How do you keep your fans clean and running smooth?

Makaveli · Jul 27, 2011

I'm surprised at the amount of people that actually oil their bearings

I only buy S-Flex fans and only need to dust once every 2-3 months with a can of compress air and its done. Those sony bearing last forever and don't make a sound!

Lazzer408 · Jul 27, 2011

fullinfusion said:
I forgot to mention how I also do maintenance on a noisy fan... I toss them into a bin and go buy another fan. Really for the time it takes to pull the fan apart and clean them.. remove the bearing and such, I already have a brand spankin new fan installed

Really for the price of fans these days, imo it's a waste of time trying to fix a dry bearing issue

I never take them apart to clean them. When a fan starts making noise (dry bearing) I just lift the sticker, place a drop of synthetic oil on the bearing, replace the sticker, and it's good to go for another 2 years. If every one of my case fans failed every 2 years, and the cost was $12ea, and my case is 8 years old, thats $240? The cost of the case. Yeh! Free case! :rockout:

8 years you ask? Ah my good 'ol Zaser-II :toast:

Widjaja · Jul 28, 2011

Just to add to the reason why I posted this is that there are a few fans out there which are really hard to replaced.

Say PSUs which use small two pin power connectors or small chipset fans which are designed integrated into a heatsink.

In those situations sometimes it is easier to just clean the fan.

Mussels · Jul 28, 2011

Widjaja said:
Just to add to the reason why I posted this is that there are a few fans out there which are really hard to replaced.

Say PSUs which use small two pin power connectors or small chipset fans which are designed integrated into a heatsink.

In those situations sometimes it is easier to just clean the fan.

i just run the wiring for the replacement PSU fans out with the rest of the wires and connect it to a molex connector, and zip tie it in place so it cant come out/get unplugged. lets me silence/remove LED's from mah PSU's.

Wile E · Jul 28, 2011

Lazzer408 said:
Yup. Why do you ask? Sucking or blowing, it's the high speed motor in the vacuum charging the whole thing with static, including the person holding the hose, that's the issue. It only takes reaching in to move a wire aside and having an ark jump off your knuckle to kill something. The first and only time I used a vacuum to clean a pc I killed a stick of ram. Never did it again. Just thought I'd note the risk.

I don't have to put the vacuum anywhere near inside the case with that attachment. It's no different than using an air compressor. I don't have normal heatsinks. I'm watercooled, so really only need to remove surface dust.

Widjaja · Jul 28, 2011

Mussels said:
i just run the wiring for the replacement PSU fans out with the rest of the wires and connect it to a molex connector, and zip tie it in place so it cant come out/get unplugged. lets me silence/remove LED's from mah PSU's.

I've had to do this with an ACBel PSU since for some reason the fan power connector on the PSU circuit board stopped working.
Now it runs as good as an ACBel PSU should.

Lazzer408 · Jul 28, 2011

Wile E said:
I don't have to put the vacuum anywhere near inside the case with that attachment. It's no different than using an air compressor. I don't have normal heatsinks. I'm watercooled, so really only need to remove surface dust.

Air compressors are grounded.

A vacuum with a blower attachment wouldn't blow components off a board though. How plugged can those radiator cores get? Do they collect alot of dust quickly or same as a HSF?

Mussels · Jul 28, 2011

Lazzer408 said:
Air compressors are grounded. A vacuum with a blower attachment wouldn't blow components off a board though. How plugged can those radiator cores get? Do they collect alot of dust quickly or same as a HSF?

if they're external, they'd gather shit faster - but in bigger, looser clumps. animal hair causes it to clog up quickly, but come off easier too.

Zyon · Jul 28, 2011

Can't afford those alcohol cleaners but you don't want to risk electrocution using water? Try dry paper towel, just wipe thoroughly and most of the dust should be stuck on the paper.

de.das.dude · Jul 28, 2011

Zyon said:
Can't afford those alcohol cleaners but you don't want to risk electrocution using water? Try dry paper towel, just wipe thoroughly and most of the dust should be stuck on the paper.

i clean my CPU cooler with water

just shake it afterwards and put it back in.
our water is really non conductive.

Sir B. Fannybottom · Jul 28, 2011

Lazzer408 said:
Yeh! Free case! 8 years you ask? Ah my good 'ol Zaser-II

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've had that case for ever and I've been wondering who made it! I had no idea it says no where on there who made it, it was driving me crazy!

Lazzer408 · Jul 28, 2011

Kevinheraiz said:
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've had that case for ever and I've been wondering who made it! I had no idea it says no where on there who made it, it was driving me crazy!

Thermaltake. I believe it's the Xaser II 5000+ and has the original fans in it. I've only lubed them once a few years ago but it's due again. One of them makes a little noise. The original build in it was dual XP2200+ (modded to MP2200+) AMDs with a x700pro. We've been through many builds since then and it still looks like new.

specks · Jul 28, 2011

de.das.dude said:
i clean my CPU cooler with water just shake it afterwards and put it back in.
our water is really non conductive.

Yeah I guess it can be done but just make sure it is dry before putting it back in.

Just a question, your water is non-conductive? you mean its really really pure?

Wile E · Jul 29, 2011

Lazzer408 said:
Air compressors are grounded. A vacuum with a blower attachment wouldn't blow components off a board though. How plugged can those radiator cores get? Do they collect alot of dust quickly or same as a HSF?

Again, it never goes inside my case. Rads are external.

And they gather a good amount of dust, pretty similar to a HSF, but being external I tend to keep up with them more often than I do the inside. lol.

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How do you keep your fans clean and running smooth?

Makaveli

Lazzer408

Widjaja

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

Wile E

Power User

Widjaja

Lazzer408

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

Zyon

New Member

de.das.dude

Pro Indian Modder

Sir B. Fannybottom

Lazzer408

specks

New Member

Wile E

Power User

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