Calling All Ventilation Gurus - Conflicting Opinions - Problem

[ilikebigbuds]

I would like to buy a 12" centrifugal fan (with a capacitor -rvk) but I would like someone to confirm or not what I've heard is true. If I buy a 12" rvk fan (cheap and have budget issues) and use a variac 5 step transformer to run it at step 1 or 2 will it overheat the motor in the fan and blow the fan? I'm told if I turn a centrifugal fan down too much that it will blow the fan. I'm told 60% is minimum you can turn it down or it will overheat the motor in the fan? Is there any engineers or experts or someone with electrical knowledge here to answer my question. My intention is to buy a 12" fan and use it at 20% to help with the noise but I need to know I'm not going to buy one and it end up blowing up cause it overheats Thanks for your help guys

 

[Tranesong2]

You need a fan capable of using a speed controller. I have a 6 '' centrifugal made for a controller but if you turn it down below about 75% it starts to vibrate and make noise. The kind that sounds like it can wear out a fan in a hurry. So, on a budget try a fan with a built in rheostat. Or an old fan that runs at several speeds. Like the old kitchen fans. Box fans run at different speeds too. Ingenuity is part of the grow! Good luck!

 

[G gnome]

Why not just use a smaller fan.

Ive used my 12" fans on lesser power for long stretches of time but like dude sed if u crank em down too low they're just as loud if not louder cuz of the vibration.
I have can fans that still work fine that r 12yrs old