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Old 07-13-2013, 02:25 AM   #1
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Fan-tastic fan 12V, 120 V

Hi. I've just had a great-looking Fan-tastic vent installed but when my guy turned it on, it blew a fuse. The power supply is 120 Volts. Is there something I need to know about this? Everything else I run (computer, stereo, vacuum) has no problem with the incoming power supply. Why would the fan have an issue? Do I need an inverter or something?
Thanks loads.
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Old 07-13-2013, 04:19 AM   #2
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As far as I know, all FantasticFans are 12-volts DC and are powered from the 12-volt output from your converter or trailer batteries. If you have the fan wired to 120-volts AC, you probably have it wired to the wrong source. However, you should check the specifications for your specific FantasticFan model.

In most installations, the FantasticFan is connected to the 12-volt DC wires that power the 12-volt lighting fixtures in the ceiling, which are closest to the fan mounting location.
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Old 07-13-2013, 05:35 AM   #3
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Yea, I've never seen one that wasn't 12 volt powered.
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Old 07-13-2013, 05:41 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by wigwag View Post
Hi. I've just had a great-looking Fan-tastic vent installed but when my guy turned it on, it blew a fuse. The power supply is 120 Volts. Is there something I need to know about this? Everything else I run (computer, stereo, vacuum) has no problem with the incoming power supply. Why would the fan have an issue? Do I need an inverter or something?
Thanks loads.
Yep!

Your 'guy' connected your Fantastic Vent to the WRONG POWER SOURCE !Every RV powered vent fan I have ever installed has required 12VDC. This should have been obvious from the presence of a white wire (usually labeled 12 VDC negative) and a black wire (labeled 12VDC positive) and no ground wire that is associated with 120VAC connections.

When in doubt......RTFM! (for the uninitiated, that means READ THE EFF'IN MANUAL!!!!!

I would suggest that your 'guy' get ready to replace the product, as the presence of 120VAC in a 12VDC appliance will generally do serious damage to it!!

All ventilation fans are designed to operate from 12VDC to allow their use from battery power when off-grid.
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Old 07-13-2013, 05:45 AM   #5
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There's nothing like the smell of fried electronics in the morning...

If you were very, very lucky, the fuse popped first, and no further damage was done. If you are like the rest of us, you probably lost some electronic gizmos in this incident. At the very least, the fan speed switch probably went *poof*.
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Old 07-13-2013, 06:49 AM   #6
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Good luck, but highly likely it toasted the fan/unit. I would suggest you call Fantastic customer service and ask them what the likelihood of damage is. You will find them very helpful.
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Old 07-13-2013, 09:01 AM   #7
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Yep!

Your 'guy' connected your Fantastic Vent to the WRONG POWER SOURCE !Every RV powered vent fan I have ever installed has required 12VDC. This should have been obvious from the presence of a white wire (usually labeled 12 VDC negative) and a black wire (labeled 12VDC positive) and no ground wire that is associated with 120VAC connections.

When in doubt......RTFM! (for the uninitiated, that means READ THE EFF'IN MANUAL!!!!!

I would suggest that your 'guy' get ready to replace the product, as the presence of 120VAC in a 12VDC appliance will generally do serious damage to it!!

All ventilation fans are designed to operate from 12VDC to allow their use from battery power when off-grid.
Aww, Lewster. He did connect it to the 12 volt wires but there were two of each up there, twisted together. He's gonna muck around and see if he can figure it out.

He is a good "guy", though he's more of a specialist in plumbing, and I just met him yesterday. I'll let you know later if you can trash him!
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Old 07-13-2013, 09:30 AM   #8
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Aww, Lewster. He did connect it to the 12 volt wires but there were two of each up there, twisted together. He's gonna muck around and see if he can figure it out.

He is a good "guy", though he's more of a specialist in plumbing, and I just met him yesterday. I'll let you know later if you can trash him!
One thing that needs to be done EVERY TIME when connecting a new appliance to any circuit is to TEST THE INTEGRITY OF SAID CIRCUIT to be certain that it is providing the type of power that the appliance needs.

That means to be sure that a black wire is positive and a white one negative (or whatever is prevalent in the circuit), and that they read +12VDC (actually +12.8-13.2 VDC) if the polarity of the wires is correct.

NEVER RELY ON COLOR CODE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE CIRCUIT CONDITION IS! Always test the circuit with a multi meter and be certain before connections are made.
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Old 07-15-2013, 02:32 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by lewster View Post

One thing that needs to be done EVERY TIME when connecting a new appliance to any circuit is to TEST THE INTEGRITY OF SAID CIRCUIT to be certain that it is providing the type of power that the appliance needs.

