Kessil a360x fan noise

[Dave-T]

I set up a Kessil a360x with the 35 degree lens to use as supplemental lighting for my carpet anemone. I have 6 GHL Mitras lights over my 240 gallon tank, and the Mitras weren't able to give the nem on the bottom enough light without putting out too much light for my corals. This solution is working perfectly - the nem is getting the right amount of light but the corals around it aren't being blasted.

But, the fan noise on the Kessil is too loud. I don't know if I can live with it. My tank is next to our kitchen table. The mitras lights are silent. The Kessil not so much.

Unless I have a defective Kessil, can anyone suggest an alternative? My Kessil doesn't even seem to regulate the fan speed based on the light output. I'm running it at 60%. Is there a comparable light that I can use as a spotlight, but that's silent?

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I have multiple 360Xs and I can not tell that the fan is on without putting my hand against them to feel the air. I think something is defective and I would contact Kessil.

 

[helmsreef]

I have 6 A360x's over my 250 gallon and they are by far the most quiet fixture I have ever used. They are running at 100 percent uv and blue with 28 percent white. If you fan is loud I would suggest blowing it out with some compressed air or contact Kessil support

 

[Harold999]

I have multiple 360Xs and I can not tell that the fan is on without putting my hand against them to feel the air. I think something is defective and I would contact Kessil.

Sorry but you must be either deaf or there is a lot of other noise (from pumps/skimmer etc.) in your room.
In a quiet room i can hear a A360X from 10 yards away.

 

[helmsreef]

Sorry but you must be either deaf or there is a lot of other noise (from pumps/skimmer etc.) in your room.
In a quiet room i can hear a A360X from 10 yards away.

I dont think that is the case. If you also have a loud kessil a360x then you may have a defective fan or a lot of build up. They shouldn't create much noise even at full power.

 

[Harold999]

I dont think that is the case. If you also have a loud kessil a360x then you may have a defective fan or a lot of build up. They shouldn't create much noise even at full power

It's not whiney loud but i can definetely hear the "woooosh" from the airflow when the room is silent.
Nothing wrong with the fan, it's just the airflow you're hearing.
What the Kessil lacks is a temperature based controller. The fan always runs at 100%, even with only the moonlight on which is stupid.

 

[Bpb]

Something is defective. One of my fans wasn’t seated correctly. It was super loud and I had to take it apart and snap it into place. It is now completely silent

 

[Dave-T]

Let me clarify. I said it was "too loud". I didn't say it was loud. Probably a poor choice of words. What I'm saying is that I can hear it, and I can also hear it from across the room. So if I can hear it at all, that's too loud. I guess I have pretty good hearing, but I'm 62 years old, so my hearing isn't as good as that of many. I agree with Harold - if you can't hear it, it's probably because other things (from your tank or something else), are a little louder.

It would be nice if the Kessil fixture would throttle the fan based on the actual temperature, or the light intensity. But it doesn't, so nothing to be done about that.

Anyhew..., can we move past the "loudness" of the A360X? My real question is - is there another light like the a360x, that can be used as a "spotlight", but doesn't have any fan noise? Perhaps another Kessil model? I'm not personally familiar with the product line. I see the A160, does that have a thermostat-controlled fan? Or the A80 is fanless, but I wonder if that would be bright enough. I need about 250 PAR on the bottom of a 28 inch tall tank.

 

[_AV]

I set up a Kessil a360x with the 35 degree lens to use as supplemental lighting for my carpet anemone. I have 6 GHL Mitras lights over my 240 gallon tank, and the Mitras weren't able to give the nem on the bottom enough light without putting out too much light for my corals. This solution is working perfectly - the nem is getting the right amount of light but the corals around it aren't being blasted.

But, the fan noise on the Kessil is too loud. I don't know if I can live with it. My tank is next to our kitchen table. The mitras lights are silent. The Kessil not so much.

Unless I have a defective Kessil, can anyone suggest an alternative? My Kessil doesn't even seem to regulate the fan speed based on the light output. I'm running it at 60%. Is there a comparable light that I can use as a spotlight, but that's silent?

In my experience repairing a360x in droves daily, the fan can get loud at full RPM. Kessil absolutely throttles the fan based on the cluster temperature. And if the speed is not being regulated with temperature, there is a fault in the light. Not sure if I have a repair video on this specific issue yet, but I've repaired enough of them to know.

Likely a faulty light. If it's still under warranty, let Kessil take care of it. Otherwise, ping me and I will likely be able to help.

