Can I run case fans off a Nokia phone charger?

[sswats]

I want to put some case fans on my av cabinet. currently i've wired them so they run off usb, which is at 5v. so they run nice and quiet.

But the HTPC is not always on yet other components are so just wondering if i cut up an old nokia chargers which are 5v themselves (well 5.3v) would it work.

I successfully tried using a switchable voltage adaptor, but they give off so much heat that it didn't seem too efficient and i was uncomfortable with it.

 

[Madskillz]

Depends what amps your charger is putting out and what rating your fan is. Check your charger, it should have a plate with the specs on it and compare to your fan specs.

 

[Aod]

Depends what amps your charger is putting out and what rating your fan is. Check your charger, it should have a plate with the specs on it and compare to your fan specs.

this.

bare in mind that the fans will need more current at 5v than at 12 which they're designed for. if the nokia charger can't supply enough current, the fans may fail to start or cut out after a few seconds.

 

[EsaT]

currently i've wired them so they run off usb, which is at 5v.

Max output of USB is 0.5A and after that best case scenario is just that port burning out (not whole USB controller) so be darn careful with those tweaks.

 

[Avalon]

Remember Nokia charges are pulse charges, this has been an issue for others in the past using them to try and charge other non Nokia devices though a fan is a lot more simplistic. What about one of the dedicated small PSU's for things like external USB to IDE kits ? The kits are cheap and the PSU is already supplying a full featured molex anyway.

 

[Hades]

Can't you wire them up to run off a molex?

The reason USB is active when the PC is off is that some PSU's are wired this way. But not all are. So you could look around for a PSU that doesn't supply power to the USB ports when it is powered off.