That means to be sure that a black wire is positive and a white one negative (or whatever is prevalent in the circuit), and that they read +12VDC (actually +12.8-13.2 VDC) if the polarity of the wires is correct.

NEVER RELY ON COLOR CODE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE CIRCUIT CONDITION IS! Always test the circuit with a multi meter and be certain before connections are made.
Ay the risk of making us look like total idiots at this end:
Twice now the fan has blown 2 amp fuses. We're going to try 4. Make sense?
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Old 07-15-2013, 02:52 AM   #10
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Fuses serve a purpose - to protect the components from harm when there is a circuitry problem. Doubling up is not a solution. You need to test the circuit to discover what is wrong so the appropriate cure can be made. A multimeter is the tool but you need to understand electricity too.
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Old 07-15-2013, 03:53 AM   #11
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Ay the risk of making us look like total idiots at this end:
Twice now the fan has blown 2 amp fuses. We're going to try 4. Make sense?
No.

Something it wrong with the circuit, use a multi-meter to determine what. It will be a lot cheaper than burning up a $200 fan unit.

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Old 07-15-2013, 04:59 AM   #12
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Ay the risk of making us look like total idiots at this end:
Twice now the fan has blown 2 amp fuses. We're going to try 4. Make sense?
Stop and fix it right before you start an electrical fire, or worse.
Don't put in a bigger fuse.
Don't start connecting the vent to random wires and hope for the best.
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Old 07-15-2013, 06:18 AM   #13
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Fuses serve a purpose - to protect the components from harm when there is a circuitry problem. Doubling up is not a solution. You need to test the circuit to discover what is wrong so the appropriate cure can be made. A multimeter is the tool but you need to understand electricity too.
Sorry, but that's not exactly true!

The purpose of a fuse is to protect the wiring of an electrical circuit from carrying more than the rated current for that circuit.

That's why you use a 20 amp circuit breaker for a 12AWG circuit and a 30 amp fuse for a 10AWG circuit. Those amperages are the rated current carrying capacity of the wire of the circuit and says nothing about the components, which more that likely are rated below the wire capacity.

It says nothing about the capacities of the component, but says it all about the current carrying capacity of the wiring.

If you have a dead short in a component and no circuit protection device like a fuse or circuit breaker, the amp draw can be so high that the wiring leading to the component can melt, possibly causing a fire. The fuse/circuit breaker will prevent this and just might possibly save the component as well, but that is not the intended purpose of the wiring protective device.

That is the primary reason that you NEVER replace a fuse/circuit breaker with one of a higher amp rating, as you have then removed the rated protection from the circuit's wiring.
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Old 07-15-2013, 06:47 AM   #14
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Ay the risk of making us look like total idiots at this end:
Twice now the fan has blown 2 amp fuses. We're going to try 4. Make sense?
The original fuse that is installed in both of my FF is a 4A Slow Blow. That being said, FF sells a number of models that essentially look alike and there may be some production changes over the years that doesn't appear obvious to the end user. Locate the model number on the label on the side of the motor and call the folks at Fantastic Vent [800-521-0298]. I have found them incredibly helpful. They will confirm the proper size fuse for your model and will advise what steps to take to determine the cause of the blowing fuses if it continues with the correct size installed.
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Old 07-15-2013, 11:53 PM   #15
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Sorry, but that's not exactly true!

Yes, but I wasn't writing for a technician, just providing sufficient reasoning to stop the intended behavior declared in the thread. I used 'component' with the meaning "a constituent part of" which is my bad since I know the difference.

Long responses on a cell phone are tough.
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Old 07-16-2013, 08:22 AM   #16
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The original fuse that is installed in both of my FF is a 4A Slow Blow. That being said, FF sells a number of models that essentially look alike and there may be some production changes over the years that doesn't appear obvious to the end user. Locate the model number on the label on the side of the motor and call the folks at Fantastic Vent [800-521-0298]. I have found them incredibly helpful. They will confirm the proper size fuse for your model and will advise what steps to take to determine the cause of the blowing fuses if it continues with the correct size installed.
Mine also contain 4amp fuses from the factory. But DO check with FF with your particular model number.
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Old 07-18-2013, 06:41 AM   #17
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I second Seemore's comment about replying on cellphone. Shorts answers and spelling mistakes!
Anyhow, I checked this all out with Vintage Trailer. The final word: Fan-tastic vents use 4 AMP FUSES.
By the way, I never intended to overload my electrical system. Just wanted to know which fuse to use!
Thanks for everyone's help.
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