37
votes
Accepted
Does anyone know what this fan blower thingy is?
Cyclone paint mixer.
Cyclone paint mixer
I imagine you just need to remove the hang tag at the drill end.
- 23.1k
25
votes
Does a portable fan work for drying the bathroom?
You need a dehumidifier.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehumidifier
If there is no way to blow the humid air out, run it thru a dehumidifier. You can keep it in the bathroom running on a timer or ...
- 6,623
22
votes
Does a portable fan work for drying the bathroom?
When the things in a bathroom dry the water is not simply disappearing, rather it is converting from liquid you can see and feel on the surfaces and towels into vapor in the air. In other words, ...
- 32.1k
15
votes
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Strange Wire in Bathroom Wiring
This is an onward feed to some other stuff somewhere else in the house
While in the US, bathroom receptacles need to be on a dedicated bathroom receptacle circuit (that can feed any number of ...
- 85.2k
10
votes
New Kitchen extractor fan stopped working
Squeezing the extractor duct to fit into the hood shouldn't cause an issue unless you bent the fan housing and it's binding. Check that the fan spins freely and also check your electrical connections, ...
- 84k
10
votes
Accepted
regular oven conversion to support convection
A workable approach: Sell oven on craigslist (or whatever,) buy convection oven.
An approach that will invalidate your insurance coverage in the event of a fire related to the oven: Let's slap some ...
- 223k
8
votes
How to make a table fan noisy?
I use my fan for this very reason. 'Fortunately' mine makes enough noise that simply turning it up to high works well enough so I use the fan speed and location within the house to fine tune things to ...
- 5,739
7
votes
Bathroom Exhaust Fan/Light wiring
Yes, they are giving you separate neutrals so you have the flexibility to put the fan and light on different circuits if you want to. Neutrals must be supplied from the same circuit as the hot; you ...
7
votes
Accepted
Fastest way to dry a vented dirt crawl space (no vapor barrier) in California (Bay Area)
Fastest, without tearing the house apart:
4 fans sized to your 4 vents - two blow in, two blow out. Less fans will probably work fast enough, but 4 would fit "fastest" as requested. If you ...
- 223k
6
votes
Does a GFCI-protected bath light/fan unit need separate neutrals?
Generally speaking, you don't want to have a fan/light - or more specifically, a light - on GFCI because if the GFCI trips due to something else on the circuit then you are in the dark. As I ...
6
votes
Wire AC Condensor fan motor to three prong plug for shop fan
Mains wiring is dangerous
You're not allowed to just barf a bunch of wires and call it done. The fan, I assume you scrounged this from an old air conditioner, is made to fit inside a housing, which ...
6
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of the fan guard center shield?
Sears calls that part a "guard ornament" which seems to indicate it's probably for aesthetic purposes.
How I found its name:
Google "oscillating fan parts"
Go to images
Find this ...
- 16.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Protecting Smoke Alarm Relay from Large (6.5 amp @ 120V) Inductive Load
Sounds like a job for a RiB or Aube relay. These are both UL-Listed general purpose relays made specifically for applications like this. You must use UL listed equipment (not UR-Recognized ...
6
votes
Is the 18 gauge wire going into my ceiling fan safe to wire on a 15 amp circuit?
If it's UL/ETL (or other NRTL) listed you can do that, provided the manufacturer documents the wiring of the fan that way in the installation instructions. If you direct imported it from elsewhere ...
- 12.4k
5
votes
Wiring a bathroom fan/light with only one neutral wire
There are two neutrals on the fan light, because
The fan gets a hot and a neutral.
The light gets a hot and a neutral.
By giving you separate neutrals, it gives you the versatility of being able ...
5
votes
What is the purpose of a bathroom fan filter? What is the risk of not using a filter?
It's similar to the reasoning behind using a filter for your AC units. You want to filter the air to prevent clogging up the coils and dirtying up the ducts. There is a lot of moisture in a bathroom ...
- 84k
5
votes
Wiring for a ceiling fan. Do I create a switch or can I hard wire directly from a wall outlet?
Can’t power bathroom receps from non-bathroom circuits
A recep in a bathroom is only allowed to draw power from 2 kinds of circuits, and this is a very narrow definition:
A. Circuits which only ...
5
votes
How to wire a dimmer switch to an exhaust fan
If your goal is to control the fan speed, you do not want a dimmer switch. Fan speed controls are a different class of product. Here are some example devices. It is running the fan at full speed ...
- 12.4k
5
votes
Replacing a compact fluorescent bulb in a bathroom exhaust fan with an LED bulb?
Regarding your specific question: the bulb itself will be rated for enclosed operation if it is capable of such. Most high-wattage LED bulbs are not rated for enclosed operation.
- 12.4k
5
votes
Replacing a compact fluorescent bulb in a bathroom exhaust fan with an LED bulb?
If it is truly a compact fluorescent then there is no separate ballast, no rewiring, and this is a simple bulb replacement.
How can you tell? If the bulb unscrews to expose an Edison base, has a large ...
5
votes
Accepted
Fixing Bathroom Fan
Look inside the fan where the motor shaft connects to the fan. There should be an Allen screw or a small slotted screw opposite the flat edge of the motor shaft as shown on the back of the fan. You'll ...
- 84k
4
votes
Can I modify the plug of my new bath fan to fit the non-polarized receptacle?
No, no, no! It's polarized for a reason.
Just replace the receptacle with a polarized receptacle. Make sure the taller slot is on the neutral side.
They look like this, note the absence of a ...
4
votes
Better to run air conditioner fan on high or low speed?
In very simple terms you are trying to "Condition the Air" not just cool it. There is a term "relative humidity" which affects the way you feel at certain temperature. Weathermen refer to it as a heat ...
4
votes
Better to run air conditioner fan on high or low speed?
I have some data that may help here. I have a GE 10,000 btu AC, single double-shaft motor. I’ve measured the wattage on fan only to be 149 W on high, 140 W on medium and 135 W on low. In cooling mode (...
- 41
4
votes
Venting Bathroom Exhaust Fan
A bathroom exhaust fan needs to be vented outside the home!. This sewer pipe is where the waste goes and will not provide a good or safe vent. Vents on the waste pipes prevent the water from being ...
- 103k
4
votes
Need help with wiring a new fan. Wire colors don't match instructions and I am a bit of a novice
First off, I'd rework the connections on the switch. They are pulling out of the terminal screws.
The red wire appears to be the switched voltage to the fan. It should be connected to the black and ...
- 84k
4
votes
Accepted
Why does my bath fan duct have dried grass in it?
Yes, you have a rodent or bird nest in there. No, you shouldn't break anything.
That vent flap is simply hanging on two little integral pins or arms. You can see them in the photo. You should be ...
- 144k
4
votes
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Quickest way to circulate outside air thru house?
Moving air tends to feel cooler than still air. If you can put up with the noise, the box fan trick works quite well.
In my experience, air movement in the home depends on air movement outdoors; if it'...
- 333
4
votes
Quickest way to circulate outside air thru house?
Previously I had a home with no A/C, it was in a forested area so not too bad. But to cool overnight, I put 2 box fans in the living room (great room) windows, both BLOWING OUT. I also blocked off ...
- 23.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Can I put a box fan in a chimney to help circulate out hot summer air?
A cheap box fan will not push air through any enclosed structure like a chimney unless it is sealed into the opening so air will not just recirculate around the blade. Also, a fan used to move air ...
- 12.5k
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