My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

Small motors typically have bushings instead of bearings. Bushings wear out
sooner. The axle is jigging around inside the bushing until the structure
warms up a bit -- could be the axle swelling from heat, or dirty lubricant
softening up, or something else a more knowledgeable person will point out
later.

I fix a lot of these for clients. Clean the gray gunk off the fan blades
with a can of compressed air. That usually solves the problem. If not,
replace the fan. They're less than 10 bucks, unless you go for the gaudy
ones with LEDs. Clean out all the rest of the dust in

If you want, you can try some light oil, but don't use much. You definitely
don't want oil inside your PC. In fact, don't use oil unless the fan blows
OUT of the case. I've always just replaced the fan, because I'd have to
charge more for half-measures.

I won't presume to advise you about your heater. Your barn might burn down,
and then I'd be sad.

wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
news:bRfvh.812804$1T2.69321@pd7urf2no...
wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

They need oil. On the computer fan, most can be lubricated by removing the
paper label right in the center. few drops of oil, and a piece of tape and
it's quiet.

That's very simplistic. What about changing the fan pitch? The duct
shape? Load-dependent speed?



Ivan Vegvary wrote:
wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:37:33 -0600,
wrote:

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

Dont' know about these two but some bearings are oil-impregnated.
When they get warm, oil seeps out of the metal. Obviously, that takes
a little time. When the motor stops and they cool off, the oil is
sucked back in. Clever, huh?

Check the internet, there is a whole specialized market producing products
with quiet fans, quiet power supplies, chip coolers and other products to
silently remove the heat. If your fan is too noisy, upgrades are available.
Many upper grade mother boards will control the fan speed according to the
temperature of the CPU chip.

"Stubby" wrote in message
. ..
That's very simplistic. What about changing the fan pitch? The duct
shape? Load-dependent speed?



Ivan Vegvary wrote:
wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary

Regarding the computer fan, some newer PCs can regulate the fan speed
in relation to heat. On startup, they go to full speed as a test.
You'll notice this more with laptop computers than desktop
computers.

On the other hand, as they wear out, they'll make more noise when
cold. There is no way to oil a computer fan motor - it's all molded
into one non serviceable plastic chunk. You can order a replacement
fan but it's probably more expensive than a new power supply - which
is not very expensive, whcih is why they wear out quickly.

-rev



On Jan 29, 12:37 am, wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

True, but there are ultra quiet power supplies available also, with fan
speeds controlled by the temperature of the power supply components.
Depending on the brand of computer the OP has, the quality of power supply,
and other fans, may be the cheapest available with a short working life. A
few extra bucks buys better components, but they may not be available from
many manufacturers.

"Gerry Atrick" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:37:09 -0500, "EXT"
wrote:

Check the internet, there is a whole specialized market producing products
with quiet fans, quiet power supplies, chip coolers and other products to
silently remove the heat. If your fan is too noisy, upgrades are
available.
Many upper grade mother boards will control the fan speed according to the
temperature of the CPU chip.


Yeah, but thats the CPU fan not the power supply fan.

"Stubby" wrote in message
m...
That's very simplistic. What about changing the fan pitch? The duct
shape? Load-dependent speed?



Ivan Vegvary wrote:
wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:37:33 -0600, wrote:


My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

Your computer has the finest power supply that seven dollars will buy
you. That leaves about forty cents for the fan. I recomend you splurge
and get a $30 replacement power supply and the howling will end.

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:42:07 -0700, Big Al wrote:



"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
news:bRfvh.812804$1T2.69321@pd7urf2no...
wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

They need oil. On the computer fan, most can be lubricated by removing the
paper label right in the center. few drops of oil, and a piece of tape and
it's quiet.

Bull****. They wear out and by the time howling has started, no lubrication
will quiet them. Just replace the worn out thing if you really want to
repair it.

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:44:03 -0600, Gerry Atrick wrote:


On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:37:09 -0500, "EXT"
wrote:

Check the internet, there is a whole specialized market producing products
with quiet fans, quiet power supplies, chip coolers and other products to
silently remove the heat. If your fan is too noisy, upgrades are available.
Many upper grade mother boards will control the fan speed according to the
temperature of the CPU chip.


Yeah, but thats the CPU fan not the power supply fan.

The aftermarket exists for both.

