Electric Fans 101

 

• 1 amp is roughly 80-100 CFM as a standard of true airflow

• On startup, the electric motor can surge up to 100% (10 amps running is 20 amps on startup)

• Puller is always going to be better than a pusher configuration

• A curved blade will be quieter but also will have to work harder to move the same amount of air as a paddle blade

• A shrouded fan will cool better than just a fan on its own. Being in a shroud lets you pull heat from a larger area of the radiator which means more effectiveness

• Black wire is ground on most standard applications/ installations

• Mounting with the provided nylon ties is perfectly effective when installed properly. They need to be pulled tight; most damage occurs when they tie is left loose due to fear of pulling too tight on the core

• Many ways to control the fan once installed and usually determined by the installer/ end user. Can be relays on a manual or thermal switch, tied into an EFI system, or various styles of fan controller

• On shrouds, we look for at least 75% coverage of the radiator core for proper cooling. Assuming the radiator has been sized for the needs of the build, then that amount of coverage will have enough CFM to properly maintain the temperature

• Not all shrouds need the rubber flaps and venting holes, that is only when there is too much dead space on the shroud which would trap hot air

• The further from the power source you are, the larger the wire gauge needs to be. You will be getting voltage, but amperage drops over length of run