Can I quiet down this maybe failing fan?

[Muse]

I have a couple of these Cooler Master MegaFlow 200 - Sleeve Bearing 200mm Silent case fans mounted in a DIY custom made panel in a window in my bedroom. I power those fans with a switched wall-wart. After about a year of occasional use (for several months now, most nights) one of them is problematical in that for ~5 minutes (at this point) it makes something of a racket (compared to its silent mode). It suddenly, after ~5 minutes, goes "quiet" for the remainder of that usage until the next cold start.

Can I lubricate this thing? How and with what?

 

[fralexandr]

http://www.overclockers.com/em-spinning-lubricate-pc-fans/

 

[aigomorla]

yeah i was gonna recommend relubing the bearing on the fan.

 

[Muse]

http://www.overclockers.com/em-spinning-lubricate-pc-fans/

Nice treatment there, but I don't see any way I can get into these fans from front or back. I pealed off both labels and it's just solid plastic, sealed, no cap to pry off.

I could drill a tiny hole (I think I have a 3/64th inch bit) in the center and inject a few drops of sewing machine oil with a syringe, that's the only thing I can think of, then cover that with plastic tape. It might screw it up, though, from pieces of plastic getting inside. Anyway, I suppose it might stop the noise short-term. Alternatively, I could make a hole by jamming a red hot end of paper clip through the bearing enclosure, which would prevent any tiny pieces of plastic debris from entering the fan bearing area, then inject some oil. From looking at it I'm not sure which side I have to go through, though. I suppose it would be the top, the side opposite of where the air is forced to.

 

[fralexandr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRkzIlDuSeM&feature=youtu.be
weird
note: multi-purpose WD-40 probably isn't the best idea for the long term, though it can be used to clean it out before applying another lubricant, or as a temporary fix

 

[aigomorla]

Nice treatment there, but I don't see any way I can get into these fans from front or back. I pealed off both labels and it's just solid plastic, sealed, no cap to pry off.

I could drill a tiny hole (I think I have a 3/64th inch bit) in the center and inject a few drops of sewing machine oil with a syringe, that's the only thing I can think of, then cover that with plastic tape. It might screw it up, though, from pieces of plastic getting inside. Anyway, I suppose it might stop the noise short-term. Alternatively, I could make a hole by jamming a red hot end of paper clip through the bearing enclosure, which would prevent any tiny pieces of plastic debris from entering the fan bearing area, then inject some oil. From looking at it I'm not sure which side I have to go through, though. I suppose it would be the top, the side opposite of where the air is forced to.

that is a very wierd design because then i dont see how the blade would clamp in.

My next suggestion would be then see if you can pull the blade fixture out.


However all that work, it maybe just easier to order a new fan.

 

[Muse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRkzIlDuSeM&feature=youtu.be
weird
note: multi-purpose WD-40 probably isn't the best idea for the long term, though it can be used to clean it out before applying another lubricant, or as a temporary fix

Thanks, that's actually my fan or very close to it, probably basically or actually the same one. Yeah, the WD40 I don't think I'll do. That video explains that the cap I see there is rubber and can be removed. He had trouble removing it, but I can do it, I'm sure. He mentions silicon lubricant for fans, don't know that I've heard of that before. I do have a lot of sewing machine oil (I have a sewing machine). I think probably a drop of transmission oil could work great, think I've heard of that before, I have some of that left over from a transmission oil change.

that is a very wierd design because then i dont see how the blade would clamp in.

My next suggestion would be then see if you can pull the blade fixture out.


However all that work, it maybe just easier to order a new fan.

Actually, I have a "replacement fan." I ordered one not long ago with an Amazon order. However, it was in part because I hope to cool another room, my home theater room, which gets very hot sometimes. Thing about that is the room is very light controlled, it has a projector and I want to keep the room pretty much entirely dark, so fans in a window blowing air into the room has the issue of letting outside light in as well. One alternative is a portable air conditioner but I wish I could work out something with fans only that's acceptable. Most of the time the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature in those conditions. My PC and projector throw off a lot of heat!

 

[MrTeal]

Thing about that is the room is very light controlled, it has a projector and I want to keep the room pretty much entirely dark, so fans in a window blowing air into the room has the issue of letting outside light in as well. One alternative is a portable air conditioner but I wish I could work out something with fans only that's acceptable. Most of the time the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature in those conditions. My PC and projector throw off a lot of heat!

Duct the air in. You can still line the windows, and then just use a couple 90 degree joints of steel ducting lined with black felt on the inside to prevent light infiltration.

 

[Muse]

Duct the air in. You can still line the windows, and then just use a couple 90 degree joints of steel ducting lined with black felt on the inside to prevent light infiltration.

I'm trying to picture this. Currently, what I have is venetian blinds in the two windows, which are adjacent to each other. In summer (when the cooling issue occurs), I keep at least one of those windows open and if not using the projector I have the blinds passing light. When using the projector, I pull the cord on the blinds to block most light and then draw black velvet curtains across both windows from the edges. This achieves near-darkness in the room, near enough for the purposes of watching a movie or HDTV.

If it's hot in the room, I can open the two doors to the room (there are doors on opposite sides), and minimize light coming through those doors by closing other doors. I can even set a large floor fan at one of those doors. The room is upstairs, which is generally ~10 degrees warmer at least than the downstairs during the warm part of the year. The fan blows air into the room that isn't much cooler than the air in the room, but it does help some, and just have moving air is a help. That fan is a monster. It's noise doesn't bother me because I use sound-isolating earbuds when watching movies or HDTV.

The ducting you describe, I don't know where it would go. In front of fans in the windows? This could be doable. For 200mm fans, it would have to probably be DIY fashioned ducts with 90 degree bends, lined on the inside with black velvet, as you say. The bends would inhibit airflow some, but light a lot.

 

[Muse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRkzIlDuSeM&feature=youtu.be

I did this but instead of WD40 (that was all that guy had!), I used the stuff I had put in my car's transmission 2 years ago, the best I could find: Red Line D4 ATF synthetic oil. I had a little left over in a container.

I did this with both fans in the panel although only one was making noise for 2-5 minutes after turning them on. One site says to lubricate your fans before putting them into service.

Well, both fans are starting very quiet now. One caveat: be careful not to add too much or spill any. That stuff stinks, and besides, you can get it on the electronics, which I did a bit, but I cleaned up.

I do have sewing machine oil but I think that ATF is just as good an idea if not better.