Gerry Atrick wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:34:31 -0600, "Steve" wrote:


Small motors typically have bushings instead of bearings. Bushings wear out
sooner. The axle is jigging around inside the bushing until the structure
warms up a bit -- could be the axle swelling from heat, or dirty lubricant
softening up, or something else a more knowledgeable person will point out
later.

I fix a lot of these for clients. Clean the gray gunk off the fan blades
with a can of compressed air. That usually solves the problem. If not,
replace the fan. They're less than 10 bucks, unless you go for the gaudy
ones with LEDs. Clean out all the rest of the dust in

If you want, you can try some light oil, but don't use much. You definitely
don't want oil inside your PC. In fact, don't use oil unless the fan blows
OUT of the case. I've always just replaced the fan, because I'd have to
charge more for half-measures.

I won't presume to advise you about your heater. Your barn might burn down,
and then I'd be sad.



I hate to tell you this, but because you did NOT advise me about the
barn heater fan, the heater burst into flames and burned the whole
barn down, killing all the animals and several workers. It was
horrible. It's your fault for not giving me help. You will be
hearing from my lawyer, who is also my wife, and she sleeps with the
judge a few times every week, so you dont have a chance to win the
case.

Well, OK, I'm just giving you some **** and the latest Jerry Springer
episode....

Seriously, I just oiled that fan motor in the heater. It dont seem
like it's worn too badly, but the oil quieted it down. There was a
little fire though, (almost). I dripped some oil on the heater coil
and that sure smoked for a few seconds. It works quiet now.

This heater is strange in design. The motor looks like one of those
old record player motors but the coil windings are thick. Probably a
#12 enamelled wire. The heater coils are connected in series with
that motor. Thats an odd design. I cant understand the point to
that, other than if the motor burns out the coils will not heat.
Otherwise it makes little sense and that is why that wire is so thick.
Thats a lot of amperage to go thru that small motor.

Might be because a smaller number of turns of heavier wire is a bit less
costly to manufacture? And, a motor wound with heavier wire has a
slightly lower chance of the wire breaking from vibration at a termination.

Ampere-turns is what sets what the motor does, and you can get the same
amount of them with lots of turns and lower current or fewer turns and
higher current.

I confess I've never run into a small heater wired like that, but now
that I think about it the setup sounds like it would provide a bit of
positive feedback of the element temperature, which sounds sort of bass
ackwards to me.

i.e. when the element is cold, the curent through the motor is greatest,
causing the motor to run a bit on the fast side, cooling the element
more, and conversely when the element was hot and the current draw was
less, the motor might run a bit slower, leading to less cooling and an
even higher element temperature.

Hopefully someone smarter than me will give us a good reason for that
setup, beyond the possibly lower manufacturing cost.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

EXT wrote:

Check the internet, there is a whole specialized market producing products
with quiet fans, quiet power supplies, chip coolers and other products to
silently remove the heat. If your fan is too noisy, upgrades are available.
Many upper grade mother boards will control the fan speed according to the
temperature of the CPU chip.

"Stubby" wrote in message
. ..

That's very simplistic. What about changing the fan pitch? The duct
shape? Load-dependent speed?



Ivan Vegvary wrote:

wrote in message
...

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary




You can also buy adhesive backed acoustic padding to line a computer
"tower" case with and a labrinth type "muffler" to screw over the fan
opening.

IME (A sample of one.) spending about $35 on buying both of those items
didn't do ****e to reduce the fan noise enough to satisfy SWMBO.

Buying her a new computer did.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:37:33 -0600,
wrote:

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

Buy a new one. Oil is just a temporary fix. Try www.mouser.com

On Jan 28, 10:37 pm, wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.

Here's everything I know (almost) about heater and computer fans and,
perhaps, all you need to know:

1. When you buy a computer or a computer power supply try to make sure
that it has a safety label on it (e.g., UL, CSA, TUV). The same thing
goes for electric heaters with a fan.

2. If your power supply fan starts making a lot of noise (I've never
had that happen, BTW), replace the power supply or the power supply
fan (if it's no longer under warranty).

3. If you use an electric heater a lot, and it's one of those cheap
ones, replace it every year and also replace the socket it plugs into.
If you have a more expensive heater, like a 220-V heater for instance,
that you use a lot, I don't know what to tell you. I would contact the
manufacturer for advice. I would guess a high-quality fan ought to be
good for at 30,000 or 40,000 hours of operation. I would check the
power plug once in awhile, by the way, to make sure it's not getting
hot.

