's just a bad idea you'll fry your motherboard.

[bikerbob2005]

DB-25 serial port pin 9 and 10 are reserved for line voltage pin config
on a d-9 (an old serial mouse) the green wire pin 3 to the white wire pin 2 my volt meter is reading 13.4 volts.maybe it needs the controller chip in the serial mouse when the computer is started?
i have a cuecat that plugs into the ps2 mini D-9 keyboard port on MoBo then the keyboard plugs into it the barcode laser lights up where does it get its power from?

[Punkguyta]

Hmm I could be wrong but I often though there wasn't power on either of those ports.

[Hycro]

One could use the old serial/parallel plugs from the older computers, you know--the ones that had the serial mouse, and the serial port and parallel ports plugged into the mobo? Take the wires off of one of those, find a male for it, and wire the female to the +12v rail on your PSU, wire corresponding pins on the male to the fan, and plug that into the computer. Oh, mount the female in it's slot bracket, and put it in an unused PCI slot opening on the back of the case...

[LevLiveDotCom]

I've done this before and found what you said to be quite correct. While the fan will rotate and spin, it won't go anywhere near the fan's maximum RPM. It still works, yeah, but the voltage difference will keep the fan spinning at a much slower rate.

[justinacan]

Now just build a little comppreser and coil and u hav e a minni ac unit

[Yvo25]

Great! It's even more interesting if you use old LEGOs (like I did). I made myself a little cooling tower. :)

[computer_guy]

YOU JUST GAVE ME AN IDEA!
Make the legos into a hollow tower so the fan can fit inside.
take 2-10 fans and place them all inside
Wire them up.
CYCLONE LEGO COOLING TOWER >=D

[jacob5680]

 I have two fans doubled up ( one in front of another ) and the air flow is wicked, You should make the tower and show us the results!

[thepaul1993]

i have always wanted to do this, and now i have, i connected 2 fans in paralell, when i get another usb plug, ill tap into the main plug to double the voltage, so ill be getting 10/12 volts and not 5/12.

[blahblah01]

lmao that is an amazing idea. just make sure to wire them in a parallel before it doesnt work lol... i mean.... unless you want it.....to.... suck...

[geekdude]

i want to hook of bunch of the fans i keep pulling out of old computers together and wire them to an old powersupply. then i could set it on the floor and use it as a boxfan. i wonder if i could fasten them together using just screws

[ChaoBreeder]

I made one using a 12v power supply so it could plug into a wall outlet. I works perfectly, but DONT forget to check the voltage.

[php99]

mine doesnt work :( I have on my USB wires Red, green, yellow & white and on the fan i have black,red &yellow. What can i do to make them work? thanks Paul