mikedamirault
n00b
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2020
- Messages
- 5
I have a failed 200w AT power supply that came out of a Dell Dimension XPS P60
Instead of taking the time to track down the problem and repairing the PSU, I have decided to replace it with a Diablotek 400w ATX power supply I have laying around using an ATX to AT adapter
The thing is when I bought the Diablotek PSU, I was originally planning on just buying an IEC connector for something I was working on, but the store I was looking in (Micro Center) didn’t sell IEC connectors and I didn’t want to order one online and wait for it to be delivered, one thing they did sell that has an IEC connector are PSUs, so I picked up a cheap 400w Diablotek PSU (the one in question), opened up the PSU and cut the wires to and removed the IEC connector to use for the thing I was working on, then I just held onto it for future use (which ended up being this replacement)
Since the 200w PSU failed, I decided to just swap the IEC connector from it to replace the now missing one in the Diablotek, this is where I ran into the problem
Because I cut the connector out of the Diablotek, the wires that connect to the connector are too short and no longer reach, so I need to remove (desolder) the short wires and solder in longer replacements
The Diablotek used 20AWG stranded copper wire, well great, I just so happen to have 20AWG stranded hook up wire, same rating and everything (the text written on the wire in the Diablotek is the same text on the hook up wire, letter for letter, word for word), the problem? The hook up wire is aluminum
Now I have been doing some research on the subject and found out that aluminum wiring has a higher resistance than copper, and gets hotter than copper at the same load, which can be a fire and/or electrocution hazard (as the insulation can melt and short out), so using the hook up wire probably wouldn’t be a good choice, and a thicker gauge should be used when using aluminum
The 200w failed PSU used aluminum wiring for the AC side, but uses thicker 18AWG wire instead of 20AWG, so I was thinking it would be safer to scavenge the 18AWG from the 200w PSU and use that in the Diablotek, but I wasn’t sure if even that were safe as it is being used in a 200w PSU since the Diablotek is double the wattage (or if the 18AWG wire used in the 200w PSU is overkill and would work just fine/safe in the Diablotek)
I was just thinking about playing it safe and going to Micro Center to pick up another PSU, but I noticed on their website that they are no longer selling the Diablotek PSU, and all similar PSUs on the site lack an AC power switch (which the Diablotek has), so I would much rather just use the Diablotek if I can
I do not have any 20 or 18AWG copper wire and don’t want to buy 3 whole spools (black, white and green) just for the few inches I need, should one of the two gauges of aluminum wire I do have work, and more importantly, should it be safe?
Instead of taking the time to track down the problem and repairing the PSU, I have decided to replace it with a Diablotek 400w ATX power supply I have laying around using an ATX to AT adapter
The thing is when I bought the Diablotek PSU, I was originally planning on just buying an IEC connector for something I was working on, but the store I was looking in (Micro Center) didn’t sell IEC connectors and I didn’t want to order one online and wait for it to be delivered, one thing they did sell that has an IEC connector are PSUs, so I picked up a cheap 400w Diablotek PSU (the one in question), opened up the PSU and cut the wires to and removed the IEC connector to use for the thing I was working on, then I just held onto it for future use (which ended up being this replacement)
Since the 200w PSU failed, I decided to just swap the IEC connector from it to replace the now missing one in the Diablotek, this is where I ran into the problem
Because I cut the connector out of the Diablotek, the wires that connect to the connector are too short and no longer reach, so I need to remove (desolder) the short wires and solder in longer replacements
The Diablotek used 20AWG stranded copper wire, well great, I just so happen to have 20AWG stranded hook up wire, same rating and everything (the text written on the wire in the Diablotek is the same text on the hook up wire, letter for letter, word for word), the problem? The hook up wire is aluminum
Now I have been doing some research on the subject and found out that aluminum wiring has a higher resistance than copper, and gets hotter than copper at the same load, which can be a fire and/or electrocution hazard (as the insulation can melt and short out), so using the hook up wire probably wouldn’t be a good choice, and a thicker gauge should be used when using aluminum
The 200w failed PSU used aluminum wiring for the AC side, but uses thicker 18AWG wire instead of 20AWG, so I was thinking it would be safer to scavenge the 18AWG from the 200w PSU and use that in the Diablotek, but I wasn’t sure if even that were safe as it is being used in a 200w PSU since the Diablotek is double the wattage (or if the 18AWG wire used in the 200w PSU is overkill and would work just fine/safe in the Diablotek)
I was just thinking about playing it safe and going to Micro Center to pick up another PSU, but I noticed on their website that they are no longer selling the Diablotek PSU, and all similar PSUs on the site lack an AC power switch (which the Diablotek has), so I would much rather just use the Diablotek if I can
I do not have any 20 or 18AWG copper wire and don’t want to buy 3 whole spools (black, white and green) just for the few inches I need, should one of the two gauges of aluminum wire I do have work, and more importantly, should it be safe?