38mm fan produces significantly more static pressure than a 25mm fan. The size of the fan is there for a purpose. If you want a good quiet fan, look at Noctua fans.
Delta makes these types of industrial grade high rpm fans. The problem is Delta fans are all about performance and not all about quiet operation. It's going to be really difficult to get a 92mm x 38mm fan from anyone who designed for quiet operation. The thickest fans I've seen for PC's that aren't in a server rack are all 30mm, but a 3000rpm Noctua industrial 92mm x 30mm would still probably be an improvement in noise reduction, but it's still gonna fall short in the cooling department.
Button fan is bigger because it should move the same amount of air than the two fans on top. Temp is below 35, but it seems less stable than before. It is a good idea, just need to put a better fan. A noctua fan should do the trick. That made a lot of different fans and their fans are really quiet. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. Thanks JOE for your content.
In my fan search I started with those fans in my cart lol but didnt based on some reviews with actual airflow. I do know that they are the best for being quiet tho. Another reason was I wanted the dual ball bearing. Doesnt matter now (atm) cause I used an old pc fan lol🙄🤐
Another cool video. It's entirely possible that the thinner PC PS fan simply has better ball bearings, but the main question is CFM. If it moves as much air, it should keep the inverter cool. I will also mention that "noise" is often a reflection of pitch or harmonic vibration, as much as it is decible rating. I know you need less noise because you're trying to produce videos, but I think most folks just don't care about noise from an inverter because of where they are located in their home.
If I saw correctly, you put in a fan at about one third the watts. Maybe a variable fan with a temperature system would be ideal for these things. It's a shame they didn't engineer this properly in thefactory. Trying to keep it cheap I guess.
Very smart Joe... ( I am currently changing mine to Noctua fans ) That fan you changed out is for air flow not static pressure so as long as you can exchange the air fast enough to keep it cool then well done. ( I would add a shroud to direct the air over the cooling plates thought being it is a 25mm fan and not a 38mm ) Just watch temps in summer time. ( Your in a basement so i dont see an issue ) Love the idea.. Should change the top ones as well.
Thanks Man! I looked at those fans but when I was looking for 92x38 they didnt have any. When I was looking for 92x25 I had one in my cart then removed it lol. Most of the reviews said they didnt move much air. I thought about the shroud, may or may not address later. Depends on temps the next few weeks i guess. Top fans weren't to bad for noise. On the flip side they were 220VAC fans.💥🤘
Its AWESOME!!! Especially if you have been using the app or online page. Solar Assistant gives instant readings (2 second refresh rate) vs the 5min that the app does. 100% recommend and will put a link in description for the Orange Pie I used.💥🤘
When you placed the phone/meter right under the fan the first time the meter read about 68-70dB. When you did this after the conversion, it only got to about 61-62dB. So it's actually 10 times quieter with the replacement fan. Where you were getting the 61dB the first time you were holding the phone in front of and above the fan port, so not in direct line of "sound" of the noise source. So when you repeated this you were seeing as low as 52dB at times. Moving the mic the top fans now make a lot more noise than the lower ones.
should had gone with a noctua 92mm fan. they even have that in a industrial version that is meant to run 24x7 for many years. (not that the normal noctua computer fans are not meant to run 24x7, but reliably do so)
3 DB drop in sound is a perceived 2x gain/reduction to the human ear. PWM fans don't run at full speed unless a signal is sent to the pwm pin, you can try grounding that pin or putting it to the positive wire to force it to max speed.
