Not A Kit Car Question But...........

[Flintstone]

At 'Chez Flintstone' we have a veritable pride of cats (Bengals, like little leopards).

Anywaysup. The little darlings use one of those cat litter tray/box/cave things which despite being cleaned once a day can get quite pungent.

So I finks to meself "Fred" I finks "What that needs is an extracor fan".

Now I reckon a cooling fan from a PC would be just the job but my guess is that they're low voltage and I'll need a transformer of some description.

Bearing in mind I'd like the eventual gizmo to be as small as possible where's a good place to go looking for such a transformer or step-downerer or whatever I need?

[JonRB]

An old PSU off an old computer would do the trick.

Or failing that, really old kit used to use 240V fans. I have one somewhere that I used to use to keep me cool in summer until I realised that for £8-odd I could have a clip-on desk fan that, whilst having less geek-cred, did a better job of keeping me cool.

[ozzie dave]

An easy answer - just use an old computer power supply - it will even run a couple of fans - look for an old AT style and just put a load on and away you go !!

[docevi1]

www.overclock.co.uk sell some really nice 120mm silent units. As for how to power it, well you could get a transformer from a local electric store for £7 or so. I would use a PSU from a AT Case tho, or if you are, build the case as part of the extractor unit...

[Flintstone]

Thanks folks.

I did think of the PSU (no really, I did, no honest, awww c'mon, I did, really) but wasn't sure about their bulk.

I'll probably build it all into a housing and hang it on the back of the shit-cave (as it is known) with a hose leading the whiffs somewhere outside.

Here's a picture of some of the smelly little buggers





>> Edited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th December 23:42

[Wacky Racer]

We have two cats, both three years old. had litter tray for first month or so, then dispensed with it, after I fitted magnetic cat flap to back door, cost £30.

No problem since.

Are your cats special breed that can't go out of the house?

[Flintstone]

Yeah, afraid so.

Well it's not that they can't but with four of them and those pelts I reckon they'd end up gracing the collar of somone's coat while the rest of them would be 'number 34' at the local take-away.

And I don't fancy whacking a cat flap through the double glazed back door

[annodomini2]

laptop psu, most are 12v output, and quite compact, check the label on the back for the actual output.

[Mr2Mike]

Got the same problem with one of mine, can't let it outside because the stupid thing runs into the middle of the road and lies down for a snooze.

A cheapo plug in adapter rated at 500mA should have more than enough grunt to power most common PC cooling fans. There is a big advantage in using low voltage fans in an area that could potentialy be exposed to err...corrosive and conductive fluids.

[Flintstone]

I'd wondered about the effects of erm, stuff.

Actually I'd probably be better off housing the fan in a casing and having some kind of ducting either side. One going into the box and the other out the window.

A job for the next wet Sunday methinks!

[spartan_andy]

Plenty of those on the horizon

[chrisj]

One of our suppliers have just informed us that they can now supply fans up to 2 metres in diameter.
That should shift the smell....

[Mr2Mike]

Fitting a 2 meter air moving device to a cats litter tray is really going to make the $h1t hit the fan.

[Flintstone]

If I get the polarity wrong there's gonna be some clearing up to do.

I can just see it now. A litter tray screaming round the house like a Florida swamp boat with a cat hanging on for dear life!

[spartan_andy]

Local electronic supplier do a 230v ac 3in fan in black at about 14 quid a throw plus finger guards

[Flintstone]

spartan andy said:

Local electronic supplier do a 230v ac 3in fan in black at about 14 quid a throw plus finger guards

Where's 'local'? Sounds easier than sodding around with computer fans.