tips and/or proper way to clean fans, and your whole system?

Control: management of fans, temp/rpm monitoring via soft/hardware

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owbert
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:00 pm
Location: USA

tips and/or proper way to clean fans, and your whole system?

Post by owbert » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:55 am

how does everyone else clean their case? any tips or proper way to do it?

after upgrading the fans in my system i am weary of when it comes to cleaning it.

it seems that i end up making the fans sound louder after cleaning it. i know with the dust layer removed and everything itll be louder but it sounds off, like whirling/spinning inconsistantly. perhaps just a dust air can is not the way, all the air pressure and force might run some parts?

idk... they just seem sensitive to me now. especially after cleaning my sisters case the fans sound weird. whiney and old. her system is barely nine months old.

amjedm
Posts: 489
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 8:32 am
Location: UK

Post by amjedm » Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:05 pm

Not the best way to clean a system but..., I tend to take the side cover off and blast it with a balloon pump :oops:. Most if not all of the 'blobs' of dust exit the case so make sure you do this out in the open (garden) and not in a room.

With regards the fans I tend to use a toothbrush unless they are in a case in which case the balloon pump comes to the rescue :D

Olle P
Posts: 711
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:03 am
Location: Sweden

Post by Olle P » Wed May 06, 2009 4:30 am

I use medical grade compressed air (available from the wall sockets at my workplace in a hospital, we use it to drive power tools as well).
With fans I mostly hold them still while blowing at them, in order not to overstress the bearings.

I do it rarely though, since the intake filters on my computer are quite efficient.

Cheers
Olle

psiu
Posts: 1201
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:53 pm
Location: SE MI

Post by psiu » Wed May 06, 2009 6:02 am

I also hold the fans still when cleaning them.
For a thorough cleaning, couple q-tips and cotton balls with alcohol on them will get them looking new again.

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