So....how hard is it to replace a PS fan???

[jazzman42379]

Howdy all,

Well, got my new system, and I must say, DDR is very nice indeed. However, the PS I got is EXTREMELY loud!!!! It's only got 1 fan in it, so I was thinking I could just replace the fan with a Panaflo 80mm. I've seen articles to do this, and it doesn't look all that hard. However, I have also seen the cautions that it can be very dangerous. So to do this, what would I want to do to make it safe? I assume part of this would be to unplug it from the power for at least overnight, if not longer. Anything else?

If anyone has performed this operation, any comments? How'd it go?

Thanx in advance...
Jazzman

 

[Kipper]

PSU power, like the electricity stored up in CRT monitors, can last FOREVER. From what I know, it's generally inadvisable to do the PSU fan replacement if you don't know what you're doing. Otherwise, you could literally shock yourself into death (e.g. KILL you). Most PSU fans I've seen use two-pin connectors. You'd probably want to check and make sure that the panaflo comes with one - I know that they come from the factory with bare wires.

Oh yeah...and opening the PSU basically voids your warranty, so be sure you know what you're doing.

 

[Pothead]

I replaced my ps fan in my antec 300 watt psu with a panaflo, piece of cake!

However, you will end up using the old pin adapter that connects to the psu, well in the antec that was the case. PM me if you need help.

 

[FlowerMan]

Unplug your PS, turn the switch to off it is has one, then attempt to power up your computer. The fans will jerk, and all the power will be dissapated

Just open up the PS, cut off the old fan, splice the wires with the new fan, and you're in business

 

[jazzman42379]

FlowerMan....when you say to unplug the PS, do you mean unplug it from the wall or unplug the ATX connector? And I assume the switch is the little on/off toggle on the PS? So if I am reading this correctly, you unplug the PS from the wall, turn the switch off, and leave it off when you try to turn it on?

Thanx!!!
Jazzman?

 

[Jen]

biggest thing is be carefull..........powersupplies are just that power and they
do have alot of juice stored in them


Jen

 

[breweyez]

What FlowerMan means is to take the power cord off the unit(you will have to anyway). Leave the toggle switch on the PSU on. Then hit the power button on your computer, the one you use to power up the machine. That will discharge the PSU.

 

[anandfan]

FYI, here's a good primer on computer power supplies, includes pics of the inside:
Power Supply Tutorial

 

[theplanb]

I did exactly what flowerman said when i changed my fan on PSU. Mine dind't come with connectors for the fan. Just 2 wires going through wherever it's connected to.

Frankly, I dind't know what I was doing... but I was being careful. I unplugged and tried to the power button several times to disipate power. Cut those wires, and replaced with new fan which also didn't have any connectors. I just wrapped the connection with some strong tape.. I know I know.. I should've soldered it or use heatshrinks...

I was oh-so careful not to touch anything .. unnecessary. I was wearing rubber gloves too not that it would protect me... just peace of mind I guess

 

[Phunktion]

Vinyl Electrical Tape works fine as longs as you use plenty of it and wrap it many times over..

 

[Jeff7]

The warnings here are valid; yes, there is a LOT of power stored in the capacitors in the power supply; some capacitors leak more power than others over time, so it's still a good idea not to reach too far into it.

How I've replaced PSU fans:
Required materials:
-new fan (duh; hydro-wave or ball bearings)
-scissors or wire cutter
-wire stripper
-1/16" dia heat shrink tubing (I think that All Electronics sells it) It's rubbery tubing that shrinks to 1/2 diameter when heated; it stays that way then

Cut the fan wires leaving a few inches between the slice and the connector to the PSU. Strip those wires.
Cut the connector off the new fan and strip the wires on the fan - when stripping them, only do a 1/2 inch. Slide one 1" piece over each wire on the fan. If there's an RPM wire....uh, might as well slice it off. Twist the wires together good, slide the heat shrink over the splice, and heat it. It shrinks, secures the connection, and insulates it. Screw the fan back in facing the same as the original, and you should be good to go.

If you don't want to use heat shrink, I figure that wire nuts would suffice, but maybe schmutz some epoxy into the connector (untried, sounds good in theory though) and then twist it on. You don't want them coming loose - having many amps of 12VDC shorting out wouldn't be a good thing.

(Hope that's a good enough explanation. )

 

[tekwrite]

I swapped out my fan on my eight year old PS last night. GLAD I did BEFORE I read all these warnings!

I did unplug everything of course as I have a healthy respect for electricity. Bought the fan at Radio Shack as availability was more importnant than price! Just spliced the wires and used elctrical tape on them, using the old two-pin connector.

PC is humming right along now (literally!)

Ken

 

[Udimet720]

One thing I did that was helpful...

My fan wires were soldered directly to the board in the PSU. So, I cut the wires and stripped about 1/5" of insulation. Then i just twisted the wires and gently slid them into the connector on the fan. In my case, I used one of those weird two pin connectors that came on the panaflos i got from mpja.com. Actually, I didn't use the panaflo in my PSU. I just used that connector on another fan. (But, you could also use the standard three-pin connector from a fan, utilizing two out of the three holes.) Anyway, the leads inside the connector are spring loaded enough to hold the wires in place, especially since the wires inside the PSU don't get tugged on at all. For a bit more snug fit, you could use a little solder on the wires first. But, I didn't feel that motivated. This will also allow me to change the fan later w/o having to cut and resplice the same wires again.

Hope that helps.