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Old July 9th 18, 10:21 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Rene Lamontagne
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Posts: 187
Default Can I make my power supply fan turn faster?

On 07/09/2018 3:57 PM, VanguardLH wrote:
no wrote:

The fan is making noise. I can stop it with a pencil. I sprayed a
jet of wd 40. It is a little more quiet. I think if I could get it
spinning faster and give it one more burst, it might hit the spot.


Is the PSU out of warranty? My guess is Yes as the fan is making noise
which happens after the warranty expires. Hopefully the fan goes bad a
long time after the warranty but that depends on the quality of the fan
which depends on the qualify of the PSU. Expect crappy fans in cheap
PSUs. You definitely get what you pay for (if you buy the PSU to build
your own) and pre-builts often come with crappy PSUs (whatever is
minimal to handle the spec load of a model and for a MTBF that is just
longer than the warranty).

Measure the diameter of the fan. Buy a new one. After the new fan
arrives, remove the PSU and open it up. Spin the blade hub by hand.
Does rotate several times or does it stop in under 1 or 2 rotations?
Does it feel free as you rotate the blades by hand or can you feel
resistance (wear)? If the fan rotates freely, use an ear swab with
isopropyl alcohol to clean the fan blades on both sides. Check if the
fan is now quiet since filth on the blades (that you cannot blast off
with a compressed air can) can throw it out of balance and cause noise;
however, if it has been going on for a long time, the bearing has gotten
worn with an out-of-balance fan. Oiling the bearing with silicone spray
(WD-40 was the worst you could use) might make it quieter until the
lubricant oozed out of the bearing to let it start wobbling again. If
it was a cheap PSU, it could have a sleeve bearing fan which means the
lube will ooze out. Sleeve fans are only good for vertical use.

Since you'll have to open the PSU to get at the fan to properly lube it
(spraying lube at the fan will NOT lubricate the bearing but instead
change its balance) or clean it or both, you're already right there
inside and might as well as replace the fan. That's why I first
mentioned getting a new fan. Do NOT get a sleeve type fan as those are
designed for vertical operation, not horizontal as in a PSU. Get a
ball-bearing type fan. Those will last about 6-8 years. Fluid/hydro
fans are good, are more costly, and last 10 years, or longer. Consider
how much longer you will have the computer. Remember the cheaper you go
on a fan then the more likely it will fail sooner. Noctua are pricey
but that's what I end up putting in my builds and when I have to replace
a PSU fan (video card fans are often very specialized, especially if
shrouded, so you're stuck getting a duplicate for replacement).

You may not find a replacement fan that has the same connector to mate
with the header on the PCB inside the PSU. Likely it is just a 2-wire
fan unless it can be speed controlled (which is a 3-wire fan). Likely
you will need to remove the old fan by snipping its wires near the fan
to reuse with heat shrink tubing and solder to splice on the new fan.
Make sure the now longer wiring doesn't get into the new fan's blades.

If you don't know how to use a heat gun with heatshrink tubing and do
soldering, get a new PSU.


WARNING !!!!!! IF you open up the PSU be warned that the large Caps can
store a very dangerous Voltage. If your not familiar with This stuff,
leave it alone and buy a new PSU.

Rene