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By pretzels
#6041
Currently, muffin fans, like you find in computer power supplies and mounted in computer cases as well as other electronic gear, are manufactured in a manner that makes them unserviceable. They eventually get fouled with dust and other airborne particulates which cause the fan to "gum up" and stop working. If they could be cleaned, their lifetime would be considerably longer. If you try to take one apart they simply break. If you try to clean them by soaking in even with the most exotic solvents, they don't get clean enough to work very long (assuming they get any cleaner at all). They just plain are not cleanable and they must be replaced.

If a muffin fan were manufactured such that it could be disassembled and re-assembled without destroying it, its life could be greatly extended. Probably won't happen because the muffin fan makers would suffer reduced sales. However, a muffin fan cost me $22 to replace about ten years ago, while today it cost me $13. I would gladly pay more for one that I could clean and get more lifetime out of it.
By TommyRay
#6229
This is my first post of any kind to this forum/site. Just an FYI.

Yes, the Muffin Fan is a very lifetime-limiting item due to both moving parts and the airborne nasties. However...

There are generally THREE such fans in use, and not all are rated the same.

(1) CPU Fan
(2) Chassis Fan
(3) Power Supply Fan

I have seen Power Supplies that have Fans on the outside of the unit, making it easier to replace IF you happen to have one around. I find that replacing anything on the PC as easy as replacing an entire fan, as you also need to consider the failing of other items with moving parts, including your Hard Drive. Any can fail at ANY time, depending on the quality, brand and enviroment.

CD Drives (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, etcetera)
Floppy Drives
Hard Disk Drives
Fans
Power Supplies

These are ALL at great risk, and most all are at the mercy of environment mainly. Perhaps instead of a rebuildable fan what we need is a filtration system....?

Is just my thoughts, I neight dis or hail your idea, and commend any creative thought, indeed, desire more if it from such people as yourself!

-Tom
By Sean
#6281
it takes one hour to disassemble a power supply pull a fan out clean it and reassemble. These fans are already serviceable if you know how to disassemble them remove sticker on stationary side of fan remove retainer clip and washers then pull armiture from fan housing then clean. reassemble fan in reverse order of disassembly and replace.
you will have to pay someone with these expertise about fifteen dolars an hour and it will take about an hour to do this procedure. the filtration system is a good idea however.
By ajr
#6301
As stated previously , they are servicable.

They last even longer if maintained.

Removing the fan , cleaning the dust helps.
Pull it out; remove the sticker;remove clip, push through.

A drop of synthetic oil , replace sticker with similar tape.

I remove & reinstall mine once/yr - I also use a mesh filter material I installed on the inside vent of the power supply, similar to a restaurant fume hood. this traps the larger particles - they never get to the fan.
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By Michael D. Grissom
#6890
There are cheap muffin fans with BUSHINGS that are exposed to dirt/dust and don't last very long and there are expensive muffin fans with sealed permanently lubricated BALL BEARINGS that will outlast the computer. The bearing fans also have another advantage over bushing fans in that they will howl (but still work) for about a year before failing.

If I bought a brand new computer and found a cheap bushing type muffin fan I would replace it immediately as they tend to fail silently and cause expensive damage without warning. [/b]
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