on my 1951 shoebox i have a resistor to keep it 6v's to the blower motor for the heat... its weak as hell... would i burn up the motor if i put all 12v's to it? or will it last? i think im going to do it regardless, if it lasts it lasts, if it blows, ill just buy a 12v... makes sense.. eh? just wondering if anyone has done this and had problems or success... The Odd Ball Dan
I've been there. On my '50 shoebox. I tried a volt-a-drop resistor,but kept burning out switches. I finally just shot it all 12v, it really spins now! Been that way for several years now,no problems. A d.c. motor dosen't care what voltage it gets. Keep the bearings oiled well,and it should last a long time. Good luck.stay warm...Sparky
What switches were you burning out? The fan on/off switch? hmm...I will be making the 12V jump pretty soon...It may behoove me to put the resisor before the switch rather than after... Tim MBL
Yes. Put the resistor before the switch,seem to keep the resistance heat down.(or is it the other way around)? BTW, a lot of 12v. motors will fit, with minor changes...
It wouldn't make any difference where you put the resistor in a series circuit, current is the same throughout. If you are doing it to drop the voltage, the voltage isn't what hurts the switch, it's the current, and it's the current surge when the circuit is initially closed that causes the contacts on the switch to pit and build up carbon deposits. Good news is, if you can get access to the contacts (which you probably can't) then you can burnish off the carbon with a small contact cleaning tool or piece of emery cloth, although eventually the contacts will wear down too much. Your best bet, run 12 volts without a resistor, when the switch dies, replace it.
I was at the computer/electronics store just the other day looking for QUIET 12volt fans. There are many to choose from, and they don't draw a lot of current.
6 volt switches will take 12 volts ok - I have a 54 and I'm using the original 6 volt switch on 12 volts and no problems. But you have to change the motor or eventually you will burn it out. NAPA is supposed to have a book with all sorts of heater blower motors. Just make sure what you select turns the correct way.
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