4. If you want an extra quiet computer and the standard power supply
fan is to noisy, buy a more expensive power supply that has a built-in
temperature sensor and a variable speed fan. Also, put larger fans
inside the case of your computer. Make sure they are blowing air in
the correct direction.

On Jan 29, 3:45 pm, Jeff Wisnia wrote:
Gerry Atrick wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:34:31 -0600, "Steve" wrote:

Small motors typically have bushings instead of bearings. Bushings wear out
sooner. The axle is jigging around inside the bushing until the structure
warms up a bit -- could be the axle swelling from heat, or dirty lubricant
softening up, or something else a more knowledgeable person will point out
later.

I fix a lot of these for clients. Clean the gray gunk off the fan blades
with a can of compressed air. That usually solves the problem. If not,
replace the fan. They're less than 10 bucks, unless you go for the gaudy
ones with LEDs. Clean out all the rest of the dust in

If you want, you can try some light oil, but don't use much. You definitely
don't want oil inside your PC. In fact, don't use oil unless the fan blows
OUT of the case. I've always just replaced the fan, because I'd have to
charge more for half-measures.

I won't presume to advise you about your heater. Your barn might burn down,
and then I'd be sad.

I hate to tell you this, but because you did NOT advise me about the
barn heater fan, the heater burst into flames and burned the whole
barn down, killing all the animals and several workers. It was
horrible. It's your fault for not giving me help. You will be
hearing from my lawyer, who is also my wife, and she sleeps with the
judge a few times every week, so you dont have a chance to win the
case.

Well, OK, I'm just giving you some **** and the latest Jerry Springer
episode....

Seriously, I just oiled that fan motor in the heater. It dont seem
like it's worn too badly, but the oil quieted it down. There was a
little fire though, (almost). I dripped some oil on the heater coil
and that sure smoked for a few seconds. It works quiet now.

This heater is strange in design. The motor looks like one of those
old record player motors but the coil windings are thick. Probably a
#12 enamelled wire. The heater coils are connected in series with
that motor. Thats an odd design. I cant understand the point to
that, other than if the motor burns out the coils will not heat.
Otherwise it makes little sense and that is why that wire is so thick.
Thats a lot of amperage to go thru that small motor.Might be because a smaller number of turns of heavier wire is a bit less
costly to manufacture? And, a motor wound with heavier wire has a
slightly lower chance of the wire breaking from vibration at a termination.

Ampere-turns is what sets what the motor does, and you can get the same
amount of them with lots of turns and lower current or fewer turns and
higher current.

I confess I've never run into a small heater wired like that, but now
that I think about it the setup sounds like it would provide a bit of
positive feedback of the element temperature, which sounds sort of bass
ackwards to me.

i.e. when the element is cold, the curent through the motor is greatest,
causing the motor to run a bit on the fast side, cooling the element
more, and conversely when the element was hot and the current draw was
less, the motor might run a bit slower, leading to less cooling and an
even higher element temperature.

Hopefully someone smarter than me will give us a good reason for that
setup, beyond the possibly lower manufacturing cost.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Depending on the type of motor, it could have its speed determined not
by the current, but by the frequency.

Dave

The Reverend Natural Light wrote:
You can order a replacement
fan but it's probably more expensive than a new power supply - which
is not very expensive, whcih is why they wear out quickly.

I don't know where you're buying your power supplies, but a decent Antec
one is at least $70, and you can easily spend more.

In my experience the good ones do not "wear out quickly". I have a
computer that I bought in '97 that is still running happily with the
original power supply.

Chris

wrote:


On Jan 29, 3:45 pm, Jeff Wisnia wrote:

Gerry Atrick wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:34:31 -0600, "Steve" wrote:

Small motors typically have bushings instead of bearings. Bushings wear out
sooner. The axle is jigging around inside the bushing until the structure
warms up a bit -- could be the axle swelling from heat, or dirty lubricant
softening up, or something else a more knowledgeable person will point out
later.

