Computer Fan Question:

[Navyguy]

I have a Dell Dimension 8200 with XP SP3, with DSL connection. I have
Avira free antivirus version, Windows firewall, Spybot and Hive
Cleanup with IE8.

I have a Datech DC brushless fan that plugs into the motherboard but
of late it's getting noisier and makes a vibration/humming sound. Not
all the time but it's been happening more and more and it concerns me
and is somewhat distracting. Is there something that I can do about
this short of buying a new fan? I thought about lubricating it with
some fine oil but it’s all enclosed and I don’t see where I could
apply it?

I did look briefly into buying a new fan but it seems it's quite
involved. Also I think I may have two in the computer. A smaller one
enclosed on top and the Datech below it which sits in a green plastic
casing. I would appreciate any advice.



Thanks,

Robert

 

[Anteaus]

Most fans either have a sticky label over the bearing, or else the bearing
is accessed by way of pulling the fan rotor off. It is almost always possible
to oil them, but results may depend on how much wear has taken place through
dry running.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I have a Dell Dimension 8200 with XP SP3, with DSL connection. I have
Avira free antivirus version, Windows firewall, Spybot and Hive
Cleanup with IE8.

I have a Datech DC brushless fan that plugs into the motherboard but
of late it's getting noisier and makes a vibration/humming sound. Not
all the time but it's been happening more and more and it concerns me
and is somewhat distracting. Is there something that I can do about
this short of buying a new fan? I thought about lubricating it with
some fine oil but it’s all enclosed and I don’t see where I could
apply it?

I did look briefly into buying a new fan but it seems it's quite
involved. Also I think I may have two in the computer. A smaller one
enclosed on top and the Datech below it which sits in a green plastic
casing. I would appreciate any advice.



Thanks,

Robert
=========

Wouldn't this be a Hardware rather than a "Windows" question, best answered
by an expert in a hardware newsgroup?

 

[John John - MVP]

A $4 fan adapter motherboard plug like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812267003

will work with any standard fan, like this one:

http://www.ncixus.com/products/35013/D0925C12B2AP-13/Scythe/

Up to you to verify the actual measurements on the fan to ensure that it
will fit. The 'holder' that clips into the back of the computer comes
off, you can just use it with the new fan.

John

 

[Paul]

A $4 fan adapter motherboard plug like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812267003

will work with any standard fan, like this one:

http://www.ncixus.com/products/35013/D0925C12B2AP-13/Scythe/

Up to you to verify the actual measurements on the fan to ensure that it
will fit. The 'holder' that clips into the back of the computer comes
off, you can just use it with the new fan.

John

But the thing is, with 5 minutes of Googling, you can find
a product which is intended as an exact replacement for the
bad fan. For example, if I search for

Dimension 8200 Datech

this pops up as the first returned result. There are bound to
be others like this.

http://www.cwc-group.com/923212hbtl.html

You can read the part number off the fan hub, and use that
part number to refine the search.

Some Dell fans, from a specification perspective, are monsters.
And some Dell fans, have a proprietary five pin connector on them.
In both of those cases, it is best to search for replacement parts,
where the seller has some idea as to what is required. One of the
Dell fans has something like a 110CFM rating, and then Dell runs
the fan at a reduced power level. The fan can become very loud,
under fault conditions, where for some reason, the fan has been
cranked to 100%. So the actual fan rating can be quite a bit
higher than some of those "quiet" fans which are for sale.

Paul

 

[Twayne]

I have a Dell Dimension 8200 with XP SP3, with DSL connection. I have
Avira free antivirus version, Windows firewall, Spybot and Hive
Cleanup with IE8.

I have a Datech DC brushless fan that plugs into the motherboard but
of late it's getting noisier and makes a vibration/humming sound. Not
all the time but it's been happening more and more and it concerns me
and is somewhat distracting. Is there something that I can do about
this short of buying a new fan? I thought about lubricating it with
some fine oil but it’s all enclosed and I don’t see where I could
apply it?

I did look briefly into buying a new fan but it seems it's quite
involved. Also I think I may have two in the computer. A smaller one
enclosed on top and the Datech below it which sits in a green plastic
casing. I would appreciate any advice.



Thanks,

Robert

If you replace it now, you'll save yourself some downtime. You WILL be
replacing the fan if it's gotten that noisy; the bearings are worn if
it's making noise. Do it now or do it later when it fools you into
wondering what's wrong every once in awhile. Blown fan symptoms can be
confusing to the uninitated since the computer will always start and run
fine for a variable length of time.

Twayne`