Great video as usual. I am surprised they don't use fan speed control to maintain the temp of the inverter so it only runs the fans at 100% when the inverter is near max load and max temp. The only thing you will want to address in the future is that fan you put in was a hyraulic bearing fan which are not much better than sleeve bearing fans when the oil eventually leaks out. They only have a life expectancy of 30000-50000 hours and then they fail just like a sleeve bearing fan fails when it runs out of oil. The Dual Ball bearing fans with aluminum frames and aluminum fan blades are the best you can buy but they are pricy units. The plastic fans with dual ball bearings are the next best thing in that size area and it often comes down to bearing quality and rigidness of mounting since most of the plastic housings allow flex which is not acceptable for long life so they need a decent mount point which the inverter should be. I would recommend getting a decent Sound Pressure Level meter that can be calibrated if you do any more testing using sound levels since the phone apps are garbage. They are not accurate and most don't even have a way to calibrate them which makes them almost useless even for comparisons of before and after.
Thanks Man! Yeah I was surprised when I first got it that the fans didnt spin based on temps. Its usually at a certain load they turn of full blast!! Im still 100% happy with the inverter even with a few quirks lol. Yeah Ill be looking into a better fan. I was already so "deep" into messing around and figured Id share after the first fan didnt work. Couldnt agree moar on the phone "DB meter". Ill have to find a meter. Never know when you need one.....RIGHT???
Quiet DVR, glue a heavy piece of floor tile ceramic to HD & wrap it in bubble wrap and use thin enameled copper wire to tie it to floor of DVR enclosure. Now almost un-noticeable. Keep iit cool now because it's insulated and won't cool as well.
Thank you so much for your informative video.. I took the inspiration to change out my inverter fans from your video. I have the same 12kw Growatt invert, and I have changed 3 fans inside my Growatt inverter. The 1 at the bottom of the inverter with a 92mm Noctua fan and the 2 at the top of the inverter with 2 120mm noctua fans. It's unbelievable how quiet the inverter runs; when the fans are running it is so difficult to hear them running unless you listen out keenly. I have run both heavy and light loads while monitoring the inverter temperatures, and it is running perfectly albeit slightly hotter with the Noctua fans. During battery recharge, it runs at approximately 5°c hotter, and with the heavy load running, it runs at approximately 10°c hotter but all within the operating range of the 12kw Growatt. I will report back if I do encounter any temperature or fan related issues...
AWESOME! Glad to hear you had a good outcome as well. I still need to change the top ones lol. Do you happen to have the model number of the ones you used?
I changed my 2 top fans with 2 Noctua NF-A12x25 FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (120mm, Brown) However I needed to also use 2 mini ac to dc converters which I bought off of aliexpress. I had written an earlier response with the links to where I had purchased the items but I don't think links are allowed in the messages as the previous message is missing. I could email you the links if need be...
there's a reason it's noisy, it's high volume flow fan. under high heat, the new fan may not get enough air through to cool it down. I would use the original fan but put a fan controller that works off the temp sensor and put the sensor on the heatsink and adjust if possible. I rather it make a noise when it's needed than not noisy but need the air and it's super hot. also as a minimum, enclose the new smaller fan with cardboard to guide the air up rather than moving out the sides etc.
Thats not a bad idea. Didnt really think of that since....well I dont think about controllers and such lol but not the less. That would probly be the best way to do it!!! See I knew smart people such as yourself would have a better way. Would you happen to know of a controller and temp sensor setup that I could use. Remember it would need to be dumbed down....for knuckle draggers like me!😜🛠💥🤘
Excelente. Nosotros usamos fan Noctua, los tres ventiladores y el sonido de ventiladores dejo de escucharse. El de 240vca, se cambia por uno de 12v, usando un simple transformador que conectado a la salida de 240 vca, lo convierte a 12 vcd. Simple y sencillo. Al conectar los ventiladores, la etiqueta debe quedar hacia afuera, el aire debe salir siempre. Igual en el ventilador superior. Solo en pequeño ventilador del MPPT, va la etiqueta hacia adentro.
my upper fans both died and I replaced them hoping that would help, now I know it's that darn lower fan - I know what I'm doing this weekend, thanks Joe!