I fix a lot of these for clients. Clean the gray gunk off the fan blades
with a can of compressed air. That usually solves the problem. If not,
replace the fan. They're less than 10 bucks, unless you go for the gaudy
ones with LEDs. Clean out all the rest of the dust in

If you want, you can try some light oil, but don't use much. You definitely
don't want oil inside your PC. In fact, don't use oil unless the fan blows
OUT of the case. I've always just replaced the fan, because I'd have to
charge more for half-measures.

I won't presume to advise you about your heater. Your barn might burn down,
and then I'd be sad.

I hate to tell you this, but because you did NOT advise me about the
barn heater fan, the heater burst into flames and burned the whole
barn down, killing all the animals and several workers. It was
horrible. It's your fault for not giving me help. You will be
hearing from my lawyer, who is also my wife, and she sleeps with the
judge a few times every week, so you dont have a chance to win the
case.

Well, OK, I'm just giving you some **** and the latest Jerry Springer
episode....

Seriously, I just oiled that fan motor in the heater. It dont seem
like it's worn too badly, but the oil quieted it down. There was a
little fire though, (almost). I dripped some oil on the heater coil
and that sure smoked for a few seconds. It works quiet now.

This heater is strange in design. The motor looks like one of those
old record player motors but the coil windings are thick. Probably a
#12 enamelled wire. The heater coils are connected in series with
that motor. Thats an odd design. I cant understand the point to
that, other than if the motor burns out the coils will not heat.
Otherwise it makes little sense and that is why that wire is so thick.
Thats a lot of amperage to go thru that small motor.Might be because a smaller number of turns of heavier wire is a bit less

costly to manufacture? And, a motor wound with heavier wire has a
slightly lower chance of the wire breaking from vibration at a termination.

Ampere-turns is what sets what the motor does, and you can get the same
amount of them with lots of turns and lower current or fewer turns and
higher current.

I confess I've never run into a small heater wired like that, but now
that I think about it the setup sounds like it would provide a bit of
positive feedback of the element temperature, which sounds sort of bass
ackwards to me.

i.e. when the element is cold, the curent through the motor is greatest,
causing the motor to run a bit on the fast side, cooling the element
more, and conversely when the element was hot and the current draw was
less, the motor might run a bit slower, leading to less cooling and an
even higher element temperature.

Hopefully someone smarter than me will give us a good reason for that
setup, beyond the possibly lower manufacturing cost.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


Depending on the type of motor, it could have its speed determined not
by the current, but by the frequency.

Dave



Agreed, but what does that info add to this thread Dave?

Isn't it rather unlikely that the OP will be running that heater on
anything other than 60 (or maybe 50 ) Hz power?

If "Gerry Atrick" is also the OP, then by describing the motor as a
"phonograph motor" style, he's probably talking about a shaded pole
induction motor, which was the most common motor type used in record
players once they gave up on the crank wound spring motors.

There were a few high end record "turntables" which contained
hysteriesis synchronous motors, which would have been the type you
brought up, but it's highly unlikely anyone would waste the money on
that type of motor to drive a fan, 'eh?

Jeff

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:39:44 -0600, Chris Friesen wrote:


The Reverend Natural Light wrote:
You can order a replacement
fan but it's probably more expensive than a new power supply - which
is not very expensive, whcih is why they wear out quickly.

I don't know where you're buying your power supplies, but a decent Antec
one is at least $70, and you can easily spend more.

You can get a decent power supply for far less. Even antec's
can be had for $30, for example
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...AFFIL=FRG&NR=1

That $20 supply is still a huge improvement over the typical $5 power supply
most people are running.

AZ Nomad wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:39:44 -0600, Chris Friesen wrote:

I don't know where you're buying your power supplies, but a decent Antec
one is at least $70, and you can easily spend more.

You can get a decent power supply for far less. Even antec's
can be had for $30, for example
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...AFFIL=FRG&NR=1

Look at the next one up from that...the SP-450 is $65.77.

Chris

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:16:09 -0600, Chris Friesen wrote:


AZ Nomad wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:39:44 -0600, Chris Friesen wrote:

I don't know where you're buying your power supplies, but a decent Antec
one is at least $70, and you can easily spend more.

You can get a decent power supply for far less. Even antec's
can be had for $30, for example
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...AFFIL=FRG&NR=1

Look at the next one up from that...the SP-450 is $65.77.

Chris

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

They need oil. On the computer fan, most can be lubricated by removing the
paper label right in the center. few drops of oil, and a piece of tape and
it's quiet.

