Fan stop spinning...

I think it could have been the dust that stopped it from turning and
caused it to overheat b/c it had alot of dust caked up on it and i've
had it for a couple years so would that mean i wuold need to buy a new
fan or what if that was the cause? And would you explain and break it
down a lil bit more in detail abuot how to test the fan on a 12v
supply, what is that? Thanks!

On Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:07:11 -0000, lid (jazzyb)
wrote:

I think it could have been the dust that stopped it from turning and
caused it to overheat b/c it had alot of dust caked up on it and i've
had it for a couple years so would that mean i wuold need to buy a new
fan or what if that was the cause?

It would take massive amounts of dust to make a fan stop
spinning. It is very unlikely, in only a couple years time
unless the owner desperately needs a room air cleaner.

Fans with tons of dust will usually spin fine, though enough
dust will significantly reduce airflow, not just from the
dust on the fan but on the other intake areas and acting as
an insulating layer over the other hot parts meant to be
cooled.

The "usual" problem is not dust, it's just a cheap sleeve
bearing fan that had seized because it's bearing dried out.

Try to gently turn the fan blades with your finger (while
system is unplugged). Does it turn (very very close to) as
easily as when the fan was new or does it feel stiff,
resistant to turning? If it resists, take the fan out,
brush off the dust, then peel back the sticker over the
bearing, gently pop out the rubber plug and put in a couple
drops of thick oil. If the fan was completely seized, let
it sit with the bearing facing upwards for a few minutes,
then gently rotate the blades to work the oil down into the
bearing.

If the bearing looks really bad and the oil turns black, you
might even put a lot of oil in, rotate the blades several
times, then stick the edge of a folded paper towel into the
bearingway to absorb this dirty oil then add back more clean
oil, rotate the fan again and repeat the process until the
oil stays reasonably clean, then leave only a couple drops
worth in the bearingway instead of the much greater amount
used to flush out the bearing debris.

If the fan blades turn very easily the fan may have failed.
either way, if it seems the only problem is the fan then it
would be prudent to order another one at the next convenient
opportunity. If the fan were seized and the oil allows it
to work again, it could continue working for a very long
time (especially if you periodically relube it again before
it gets this bad again) but it is a gamble how long it will
last, better to just replace it when possible with a better
quality fan.



And would you explain and break it
down a lil bit more in detail abuot how to test the fan on a 12v
supply, what is that? Thanks!

If you have a source of 12V power, just use wires or
connectors as needed to put +12V on the fan's positive
(usually red) wire and ground on the (usually black)
negative lead. It is more likely that the fan failed from
lack of lubricant than that it electrically failed, unless
the fan failure resulted in such extreme temps that it then
damaged the fan further, but if it got that hot, whatever
was in the immediate vicinity being cooled is also likely to
be damaged from that heat so you might have more parts to
replace.