@@AveRage_Joe yup, I am not having a good Growatt experience so far… the first 6k just didn’t operate, so they had me flash the bios, it bricked. Then they sent a flashed board and it still wasn’t reliable so they refunded me and I upgraded to the 12k. It does not run correctly either, the solar will not provide load! It shuts down randomly and when I get home the batteries are low. The 2 fans up top died. It’s like living in Argentina… I’m replacing the solar charger controller function with Victron equipment.
😲😲😲 WTH!!! I had to flash mine shortly after I purchased mine due to a fan lockup fault but that was easy and worked great. The batch of inverters I got mine from had the same issue. Ill have random quirks here and there but mine has been very reliable. Can you let me know what your settings are. Just wondering if there is something diff that I could maybe help with🤷♂️
@@AveRage_Joe yeah, in the morning I’ll document the settings. I borrowed a windows laptop running Windows 10 and my vendor warned me to only use Win 7. I’m macOS based so this was my only access to one of these machines. Needless to say, it bricked. My vendor was able to take that bricked board and flashing it when I sent it to him. Major pain, especially since I was living in Taj-Ma-Haul already. Major Disappointment…
If I have a stupid setting, I'll be really disappointed: 1-SOL 2-120a 3-APL 5-US2 6-Lfd 8-240 9-60hz 11-37a 12-48.0v 13-52.0v 14-snu 15-bof (still beeps) 16-lof 17-aof 19-58.4v ( I have a Rhino, like you) 20-55.8v 21-46.0v 22-001 23-dl5 24-58.4v 25-060 26-010 27-001 28-ena I don't think I've touched anything past 22. Thanks for asking, much appreciated
I changed to squirrel cage fans and ductwork to cool my rack quieter. These power boxes are not engineered to be quiet, so we must add on! Most of times, fans should be off.
Nice video. I think reason why they use those server ones ..well if you check back is 1.5A and that yours was 0.4A ..so yeah pretty big difference.. I understand it is annoying but it has it's reason..remember if they could use cheaper fans they would do it ..to save cost ..for sure..No doubt about it.
When the weather was COOLER neither FAN was on very often NOW that it is WARMER the upper (smaller / quieter ) Fan cycles quite a bit but When a larger consumer of ELECTRONS kicks in: Like the MICROWAVE OVEN = 1200 watts ... or ... TOASTER OVEN = ??? Watts ... or ... COFFEE POT in the morning yup - that Louder lower FAN immediately ENERGIZES ( sounds like a SIKORSKY Helicopter landing !!! ) COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...
I changed out the original fan on my sungold 18,000 watt inverter and improved the noise level by about 11 db. It's a worthwhile modification. The new fan cost me $100 because it was a really high quality long-lasting and low noise type of fan while still maintaining a high cubic feet per minute volume.
Joe: If you dont want to see all my shenagigans...Skip ahead to time stamp 9:26 for info, 10.52 for fan I used, 12:28 for install. Your Welcome!! Me: Nah! I like watching everything that you're doing :)
@@AveRage_Joe You're welcome! I find your content very informative and enjoyable to watch, so I don't mind spending the whole 10 minutes haha. Awesome work!
I'm no fluid dynamic expert, but with a single fan on the bottom and two on top, if the top fans are the same size as the bottom fan, wouldn't the bottom fan have to flow twice the air to keep up with the upper fans? This is probably why the bottom fan is so much louder than the top fans. If the bottom fan can't keep up with the top fans, I'd think that this would be a restriction that would cut the airflow even more than replacing all 3 fans with slower/quieter ones. The bottom fan would end up being a restriction rather than a benefit, and the top fans would pull negative pressure inside the inverter, which would mean it would suck in air from every crack and pinhole in the inverter trying to equalize the pressure. Kind of like when you put a large exhaust fan in the kitchen of a house, the air has to be made up some way. If the house is sealed up well and you don't plan for makeup air, it ends up pulling air in any way it can... which then kills you with carbon monoxide as your gas furnace or water heater vent ends up flowing in reverse and you suck carbon monoxide into your house. Then they find your corpse on Christmas day because you took the batteries out of your carbon monoxide alarm since it kept going off for "no apparent reason" while you were cooking prime rib. That went dark toward the end sorry. ;)
for EXPERIMENTAL Purposes = possibly mount these TEST Fan(s) below (OUTSIDE) the Growatt Case ? you would just need L O N G E R Fan Screws & something inside the Growatt housing to Screw INTO and rig up an electrical LEAD to the exterior also through a drilled hole just a thought / suggestion COOP ...
