Problem with Fans

[veeg]

Thanks. Am I ok to vacuum the dust from inside the PC and from the case fans? I went to the local PC shop to buy canned air but he started talking about vacuuming inside the case, and removing the CPU fan to clean it (but I don’t think I’m up to that).

Unless you have a proper vacuum i would not use it..just can air..

[Ian]

I’ve given it a bit of a clean, including removing the top panel, and actually it looked fairly dust-free. So hopefully it’ll be ok now.

However, I checked which port the side fan was plugged into, and I did reconnect it to the correct one (Sys_fan2, via an extension cable), as the port next to it was already in use by the front fan. So I’m not sure why it’s not running. If I’m honest it may have never been running for all I know because I’ve never had a reason to open the case, and it’s hard to tell from outside whether the fan is spinning. So maybe it’s time to test the fan with a battery. Would anyone happen to have any links to guides for doing this?

[veeg]

You do not have to take the fan off the side panel to test it..

[Rustys]

Thanks. Am I ok to vacuum the dust from inside the PC and from the case fans? I went to the local PC shop to buy canned air but he started talking about vacuuming inside the case, and removing the CPU fan to clean it (but I don’t think I’m up to that).

There are some places on the net that state that it is ok to vacuum out a system.

Others stated no since they can possibly suck jumpers off the motherboard, cause a static discharge, you can hit something with the hose and do damage…

Now when you use the compressed air to clean the system do it in a well ventilated are. DO NOT allow the fans to spin they are set to only spin at certain speeds and in one direction. Can also cause them to become wobbly.

[Ian]

Ok I’ve ordered a 9v battery connector to test the side fan, so hopefully that’ll arrive soon. If it turns out that the side fan isn’t working then I may be able to get a replacement under the warranty and hopefully I’ll be able to replace it myself. And if not then I’m guessing a new one won’t cost much. And seeing as the top fan now seems to be behaving itself, I think it’s probably best to close this thread.

Thanks for the help everyone, much appreciated!

[veeg]

Welcome…i hope everything works out..

[Ian]

Unfortunately the issue has come back. The noise is now happening almost every time I boot up, but it only lasts for a minute or two.

I did open the top of the case when the PC was off to get a look at the top fan. Am I going to be ok to undo the clips for the top, then switch the PC on, then quickly lift up the top panel so I can try to see what’s causing the noise? There are a lot of wires connected to the top panel so I’d have to be very careful.

[veeg]

Ok..let us know .

[Ian]

I opened up the PC, removing the top panel, and then I started it up. The fan started making the noise that I’ve been talking about, although it looked like everything was ok (see IMG_1394.JPG). After a minute or two the noise stopped, but the fan kept on spinning (see IMG_1395.JPG). I can’t see any dust on the fan, and I can’t see it scraping against anything. So I wonder if when it’s making a noise the fan is going faster than it normally would, and then it slows down to normal speed (as suggested earlier). Although that still doesn’t explain the noise. I have recorded the noise that it makes, and there is a link here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jur9z0whwy35hxo/PC%20Fan.mp4?dl=0

[veeg]

Well that be something you have to live with.. It could be the nature of that fan or a sign of possible failure in the future. The only other solution to this is to replace the fan,that i see.

[Ian]

I guess so…I’ll double check the fan isn’t loose or something, and maybe buy one