Bull****. They wear out and by the time howling has started, no
lubrication
will quiet them. Just replace the worn out thing if you really want to
repair it.


I concur, never attempt to lubricate one of those small computer fans,
ESPECIALLY ONE INSIDE YOUR POWER SUPPLY! This could be an indicator that
the fan in the power supply is about to give it up. If that is the case
replace the power supply before the fan does die and the power supply tanks
and takes other more important and heat sensitive components with it.
But....... if the machine has always done this since new, and it is a fairly
new machine, it is quite possible that you have a thermostatically
controlled cooling fan in there and on boot up it does a self-test and fires
up at full speed. YMMV.

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

Small motors typically have bushings instead of bearings. Bushings wear
out sooner. The axle is jigging around inside the bushing until the
structure warms up a bit -- could be the axle swelling from heat, or dirty
lubricant softening up, or something else a more knowledgeable person will
point out later.

I fix a lot of these for clients. Clean the gray gunk off the fan blades
with a can of compressed air. That usually solves the problem. If not,
replace the fan. They're less than 10 bucks, unless you go for the gaudy
ones with LEDs. Clean out all the rest of the dust in

If you want, you can try some light oil, but don't use much. You
definitely don't want oil inside your PC. In fact, don't use oil unless
the fan blows OUT of the case. I've always just replaced the fan, because
I'd have to charge more for half-measures.

but the op stated the fan was IN his power supply. If that is the case, and
if the fan is indeed failing and not a temp controlled unit, I'd recommend
changing out the whole power supply rather then opening it up.


I won't presume to advise you about your heater. Your barn might burn
down, and then I'd be sad.

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:25:46 -0500, jackson wrote:
I concur, never attempt to lubricate one of those small computer fans,
ESPECIALLY ONE INSIDE YOUR POWER SUPPLY! This could be an indicator that
the fan in the power supply is about to give it up. If that is the case
replace the power supply before the fan does die and the power supply tanks
and takes other more important and heat sensitive components with it.

Unless you've previously replaced the power supply, chances are that putting
in a $5 fan will double its value. (like putting gas in a yugo)

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:25:46 -0500, "jackson"
wrote:

My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

They need oil. On the computer fan, most can be lubricated by removing the
paper label right in the center. few drops of oil, and a piece of tape and
it's quiet.

Bull****. They wear out and by the time howling has started, no
lubrication
will quiet them. Just replace the worn out thing if you really want to
repair it.


I concur, never attempt to lubricate one of those small computer fans,
ESPECIALLY ONE INSIDE YOUR POWER SUPPLY! This could be an indicator that
the fan in the power supply is about to give it up. If that is the case
replace the power supply before the fan does die and the power supply tanks
and takes other more important and heat sensitive components with it.
But....... if the machine has always done this since new, and it is a fairly
new machine, it is quite possible that you have a thermostatically
controlled cooling fan in there and on boot up it does a self-test and fires
up at full speed. YMMV.






I imagine any lubricate that may cause further damage to the
motherboard will void a warranty.

I replace the dang power supply. Noise is telling me the computer
needs attention - same with any other fan in the box.

--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:51:56 GMT, AZ Nomad
wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:42:07 -0700, Big Al wrote:



"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
news:bRfvh.812804$1T2.69321@pd7urf2no...
wrote:
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Hmmm,
Lubrication? And heat makes things expand. Those DC fans are not
terribly high quality.

They need oil. On the computer fan, most can be lubricated by removing the
paper label right in the center. few drops of oil, and a piece of tape and
it's quiet.

Bull****. They wear out and by the time howling has started, no lubrication
will quiet them. Just replace the worn out thing if you really want to
repair it.

No, it's not bull****. But it does require the proper lubricant.
Use a grease such as lubricate or wheel bearing grease with the oil
and it will last for years. Oil alone lasts a couple of months.

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:26:02 -0600, DK wrote:

No, it's not bull****. But it does require the proper lubricant.
Use a grease such as lubricate or wheel bearing grease with the oil
and it will last for years. Oil alone lasts a couple of months.

It is bull****. If you put axle grease on it then it will never turn again. By
the time a fan is howling, it has so much slop in the bearings that it is beyond
repair. You can't fix such a fan with any lubricant. Christ. Spend the
****ing two bucks and replace it! If your time is worth more than ten cents an
hour then it is a bargain.

