Computer fan sillyness 2 (this is getting boring now...)

[grrr_arrghh]

Hello again.

I am in the procces of building some speed controllers for my fans, but, being lazy, I havn't got round to it. So for the time being, I thought i'd just connect some switches to them. So I bought a 'P4 power connection' extension lead, and cut the plug off one end, and soldered these wires to more wires (that will eventually be connected to a fan), but put the +12v supply through a fan.

I then plugged it in to my computer power supply, and touched the bare wire ends to the exposed metal contact on the fans plug. The fan spun for a bit, then there was a loud 'click' sound (coming from my computer), and the whole computer shut its self down. It has since booted up fine, but I wondered what caused this to happen.

It is a 400W PSU, so I didn't overload it, but I may have accidently touched the two wires together, causing a short, but would this have caused the PSU to shut down?

Thanks in advance

Tim

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It is a 400W PSU, so I didn't overload it, but I may have accidently touched the two wires together, causing a short, but would this have caused the PSU to shut down?

Yes it would! - it could also cause your PSU to 'self destruct', so it's something you should avoid.

 

[Styx]

sounds like you did short it.

it really isnt a good idea to short a PC power supply they have alot of pwer behind them and their DC is very stable - ie very biig bank of DC caps, you would have discharged them very quickly, thousand's of amps flowing!!!!

that is such a cowboy thing to do (reminds me when im in my lab ). So im gonna award you 2stetsons - pretty cowboy-ish but still controlled

 

[grrr_arrghh]

Yes it would! - it could also cause your PSU to 'self destruct', so it's something you should avoid.

lol, PSUs are only about £10, but I will try and avoid it (i'm saving for my new multimeter if you remember...)

im gonna award you 2stetsons - pretty cowboy-ish but still controlled

lol, ok thanks styx, I'll wear them with pride!!

You don't suppose there is any lasting damage then?

I'll check my wiring to make sure there is no shorts in the wiring, and try again. Maybe this time I'll get a bang instead of a click...?!?

Cheers guys

Tim

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Yes it would! - it could also cause your PSU to 'self destruct', so it's something you should avoid.

lol, PSUs are only about £10, but I will try and avoid it (i'm saving for my new multimeter if you remember...)

PSU's might be cheap, but as it goes it could take your motherboard, CPU, harddrive, memory..........etc with it, those aren't so cheap 8)

 

[grrr_arrghh]

PSU's might be cheap, but as it goes it could take your motherboard, CPU, harddrive, memory..........etc with it, those aren't so cheap

Ouch...

I did think that, my comment was a bit of a joke really - my 'humor' doesn't really come accross on the net...!

 

[DirtyLude]

That's what happens when you short the supply. The PSU just shuts down. I have a small computer PSU that I use as a bench supply. I short it every once in a while and it does exactly that; turns itself off. I have to turn it off, and wait for about 15 seconds before I can turn it back on again.

 

[grrr_arrghh]

ah, that really puts my mind at rest

Thanks

 

[kybert]

I popped my 300W psu last week by trying to push a hard-drive power connector the wrong way round.

PSU fired up only every now and then, so it didn't compleatly pop.

Still, £5 on ebuyer.co.uk and its all better again.

 

[grrr_arrghh]

I popped my 300W psu last week by trying to push a hard-drive power connector the wrong way round.

They have shamfered edges to stop that very problem occuring. And what were you doing trying to connect a hard drive with your computer booted up...?

 

[kybert]

It was a CD drive, i left the CD in it when i removed it from the PC, so fired up the PC to get the disk out... No IDE connected.


At the right angle, you can short it out...

 

[grrr_arrghh]

ah, I though for a minute you were gonna try and conenct the ide on the fly. which would not be good...

 

[grrr_arrghh]

ah. I think I blew something. I properly soldered my fans on to the wires, tested the connections with a continuity tester, and plugged it into my PSU. and nothing happened.

good job PSUs are so cheep!!

And I have a few old ones lying around in cupboards...