oil on fans

[TP]

I read a post a couple weeks back from someone here who put oil on his fans to make them quieter. He was saying that it works great. Anybody know about this? If it's a good idea, what oil to use?

edit: i shouldve done a search first...searched with "lubricate case fans" on google and found a couple sites that recommend lubricating fans with a light machine oil.

 

[FlowerMan]

Light Machine oil is what you need Sewing machine oil, teflon lubricant, etc... work. Just dont use WD-40 I prefer Truffle Oil myself.... j/k

 

[wluk]

how long it will last for each application? how often should we apply oil? will it make your case like a mess? thanks!

 

[WarCon]

First off, please don't smear oil all over your fans or yes it will make a mess in your case..........

There are stickers that cover the oil points typically and you should endeavor to make sure the sticker will stick again when your done oiling. This slows the drying out process.

I personally use prolong oil (micro lubricant), and I second not using WD40 for it dries out too fast.

 

[FlowerMan]

Prolong is a bit expensive for fan use... but you're only using a little bit How long would a lubrication last? Maybe 3-4 months. You only need to lubricate them if they are over a year old or are making noises.

 

[CStroman]

I've lubricated fans and it has made no difference.

 

[SpeedTester]

When any of my fans get noisy I put a couple drops of "Light Lead screw oil" in them.
I peel back the sticker on the back and put 1-2 drops in there and also put 1 drop
right behind the fan blades where the motor magnets would be. This seems to keep them quite
for 4-6 months.

 

[ChemMan]

First of all, the majority of the noise made by a fan is due to air flow. No amount of oil is going to quiet that. Now if the fan is making a screeching or grinding or grating noise, then oil might help, or it might be too late.

Too much oil can be just as bad as not enough.:| Excess oil traps dust and dirt and draws it into the bearings. Now you have grinding compound in the fan bearings instead of oil. I would recommend a SMALL drop of oil every 6 months. Make sure to blot up the excess with a paper towel or rag.

Just remember the saying, "A little bit goes a long way".

God, I'm starting to sound like my father!:Q

 

[TP]

THat makes sense that oil is only needed if "screeching or grinding or grating"...My thing is that I got a hard drive fan (from Newegg, it has the 3 small fans that mounts in the 5" drive bay in the front). I like the idea of it keeping my drive cooler, and it looks kinda cool too, but man is that sucker noisy! without it, I dont have a noise issue. So I am thinking of trying some oil. I have some old sewing machine oil. It may be 20 years old though..that doesnt matter does it? it has been capped....

 

[FlowerMan]

Shouldn't be a problem, unless the plastic (?) bottle is deteriorating and contaminating the oil Small fans running at high RPMs usually create a whine My brand new 40mm fans in my CoolerMaster 4002s made a lot of noise. I just ran them at 7V and the noise subsided. If its a new fan, the oil prolly isnt going to do anything. 7V is a much more effective trick

 

[thermite88]

Do not put oil in your cooling fan. It helps nothing and will only cause problem when the oil sputters. If you already put oil in your fans, throw them away and put in new ones.

All modern fans used in electronics equipment use self lubricating bearings because even the slightest amount of oil vapor causes major problem for electronics. It does not need and should not be lubraicated. When it starts making bearing noises, it is time for replacement.

Best quality fans use special scheme to reduce bearing friction. Among the better known examples are the ADDA Hypro bearing and the Sunon magnetic levitation bearing. They cost quite a bit more, but is needed in hard to service applications. For home computer use, buy the good brand fans at $5-10 each. They will last a reasonably period of time even if the computer is left on 7/24. Replace whenever there is noises.

 

[FlowerMan]

Nice tip, but lots of us have been lubricating old fans for quite some time, with no side-effects. I believe there are a few how-to's on the web and I think Kyle posted a link to one of them on www.hardocp.com I use Archer Teflon Lubricant... wonder if that produces "oil vapor"?

 

[thermite88]

In fans designed for electronic equipment cooling, the fan uses sealed bearing to prevent dust, moisture etc. Even in cheap sleeve bearing fan, the bearing are oil-impregnat so that lubrication is not necessary. If the user can apply lubricating oil to the bearing, it is a clear indication that the fan is a cheap imitation not designed for electronic uses.

Flowerman, I know that it is hard for you to accept information from tradition engineering which does not agree with your internet gospel. The Sunon fan people has a nice web page to promote their magnitic bearing which gave a nice description of bearings. You may want to take a look.

Sunon Vapo Bearing

 

[TP]

I havent applied oil yet. I havent had time with family in for the holiday and all....the lowering the voltage on the fans is a good idea but I don't have the foggiest clue how to do that. I will look into though...thanks for the interesting debate.

 

[FlowerMan]

www.7volts.com

simply hook up the negative fan wire to the red wire on the molex connector instead of the black. Creates 12V+ to 5V+, producing 7V+ for your fan.

 

[Jerboy]

<< www.7volts.com

simply hook up the negative fan wire to the red wire on the molex connector instead of the black. Creates 12V+ to 5V+, producing 7V+ for your fan. >>



Ofcourse, you'll lose the airflow significantly though.

 

[thermite88]

<< thanks for the interesting debate. >>

There is no debate here. It is serious matter.

If you get a mountain bike, you oil your gear regularly.

If you get a equally expensive computer, you keep it clean of sticky stuff. When oil film from vapor deposite on circuit board junctions, it collects dust and moisture and causes corrosion. It does not mean that the computer goes up in flame the next day after you oil the fans, but the chance of getting into trouble increases greatly.

With name brand fans using sealed bearing as cheap as it is and easily available, does it make sense to use cheap sub-standard fans that requires oiling?