The fan that cools the motherboard in one of my printers is getting louder – a bad sign. I can’t find a good replacement. Anyone know where I can find a replacement for this 60x60x15 mm cooling fan that draws around 0.1 A? It must be 24v, unfortunately.
Thank you!
How 'bout 1 of these: https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Red…s%2C165&sr=8-5. That way, you could use any old computer 12v fan. You could even hook up something like a Noctua or other super quiet fan.
You could also install a simple 120vac to 12vdc or 5vdc wall adapter into the power supply box. Wire it up to the same switch that powers the printer: when the printer is turned on, the fan comes on. You probably have such an adapter already.
Great ideas! Thank you! I haven’t opened it up yet (as long as I hear the noise I know I’m ok, ?), but I do recall seeing some nice 12v ball bearing fans on Amazon.
Thanks again
BTW, I have gotten much more life from small fans by adding some light lube to them; something like sewing machine oil. What I do is dismount the fan then, very carefully, so I don’t get oil on it, or otherwise spoil it, I remove the small label/sticker that’s stuck to 1 side of the fan’s hub. I do this by using the large, well sharpened, blade of a pocket knife, sliding it very gently under the edge of the label, using a really shallow angle.
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I then add 1 or maybe 2 drops of oil to the bearing that’s exposed (be on the lookout for fans that have a rubber seal over the bearing: you have to remove it first, which I do with the tip of the small blade of a pocket knife). I usually spin the fan blades a bit, to see if the oil disappears into the bearing, in which case I add another drop. I do that until I get 1 drop that stays. I then check to see if I got any oil on the surface of the hub. If I see some, I use alcohol to remove it. Finally, I replace the label/sticker and press it firmly down onto the hub.
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To help get oil into the bearing without getting any oil on the surface of the hub, I often, if I have one nearby, will use a small syringe to place the oil right onto the bearing.
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While I’m actually lubing the bearing, I normally leave the label stuck to the blade I used to remove it.
Thank you for the tips! I’ve not bothered the past, but this fan is annoying to get at as I have to remove the bed so anything to reduce the MTBF!
Cheers
If you do decide to replace the fan, remember there are now fans that have magnetic bearings: no physical contact between the rotor and the shaft. They advertise something like 80,000 hours, so kinda like LEDs 
Here’s 1 you could look at: [U]https://www.amazon.com/SUNON-KDE1206PHV2-6015-DC12V-Cooling/dp/B07VFKBF5Q/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=SUNON+KDE1206PHV2&qid=1594870268&sr=8-2.[/U] It’s a 2-wire (no speed control). I picked that on purpose because I presume you just want it to go on when you power up the printer and stay on until you shut it down.
Interesting idea. I’d guess they are quieter too. There is a 24V version too. Now to order and wait until October(!).
Thanks!
Yeah, long shipping times are a lunch bag letdown for sure. OTOH, a little oil could well keep your existing one going until it arrives.
Funny thing. The parts I ordered three weeks ago from China just arrived! I think the electronics survived. ?