 

[Dave-T]

In my experience repairing a360x in droves daily, the fan can get loud at full RPM. Kessil absolutely throttles the fan based on the cluster temperature. And if the speed is not being regulated with temperature, there is a fault in the light. Not sure if I have a repair video on this specific issue yet, but I've repaired enough of them to know.

Likely a faulty light. If it's still under warranty, let Kessil take care of it. Otherwise, ping me and I will likely be able to help.

Ok, thanks! I'll play with the light tomorrow and get back to you. I appreciate your weighing In on this. It's brand new out of the box, so I'd assume that it's not faulty, but who knows.

 

[Harold999]

In my experience repairing a360x in droves daily, the fan can get loud at full RPM. Kessil absolutely throttles the fan based on the cluster temperature. And if the speed is not being regulated with temperature, there is a fault in the light. Not sure if I have a repair video on this specific issue yet, but I've repaired enough of them to know.

Likely a faulty light. If it's still under warranty, let Kessil take care of it. Otherwise, ping me and I will likely be able to help.

I have an email conversation with Kessil where they do confirm that the A360X does not have a temperature based fan controller. It always runs full speed, which is also conform my own observations. In the middle of the night with just the moonlight on the fan is as loud as during the day with the light at 100%.

But this was 2 years ago. Perhaps a later more recent revision does have a fancontroller?

 

[_AV]

I have an email conversation with Kessil where they do confirm that the A360X does not have a temperature based fan controller. It always runs full speed, which is also conform my own observations. In the middle of the night with just the moonlight on the fan is as loud as during the day with the light at 100%.

But this was 2 years ago. Perhaps a later more recent revision does have a fancontroller?

The devil is always in the details, isn't it?

This specific model indeed does not have a "fan controller". None of them really do. The main STM controller manages the fan speed via one of the pins and the voltage regulator. The same main controller also takes in the temperature measurements off of the LED cluster over another set of pins. Same configuration on probably 50 or so A360X's of various age I've worked on so far.

 

[62518161]

Sorry but you must be either deaf or there is a lot of other noise (from pumps/skimmer etc.) in your room.
In a quiet room i can hear a A360X from 10 yards away.

Can’t even tell it’s running. Makes no noise. Yours must be broken.

 

[Harold999]

nvm

 

[Harold999]

The devil is always in the details, isn't it?

This specific model indeed does not have a "fan controller". None of them really do. The main STM controller manages the fan speed via one of the pins and the voltage regulator. The same main controller also takes in the temperature measurements off of the LED cluster over another set of pins. Same configuration on probably 50 or so A360X's of various age I've worked on so far.

Digged up the email response from Kessil to my question if the A360X is supposed to have variable fan speed because it looked to me it didn't:

"Thanks for your email and inquiry about the Kessil A360X light.

That is correct, the fan that is integrated on this light is not variable speed. We went with these particular fans as we found they were quiet enough for the purpose. "

This was february 2021.

 

[Harold999]

Can’t even tell it’s running. Makes no noise. Yours must be broken.

Are there moments - when the light just went on or on moonlight only - that your fan doesn't run at all?

 

[helmsreef]

Digged up the email response from Kessil to my question if the A360X is supposed to have variable fan speed because it looked to me it didn't:

"Thanks for your email and inquiry about the Kessil A360X light.

That is correct, the fan that is integrated on this light is not variable speed. We went with these particular fans as we found they were quiet enough for the purpose. "

This was february 2021.

Case in point, if your fan is that loud regardless if they have no speed control there is something wrong with your fan unit. I said previously that I have 6 running and I can sit at night after the kids are asleep and hear nothing from my lights

 

[_AV]

Digged up the email response from Kessil to my question if the A360X is supposed to have variable fan speed because it looked to me it didn't:

"Thanks for your email and inquiry about the Kessil A360X light.

That is correct, the fan that is integrated on this light is not variable speed. We went with these particular fans as we found they were quiet enough for the purpose. "

This was february 2021.

And they would be correct. The fan is not a variable speed fan as it only has 2 wires. A variable speed fan would have 4 wires and it's being controlled by a PWM signal.
This doesn't mean that the fan speed cannot be controlled with just the power wires. They simply allow lower voltage to reach the fan (well under 12v), which keeps it running at lower RPM

 

[Dave-T]

And they would be correct. The fan is not a variable speed fan as it only has 2 wires. A variable speed fan would have 4 wires and it's being controlled by a PWM signal.
This doesn't mean that the fan speed cannot be controlled with just the power wires. They simply allow lower voltage to reach the fan (well under 12v), which keeps it running at lower RPM

? PWM doesn't need 4 wires, it would still only use 2.

 

[_AV]

? PWM doesn't need 4 wires, it would still only use 2.

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