For the same CFM, small fans need to spin faster and are noisy. This is why I use 8" fans to cool down my inverter, instead of 3" high speed server rack blowers.
Thumbs up 👍. The smoked battery was cause by? Not being upright for the vent? Not having fluid covering the sell system? Low on fluid?😊 send it back in for evaluation 😂
Thanks Man! Not sure on cause still. I think you can set batteries on there side no problem. Ive asked many battery companies that Ive gotten 48v batteries from about direction, they say it doesnt matter except vent side down...that is not recommended lol. I think we are going to cut it open to take a LOOKC but I doubt well find anything. But we do anyways!😆💥🤘
I use Noctua fans in all my PCs...nice and quiet. Might consider a swap for my Growatt as well. Have you ever figured out how to disable the beep on the 12k menu buttons? I have the same unit.
I had Noctua fans in my cart first, then a few comments said they didnt move much air on the dual ball bearing one so I when with the other fan... Ive tried so many button configs and I dont think there is a way to turn that damn beep off other then removing it. Thats another pet peeve!
Excelente, yo usé tres fan noctua y el inversor es muy silencioso, parece estar apagado. Además, use una caja de breaker solo para el inversor, separando el neutro de la red comercial, pues si se une, el neutro que genera el inversor con el de la red comercial, tenemos problemas y peligro de quemar la placa de potencia del Growatt
Will you also make a video about Solar Assistant? Many who have multiple batteries like you use the Victron SmartShunt as battery data from all batteries to Solar Assistant.
Yeah I planned to make a vid on it. I dont have my batteries connected "smartly" so it just gives me voltage. Once my diy battery is complete Ill be using a batrium bms from my last system. However, if your battery can communicate with your inverter then you can see SOC and stuff on solar assist. I do have a victron smart shunt but use that for other battery tests.
Hi Joe, one test I would like to see is the comsumption of the inverter over a 24 hour on idle with no loads, just the inverter by it self. how much battery storage will it use in the 24 hours.
If I remember right the inverter uses about 150w at idle no load. So 150w x 24hr is 3600w or 3.6kw. More then other inverter but less then some. I dont think its to bad for a low freq inverter with a big ass transformer in it😆
Top fans are probly 140mm or bigger(i didnt measure) but there not to bad for sound. Id hate to start cutting a bigger hole in the bottom. Id have to remove a lot of stuff potentially to do that.
Thanks! Yeah everything is running great so far! I still need to run a large load for a bit like a stove or AC but havent yet. I just dont think it will be a problem.
You are not supplying a PWM signal on that fan. You can get that fan to run full speed if you tie that PWM wire to 5vdc or 12vdc depending on the voltage used for that fan. But I would first lookup the spec sheet on that fan and it should show you a wiring diagram and voltages on those connections.
at least, i would probably find a fan with the same electric specs, the original was 1,5A no ? and the same air flow too, i've replaced all my pc fans by bequiet fans, i don't know if they have one that can be working for this purpose, but all i know is that they're quiet and have a good air flow for my pc needs 😉
I tried to find a similar spec fan but couldnt find one that would be quiet. If the inverter had the capabilities of PWM.... it wouldnt be an issue with original fan as it could spin based on temps. All it does it turn fan on or turn fan off sadly.
i find a 3 pins 92mm Be Quiet! the pure wings 2 that produce 33,15CFM at 1900rpm and around 18db, they exist in 3 or 4 pins, now, the question is, do 33CFM be enough for your need ? that's the question 😌 or maybe as suggested by some viewers, maybe possibly upgrade the fan size, or external pwm administrator, but evidently it's a lot more work to do 😉
Top fans are at least 140mm or bigger( I didnt measure). Id hate to start cutting for the lower one, Id have to potentially remove quite a bit to do that.