Thats why I was confused when someone said LED lights on the fan. But
I found out they put them on some CPU fans, which seems real stupid to
me because once the case is shut, who cares..... Just a waste of
electricity, even if it is very minimal.

I guess I consider my computer a hobby, perhaps an obsession, but the
insides of mine are clearly visible through the clear side panel on
the left side. I can barely hear mine, but I have a premium power
supply with a variable speed ball bearing 120mm fan, 4- 80 mm ball-
bearing case fans, & a 120mm ball-bearing side door fan, + 1 80mm ball-
bearing cpu cooler fan. It runs consistently at 33-40 c cpu
temperature with a relatively hot chip (AMD FX55) even during hard
gaming

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 23:59:25 -0600, Gerry Atrick
wrote:

[snip]

Thats why I was confused when someone said LED lights on the fan. But
I found out they put them on some CPU fans, which seems real stupid to
me because once the case is shut, who cares..... Just a waste of
electricity, even if it is very minimal.


I think you're expected to use a case with a window, when you install
fans with LEDs.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Unlike biological evolution. 'intelligent design' is
not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has
no place in the curriculum of our nation's public
school classes." -- Ted Kennedy

I concur, never attempt to lubricate one of those small computer fans,
ESPECIALLY ONE INSIDE YOUR POWER SUPPLY! This could be an indicator that
the fan in the power supply is about to give it up. If that is the case
replace the power supply before the fan does die and the power supply
tanks
and takes other more important and heat sensitive components with it.

Unless you've previously replaced the power supply, chances are that
putting
in a $5 fan will double its value. (like putting gas in a yugo)

"but they drive with pride......"

Check the internet, there is a whole specialized market producing products
with quiet fans, quiet power supplies, chip coolers and other products to
silently remove the heat. If your fan is too noisy, upgrades are
available.
Many upper grade mother boards will control the fan speed according to the
temperature of the CPU chip.


Yeah, but thats the CPU fan not the power supply fan.

Enough said. If you are unaware of thermostatically controlled fans in
computer power supplies, or LED equipped fans, memory, or other LED equipped
PC components you have no business replacing the .29 fan inside a power
supply unless you are wanting to risk your other more valuable components to
save $25-$50 on a power supply. Not to mention the extra labor time to
replace the fan rather then the whole unit as another post pointed out. As
for not being able to find a power supply to fit what you describe as a
"baby case" which is most likely a micro-ATX case, they are fairly common.
Try newegg.com for starters.

Nothing personal and this was not intended as a flame. I also have no
business messing around with 220 circuits, inside a meter box, or wiring a
4-way circuit.


"Stubby" wrote in message
m...
That's very simplistic. What about changing the fan pitch? The duct
shape? Load-dependent speed?



Ivan Vegvary wrote:
wrote in message
...
My computer power supply fan is terribly noisy when I first turn it
on. After a few minutes it quiets down and is fine till the next time
I turn on the computer. Then I go in my barn and turn on an electric
heater and the fan in there is just as noisy, but it too quiets down
once the thing is running for a few minutes. Why do these small fan
motors do that? If a bearing was bad, I dont think they would quiet
down. I just learn to live with the noise as long as the motors run.

G.T.
Fan designers have two principal ways of increasing output. Increase
horsepower or increase r.p.m. Increasing speed is a lot cheaper than
horsepower, ergo, NOISE.

Ivan Vegvary

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:03:08 GMT, AZ Nomad
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:26:02 -0600, DK wrote:

No, it's not bull****. But it does require the proper lubricant.
Use a grease such as lubricate or wheel bearing grease with the oil
and it will last for years. Oil alone lasts a couple of months.

It is bull****. If you put axle grease on it then it will never turn again. By
the time a fan is howling, it has so much slop in the bearings that it is beyond
repair. You can't fix such a fan with any lubricant. Christ. Spend the
****ing two bucks and replace it! If your time is worth more than ten cents an
hour then it is a bargain.

Sure you can and it is easy and fast. Takes 5 minutes at most and
you don't have to search for a replacement part. I've got 5
computers that have been running over a year with my 'lube job'
repairs on the fans and you can't hear a one of them. Best of all
lubricants is the lubriplate wheel bearing grease. 2nd best is CV
joint grease which looks exactly like the lubriplate.