Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 12:14:57 -0700, ric <nospam@home.com> wrote:
>P T wrote:
>
>> How long does a fan usually last?
>
>That depends on a number of factors, including fan construction, and if the
>fan is used as an exhaust or intake fan.
>
>Exhaust fans are subjected to much higher temperatures than are intake fans,
>and thus should be ball bearing rather than sleeve bearing fans. Later
>sleeve bearing designs, such as those on Panaflo fans, bear up to exhaust
>heat almost as well as ball bearing fans, but not quite as well. Even
>Panasonic recommends ball bearing fans for exhaust applications.
>
>For input fans, sleeve bearing fans are an alternative. They survive much
>longer at the lower (room ambient) temperatures, and are often quieter
>than are many ball bearing fans.
>
>Power supply exhaust fans are subjected to the highest ambient temperature
>of any PC fan, and should be ball bearing. They will last longer than even
>the best sleeve bearing fan.
>
>Sleeve bearing exhaust fans could fail in a matter of months, but I have
>systems with ball bearing PSU exhaust fans that have been in service for
>more than 10 years.
>
>So, I guess the answer to your question is from as little as a few months
>to over 10 years.
>
>> If they die, do you usually find out by having your system melt down?
>
>They usually get noisy, then *very* quiet.
Then of course there are the little fans used to cool chipsets on
video cards, and in hard drive caddies etc - their "bearings" are
plastic on a steel pin. Mine all seemed to last about 100 hours.
Many ball bearing fans are rated 70000 hours at 25C, but I've also had
some ball bearing fans that lasted MUCH less.
Tony (remove the "_" to reply by email)