Hello, I have a 6k growatts inverter, which turns off when it reaches 3k. (There is good sun and the batteries are fully charged) . Model spf 6000t dvm
@@AveRage_Joe Thanks for answering, but this problem was reflected even when I had an agm gel battery. I think it has to do with the inverter programming. I have properly divided the loads so that one phase is not overloaded and the problem still persists. I don't see that it reaches 6k. I wonder if it came with this defect again. I appreciate any advice. I have been with this inverter for 2 years.
i wouldnt worry about the noise unless. 1. bearing is failing and is squealing. 2. the inverter is part of (by the namesake) a grow light system and based on the noise could draw unwanted attention from law enforcement because you are running a marijuana grow site in a place where grows are still illegal.
THANKS A LOT ! I have the 6KW and it make so much noise for nothing. What fan would you recommend in the end ? I want to change the lower and upper ones. Blessings man
Reading about growatt it is best to avoid this inverters the failure rate is 50+% also that the after sales support is non exsistant. How are your experiences? I decided to go Huawei inverter instead for that reason.
I'd be careful. You failed to compare the CFM rating of the fan that you purchased to the CFM rating of the existing fan. A reduced CFM rating can cause the heatsink to heat up and that that will lead to a shorter life expectancy for the MOSFETs in your inverter and will void your warranty.
Hi Joe I have a 6k growatt but I am having some problem with maybe you could help find the problem it loosing the out volts I goes 240 to 0 and back 240 doing very often please help
Good to know, i was a bit worried they might have stuck it onto the transformer and you'd be at risk of overheating the mosfets. Normally that wouldn't make sense but i found the lack of variable fan speed and the use of 240V fans at the top also a bit weird.
I recieved my 12k and the tamper sticker said hoid on it. I called ss and they said they want to swap it out. I told em as long as they support the warranty they can save themselves $400 in shipping costs. Now im waiting on the resolution team to contact me 😢😢
Cool video, I do have the same inverter and I have lotta problem with that inverter, the software is so bad I always have to reset the inverter every to days, I don’t have any errors. The only thing is the software on the inverter. It’s getting stuck, I can’t see the stage of the battery percentage of the battery would change the settings on the inverter. I’m just curious anybody else has the same problem.
What firmware version does yours have? Battery % state of charge will only be accurate when you connect a battery with communications and change the inverter settings to comm with battery. Unless you have that allready. What battery do you have and what size is it. Also what are you inverter settings. Maybe I can help
I do have the lather versions of firmware, I cal signature solar to see if they have a new firmware and they don’t have it, the battery is EG4-LifePower4 Lithium Battery | 48V, I went through with signature solar tech couple times still have problem look like I have a bad unit with bad software,
@@gregfabian4655 How important is seeing the battery %? I have a suggestion if you can try for a few days. Change setting 5 to USE, change your bulk and float charge to roughly 56.4v and see what happens. Id like to know what your settings are now before you change anything. If you could list them that would be great!!
Thanks Man! Here is an amazon (affiliate) Link for reference amzn.to/3HnYgw2 There kinda pricey now. I was getting them at a local Menards a year or 2 ago for around $6 but since Covid they have gone way up. I still buy them tho....I Love them!!
I think everyone forgets, these aren't meant to be in living areas. You've killed the warranty. If someone put an old computer fan in that stops working after a week, fire hazard or no power. Most of us are off grid and don't have the luxury of flicking over to consumer power. My inverters are mission critical.
