X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: dave w on August 14, 2006, 01:47:26 PM

Title: Choking Fan Buzz?
Post by: dave w on August 14, 2006, 01:47:26 PM

OK geniuses, anyone tried to choke down ceiling fan buzz from a XPD13 inductive dimmer?

I am thinking about wrapping about 20 turns of insulated 14ga or 16ga solid, around a Radio Shark choke form (273-104) in an attempt to reduce the buzz from a ceiling fan motor. The choke will be in series with the hot line to the fan from the XPD13.

I suspect it will make little difference but am wondering if anyone has tried it already?

Any input appreciated.

Thanks!!

Title: Re: Choking Fan Buzz?
Post by: Brian H on August 14, 2006, 04:40:37 PM

The choke may just act as a voltage divider between the motors windings and the chokes. You may get less control, but this is uncharted territory from all I have seen. Also some motors just don't like to be slowed down with a dimmer and hum.
If you try it let us know the results.
Maybe more feedback from someone that has tried this may add more data for us.

Title: Re: Choking Fan Buzz?
Post by: dave w on August 15, 2006, 12:27:46 PM

Quote from: Brian H on August 14, 2006, 04:40:37 PM

The choke may just act as a voltage divider between the motors windings and the chokes.

Hi Brian,
Yeah, I planned on letting choke hang outside of wall plate for a few hours with fan on med to slow and check heat output on choke. That will indicate how much of a divider I have made. There is already a choke in the XPD13 so I am just making it bigger, in hopes of adding a little more slope to the triacs turn-on rise time. It seems to me if it were this simple, we would see "Ceiling Fan De-Buzzer" in Home Depot and Lowes.  Since no shuch device populates the shelves, I'm pessimistic about any improvement.

I just thought somebody might have tried before and could tell me.

Title: Re: Choking Fan Buzz?
Post by: Brian H on August 15, 2006, 04:20:51 PM

Well maybe someone still may have more details.

Title: Re: Choking Fan Buzz?
Post by: dave w on August 16, 2006, 12:29:13 PM

I found an "Uncle Phil" tutorial on "dimming" fans using X10. Adding more inductance may only incease the instantaneous current when triac is first gated on. So I might reduce my buzz but increase current through the triac to the point of smoke.

On google search, I found a Lutron "anti buzz coil" for lights and it looks like a fluorescent lamp ballest. Is definitely large inductive choke. Sooo I could ask Phil about it(will reactance lessen buzz better than more inductance?),  or just wire the choke in and watch for smoke....
I will let you know Monday how much smoke was generated proportional to buzz reduction. ;)

Thanks!
dave