Fan exhaust or pull?

[octopus41092]

How do you know if your fan is pushing air out or pulling it in? Also what would be the best way to have the airflow, front to back, back to front, etc.?

 

[Nathelion]

You can tell from the blade design which way it is going to spin. If you fire it up, you can also put a finger on the central flat part and slow it down so you can see which way it is spinning. If you know the direction of spin, the tilt of the blades will tell you which way it is going to push air. Using your finger to "sense" which way the air is flowing is generally ineffectual. I imagine a paper strip could work though.

 

[Ika]

Some fans, like my Yate Loons, have arrows pointing in the direction in which the fan will rotate and the air will blow.

Most standard ATX PCs have the airflow going from front to back. I don't really know if it makes a difference, though. I have my airflow coming in from the side (250mm fan), feeding into my Big Typhoon, and going out the front AND back.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

 

[Sheninat0r]

Ideal airflow would be bottom to top, since it would work with the already-present convection occurring with the hot air in the case. Unfortunately, most cases don't have feet that are high enough to provide significant intake, and cases that do are swamped with dust from the floor. Filters can fix that, but may require frequent cleaning.

 

[aigomorla]

theres a middle bar i call it. That tells you which direction the air is pushing.

If that middle bar is there, thats face up. Usually the side where they stamp the label.

If all you see is a fan without any bar, the air sucks from that direction.

Zepper should be coming in soon to tell us what that bar is really called, but i just call it that space bar where the wires travel though to the side.

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

Ahhh you call it a leg?? i call it a bar!

Rock Paper Siccors to see whose correct?

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

Ahhh you call it a leg?? i call it a bar!

Rock Paper Siccors to see whose correct?

ro-sham-bo would be pretty tough over the internet unless we got a third party to moderate and we each just sent him our selection. AFAIK it has to be metal to be a "bar".

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
theres a middle bar i call it. That tells you which direction the air is pushing.

If that middle bar is there, thats face up. Usually the side where they stamp the label.

If all you see is a fan without any bar, the air sucks from that direction.

Zepper should be coming in soon to tell us what that bar is really called, but i just call it that space bar where the wires travel though to the side.

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

Ahhh you call it a leg?? i call it a bar!

Rock Paper Siccors to see whose correct?

it's a strut.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

Ahhh you call it a leg?? i call it a bar!

Rock Paper Siccors to see whose correct?

AFAIK it has to be metal to be a "bar".

what about a chocolate bar? LOL

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
Even easier, most(99% or so) of DC fans will blow towards the side that has the legs attaching the motor to the chassis.

Ahhh you call it a leg?? i call it a bar!

Rock Paper Siccors to see whose correct?

AFAIK it has to be metal to be a "bar".

what about a chocolate bar? LOL

cacao is almost a mineral by the time we eat it?

according to the online dictionary there are two types of bars:

candy/soap and a hard metal :shrug:

EDIT2: oops, :shrug: is from XS.