(3) 20' Big *** Fans & controller?

[930dreamer]

Yup, another MP item. There were (6) fans originally with two controllers. Installed in 2009 and used until 2019. All were removed when the property sold. $7800, I'd guess no support from company.

 

[bdbecker]

Did you buy them, or are you thinking of buying them? There's really not much to that system... on, off, speed control. Even if there is a bad component, you should be able to track down a replacement.

 

[manwithtools]

What kind of support could you possibly need from the company that could not be figgured out without them. It's a three phase motor and VFD. Not too hard to troubleshoot.

The control panels are properly configured for one controller to run three fans. There is an independent overload for each fan motor and one FVD to run all three fans.

Price is way too high for three fans that old BTW.

 

[930dreamer]

What kind of support could you possibly need from the company that could not be figgured out without them. It's a three phase motor and VFD. Not too hard to troubleshoot.

The control panels are properly configured for one controller to run three fans. There is an independent overload for each fan motor and one FVD to run all three fans.

Price is way too high for three fans that old BTW.

I'm sure the price is negotiable, just looking right now. New BAF 20' fans are $10K each ish.

 

[manwithtools]

New BAF 20' fans are $10K each ish.

I'm well aware, 17 year old ones with a VFD that likely needs new capacitors or even replacement are not worth more than $5k IMHO.

 

[bdbecker]

A few things to keep in mind if you are thinking of putting them (or something like them) in your home shop...

These types of fans do a great job of circulating air and balancing the temp inside a building, but they don't create the same sort of breeze that people are used to like with a high speed fan. Great for keeping a conditioned space comfortable, but not so great at cooling you off in an unconditioned space.

The second thing that affects some people more than others is the strobe effect they can create if they are mounted below shop lights. It drives some people (like my Dad) bonkers. If you are sensitive to that, having a couple of those in your shop ceiling may not be a great idea.

 

[Firebrick43]

I'm well aware, 17 year old ones with a VFD that likely needs new capacitors or even replacement are not worth more than $5k IMHO.

Have you seen many capacitor failures on Allen Bradley drives?

We had hundreds of them at the factory and the only time we removed them was when the machine was being scrapped(specialized custom machines with a 30 year life cycle or longer) and only changed a few drives out when something else in the cabinet caught on fire(4 or 5 times over a decade)

Other that Mitsubishi drives nothing else was so bullet proof. Sometimes there were issues with drives that had been sitting on the rack as spares for years but hook them up and apply power at half voltage overnight to reform the capacitors or whatever regimen the manufacture suggests and we didn’t have issues

 

[manwithtools]

Have you seen many capacitor failures on Allen Bradley drives?

Not a ton, but these are very old drives that have sat unused for 7 years. Odds are not in their favor, but you never know.

I've seen them last a very long time when in constant use. I've only installed a few tens' of thousands of them over the years.

 

[930dreamer]

All good things to consider, thank you.

 

[Firebrick43]

Reforming PowerFlex Capacitors After Long-Term Storage - Industrial Monitor Direct

Reform PowerFlex drive capacitors after long storage using a variac or Bonitron M3628PCF. Covers the 4-year threshold, DC bus connection, and verification.

industrialmonitordirect.com

 

[kbuhagiar]

The second thing that affects some people more than others is the strobe effect they can create if they are mounted below shop lights. It drives some people (like my Dad) bonkers. If you are sensitive to that, having a couple of those in your shop ceiling may not be a great idea.

This is real, and it can be much more than an annoyance.
Depending on the intensity of the light source, and the speed of the fan, extended exposure can induce vertigo and create serious discomfort.