Oiling a fan question.

[Vectraat]

So I've noticed a whirling / revving sound coming from one of my case fans. It hasn't been persistent; seems to come and go for some strange reason. So I decided to try and oil it with some "Sewing Machine Oil" to see if that'll stop the noise (at least rule it out as a possibility).

 

I've seen people peel back case fan stickers and remove some kinda plug in the middle and put a drop or two inside then spin the fan around to lubricate and put the sticker back up. However, when I peel back the sticker I notice this highly magnetized piece of metal and I can't seem to remove it (granted I didn't exert a lot of force because I didn't wanna potentially break the component from excessive prying). Am I doing this wrong for this specific fan? How do I lubricate the fan? 

 

 

[CommanderAlex]

Depending on how the fan was put together, you might have to pull the fan off from the rest of the fan case. This will expose the bearing and motor underneath. 

 

I had to do this with Corsair SP120 fans that were beginning to make some noise. Some 3-in-1 oil fixed that problem until I upgraded. 

[Vectraat]

4 minutes ago, Caroline said:

Remove the fan from the case to apply oil.

 

Use tweezers.

Yeah, I kinda don't want to remove the fan from the case because It's tied up in there pretty good with zip ties (not by my doing). I'd rather take out that middle part if that's what I'm supposed to do, tilt the case and apply a drop or two of oil. 

[Vectraat]

4 minutes ago, SpiderMan said:

Depending on how the fan was put together, you might have to pull the fan off from the rest of the fan case. This will expose the bearing and motor underneath. 

 

I had to do this with Corsair SP120 fans that were beginning to make some noise. Some 3-in-1 oil fixed that problem until I upgraded. 

This is the revving sound the fan makes:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MkQe0zHxuzdSGYsAPqfXjzqdIoFXru9w/view?usp=sharing

I kinda doubt this is due to a lack of oil, but decided if I could do it quickly, why not test by applying some oil. But having to remove the fan from the case and take it apart just to oil it is a pain in the ass so I dunno if I'll bother now. 

[CommanderAlex]

3 minutes ago, Vectraat said:

This is the revving sound the fan makes:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MkQe0zHxuzdSGYsAPqfXjzqdIoFXru9w/view?usp=sharing

I kinda doubt this is due to a lack of oil, but decided if I could do it quickly, why not test by applying some oil. But having to remove the fan from the case and take it apart just to oil it is a pain in the ass so I dunno if I'll bother now. 

Yeah, it can be a PITA to do as I've done it with those SP120 fans mounted in the bottom of the case. I thought the same as you with removing the sticker on the back but apparently, they were completely sealed in the back. 

[Vectraat]

1 minute ago, SpiderMan said:

Yeah, it can be a PITA to do as I've done it with those SP120 fans mounted in the bottom of the case. I thought the same as you with removing the sticker on the back but apparently, they were completely sealed in the back. 

I'd like to think this is not an oil issue with the fan because the computer is just barely over 2 years old. I maybe noticed this issue around the year and a half mark. Seems unusual to develop this issue pretty early, but maybe not. 

[CommanderAlex]

Just now, Vectraat said:

I'd like to think this is not an oil issue with the fan because the computer is just barely over 2 years old. I maybe noticed this issue around the year and a half mark. Seems unusual to develop this issue pretty early, but maybe not. 

There are some factors that can play a role such as how much usage you are using the computer, what RPM the fans are running at (is it 24/7 or 12 hour days), is there a gradual fan curve? 

 

Just some factors I can think of that can affect the longevity of fans.