[OT] replacing fan with mismatched specs

[Chris Pressey]

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 20:27:27 -0400
Bill Moran <wmoran at potentialtech.com> wrote:

> This is terribly OT, but I'm asking here for two reasons:
> 1) I have no idea where else to ask
> 2) I know that someone on this list will know the answer
> 
> Here's the problem.  I have a switch that has a fan in it that failed.
> I need to replace the fan.  It's a 40MM .22Amp 5V.
> 
> I can't find a fan with those specs anywhere!  The best I can find is
> a 40MM .13amp 5V.
> 
> So, will that fan work?  With the amp rating different like that, will
> the fan just burn out?  Will it run just fine?  I'm going to be really
> upset if I have to replace the entire switch because of one fan!
> 
> Advice is appreciated.

Disclaimer: I am not a certified electrician, but...

Voltage and size are the same, so that's good.  The remaining figure,
0.13 amp, tells you how much current the component draws from the power
supply.  Since 0.13 is less than 0.22, that means this fan draws less
power than the old fan.  Which means that you should be able to replace
it without any danger of overloading your power supply (in fact your
power supply will have a slightly easier time with the new fan.)

So, in short, yes, it will work.  However, something to check would be
the RPM of the new fan versus the old one.  A slower fan won't cool as
well, and that might lead to problems of an entirely different nature
(overheating.)

-Chris