YES 100% normal installs are not in a basement or living areas! Ive had mine for to long for any warranty work Im sure. Like I said......Ill be the test!!!🤔😆🤘
@@AveRage_Joe good afternoon I have only installed 6 solar panels on my day today and 16 more need to be installed The inverter now only gets 200 volts but is completely silent. If all my panels are on the roof I will let you know if I like the inverter Have a nice day and greetings from the Netherlands
Hey Joe the fans on my home made inverters never turn on My buddy has been using one of them for over a year as his only power He had his line turned off he has a big shop under his house Big air compressors welders planers chops saws just tons of stuff The fans have NEVER turned on I would like to know the mosfets or the transformer is making heat in your inverter I am betting it is the tranny making heat I think if the tranny was sized and wound diff way it wound not make heat It would not need a fan! I don't think this is possible for inverter companies The company's cost of the transformer alone would shoot the price so high no one would buy there inverter But us diy people can do this very cheap by getting used transformers free or scrap value You can unwind saving the wire then stack the cores together to make what ever size tranny you need The last tranny i wound is over 130 pounds its for a 12k inverter i still have not finished
By the way joe that 10k inverter i let my buddy use for well over a year now has a very low idle The idle wattage is UNDER 20 watts thats not stand by mode or something silly like that Completely powered up with no load it uses under 20 watts from the batteries I have never ran that inverter or seen my buddy run over maybe 6 or 7k for a long period of time He has shut the inverter down from low voltage countless times while bring in 3or4k from solar and running 8 over 500 bucks each 2 maybe 3 year old 140 amp hour each batteries I have tested that 10k inverter for heat running at around 4k and had zero rise long before my buddy started using it I have been at his house with in a min or two of it shutting down from low voltage and it had zero heat rise I switched from the egs002 boards to a main board from a newer inverter company because it is of the highest quality and has all the bells and whistles This is not some thing the inverter company promotes The owners are good people and have treated me awesome just like they do every one So i would not say who they are without there permission But i would ask for you Joe if you wanted the best on earth with all bells and whistles they may sell just you a mainboard If they would you could have the best in the world inverter for very cheap if you diy a tranny and case This company's great very long warranty would not be valid this way but you dont need it I went that way maybe 3 years ago now so i know lol It comes down to heat kills electronics the higher the heat the more quickly they die There has been a way stumbled on to like forest gump that can greatly reduce the size weight of tranny or not need fans My 12k if i ever finish it will not be as heavy as yours it should not need fans but with fans the tranny may do 18k maybe more 24/7 Thing is no one knows enough to size a inverter right!!! Tell me what speed will your car do? Do you do that speed alot or every once in a while? You may run it up to 85 to pass some one or even less often out of pure rage get pissed from it shutting down around 110 lol Well its that simple to size your inverter properly LOL By the way did you see that my 10k low freq idle is under 20 watts! And if your not using your inverter to heat with its efficiency will be much higher Well thats my nonsense book of a text no one will ever read besides Joe lol
one more thing to blow your mind Joe that diy 10k i wrote about my buddy using I built in a reg 200 amp breaker box case tranny and ALL I used a standard size 200 amp breaker box for the case lol I told you some dumb ass forest gump stumbled on to some thing good about trannys lol
Ok joe the best in the world ee told me he could not finger out the losses in a tranny a forest gump wound lol dont believe a internet nut test what he says its simple
can you believe money has no value to those that find what dose have great value you dont seem to love money and things more than people or i would not have said a word to you
Hey, We are ONWOTE, a manufacturer of PoE and Wireless Security Camera Systems. Do you plan to install a security camera to protect the safety around you? Now, we are looking for partners to install and review our camera system, so any chance for us? I had emailed you the details of the sponsorship. Hope can get your reply and move forward!
@@AveRage_Joe Yes, it will be a POE camera system instead of a single camera. I had emailed you again and go to check whether it is in your gmail spam folder.
