Fan Filters and Reversing Airflow

[Jephph]

I want to put some filters over my case fans in order to keep dust out. As I'm sure they would get clogged up pretty quickly, I'd like an easy way to maintain them.
Are there any fans or implementations where I could reverse the airflow once in a while for a brief time in order to blow the dust off of the filter?

 

[aigomorla]

not with the required static pressure... lol..

 

[Jephph]

eh.. what?

 

[aigomorla]

eh.. what?

static = pressure at which the fans push air.

to get the dust not to stick onto your filter after they been stuck, you need triple the required static your fans displace.. which do not exist, unless u like the sound of a go kart.

 

[Ika]

You don't necessarily need high static pressure to clean dust off. If the fans are blowing outwards, a damp cloth can wipe off the dust without pushing any more dust into the case.

Nevertheless, airflow of fans cannot be reversed. The blades aren't designed that way.

 

[Jephph]

Don't all blades on all fans blow the other way if you reverse the direction?

Also, if MSI can do it- http://event.msi.com/vga/msifantechnology/page3.html
then why can't I do it?

 

[Billb2]

I know of no "computer" fans that will rotate in both directions.

 

[lehtv]

Don't all blades on all fans blow the other way if you reverse the direction?

Also, if MSI can do it- http://event.msi.com/vga/msifantechnology/page3.html
then why can't I do it?

Ask MSI to develop you a case fan that will do it

No but seriously, your best bet is to just clean the filters with a vacuum cleaner.

 

[aigomorla]

u can just flip the + and - header on the fan and make it go in reverse.

its polarity... however the blades werent designed for that type of function.

Once dust is lodged inside the filter crevace, it can take 3x the static to push it out.

Which is why i said, if u wanted dust lodged in out, you need a lot more static then your fan was originally pulling.

 

[Rubycon]

u can just flip the + and - header on the fan and make it go in reverse.

its polarity... however the blades werent designed for that type of function.

No it does not work like this. 99% of the computer case fans are commutator-less motors. Reversing the polarity will either result in no motor run or can wreck the fan! Do NOT try this!

A PM motor (the other 1% hehe) most definitely is reversible but the hub/blades/shroud are not designed to run in this fashion and despite it moving air (in reverse) performance will suffer greatly. The type of fan that's reversible is a biaxial design (again not used in computers). Wouldn't be easier to flip the fan around?

 

[lehtv]

Wouldn't be easier to flip the fan around?

Nah, much easier to just flip the + and -...