If you are experiencing a noisy laptop, it might be time to clean the fan. Most laptops have one or more fans that regulate the temperature and help draw cool air into the computer case. Over time, this cooling fan can become clogged with dust and other debris, reducing its effectiveness and increasing noise levels as it spins at higher speeds than normal to compensate for increased resistance.
In addition to reduced airflow from an obstructed fan, your laptop’s processor may also overheat due to dirt buildup on the heat sink fins. Whatever the reason for a loud fan, cleaning out your laptop is relatively easy and inexpensive if you do it yourself. Inexpensive compressed air is all you need for a successful DIY cleaning job.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how to clean a laptop fan, how to quickly diagnose a noisy fan, and what you can do if your laptop’s cooling system has failed. We’ll also review some options for taking the guesswork out of cleaning by buying a new laptop cooler or even purchasing an entirely new cooling system.
How to clean laptop fans?
Laptops are very useful for their portability, but they have some drawbacks. The most annoying problem is probably the noise they produce while running. A major reason for this is that dirt gets into the case of the laptop over time and accumulates inside the fan. Eventually, it will block normal airflow through the fan and cooling becomes inadequate.
This causes components in your computer to overheat which can lead to the failure of your equipment. Cleaning a laptop fan isn’t complicated at all so you shouldn’t leave this chore for later or some professional service person because you could do more harm than good by trying to fix this on your own if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Be Care full Before Cleaning laptop Fans!
Before cleaning never turn on your laptop, because you could injure yourself or damage the delicate components in your laptop if the cleaning process is done incorrectly. Laptop cooling devices are very sensitive so any foreign object inside of them can easily get stuck between moving parts and cause permanent damage.
Types Of Fans
There are three types of fans found on laptops today: x-blades, propellers, and ball bearing mix.
The first two are very similar in nature because they have many blades that help move air through the fan. Ball-bearing mix fans usually have a variety of different colors to denote their purpose for which type of laptop they belong to.
All three types of fans should be cleaned in essentially the same manner but there are some subtle differences that might be important when dealing with certain models or brands. First, you must disconnect your power connector and remove the battery.
If you have a removable keyboard you will want to remove that as well. Then use compressed air to blow out any accumulated dirt on top of the fan assembly, where it sits inside of your laptop.
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What can I Use for Cleaning laptop Fans?
You should then try using a cotton swab or other small implement to clean between each row of blades on all sides of the fan without touching them directly with anything metal. Be sure not to bend any wires running through the board which provides power for the fan when finished cleaning. Also, be aware that some laptops don’t allow easy access to their cooling components so some disassembly may be required before cleaning can even begin in some cases.
Next, reapply thermal paste on your CPU if you haven’t already and reassemble your laptop in the reverse order of disassembly. Make sure to leave nothing out when putting it back together again if you removed anything because this could result in damage to some internal components that were exposed during removal.
After following these instructions, you should be enjoying a quieter experience with your favorite portable computer once again.
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How to clean laptop Fans step by Step Guide (Step 1)?
In this article learn how to clean a laptop fan. Here I will show you two ways of cleaning a laptop fan, which can be useful if your computer overheats and begins to slow down or shut off unexpectedly due to the lack of air circulation.
First, make sure that your computer is turned completely off before you begin any type of repair work inside it.
Removing the Laptop’s Cover
In order for anyone wishing to clean a laptop’s cooling fan, they must first have access to it. In most laptops, there is a keyboard that slides out from underneath the monitor. On either side of the keyboard are two screws holding down a cover plate.
Remove these two screws:
Remove these two screws and carefully pull up on the keyboard and release it. There will be two more screws underneath holding down a cover on either side of the computer. Remove them, and then push your hand under the monitor to free any other plastic latches that may still be holding it in place. Lift out what is remaining of the monitor and set it aside where you can work comfortably behind it.
Removing the Laptop Motherboard (Optional):
In order to clean a laptop fan properly, one must remove some parts from within your laptop; these generally include the hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and RAM cards located beneath your keyboard. If you wish not to do this yourself because of fear or inexperience with taking them out, you may also skip this step and come back to it once the keyboard has been removed.
To remove these parts without harming them, you will need a set of hex head screwdrivers (Philips head screwdrivers tend to strip screws). You can purchase them at any hardware store or Wal-Mart for less than $5.
Remove the two screws that are on either side of the drive bay holding your CD-ROM in place. Slide it out toward you while gently pushing down on one end so that it pops free. Now disconnect both ribbon cables connecting the hard drive and power supply located underneath where the CD-ROM was sitting by pulling up sharply on their connector retainers. Remove these two if needed, then pull the hard drive out toward you.
Note: While these steps may seem difficult, they are quite simple and only require a gentle touch with the screwdrivers so as not to strip any screws or damage any other part of your laptop components.
Remove Component From Motherboard:
After removing any parts from the laptop, remove both RAM cards from beneath the keyboard by gently pulling up on them until they pop free one at a time, using more force than necessary so that you don’t chip either card’s gold contacts. Note: If there is no memory installed in your computer (yes some people actually do this), simply skip this step altogether since it won’t apply to your situation.
Now you can work around where all of these parts were located without having to worry about avoiding damaging anything.
How to clean laptop Fans step by Step Guide (Step 2)?
Removing the Heat Sink and Fan
The laptop’s hard drive is still out of the computer at this point, but you may return it if you wish before going any further. Flip your laptop over so that the keyboard is facing toward you. You should now see a few screws holding down a large silver metal plate near where the CD-ROM bay used to be. Remove them using a hex head screwdriver.
Now lift up on either end of this metal covering until it pops free from its plastic clips. With those clips gone, the cover should easily lift off and may even come free with some slight tugging once all four of its retaining clips are released. Underneath this plate, you should see where your heat sink and fan are located. The heat sink is the silver metal part that sits on top of the processor. The fan itself will be under it but attached to the motherboard by a power cord leading to it.
You can now remove these two very carefully using your hands since they are still plugged in, but do not touch anything underneath them yet to avoid becoming shocked or causing damage. Lift up on either end of the heat sink toward yourself slowly while gently pushing down on its middle with your fingertips until it pops free from its clips holding it down onto the motherboard. If you have done this correctly, there should be no problem removing them together without breaking off any tabs or damaging anything beneath them besides maybe a few static-y stickers.
Remove the fan which is connected to your motherboard
Remove the fan which is connected to your motherboard by unplugging its power cord from underneath where the motherboard sits. If this doesn’t work, gently rock it back and forth with one hand while prying on either side of its retaining tab with the other until you hear two little clicks. This should release it so that you can pull it up and away from whatever surface it was touching to unplug its power cord. If there are any stickers or gunk beneath either of these heat sinks or fans, remove them using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) until they are clean enough to be handled again.
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How to clean laptop Fans step by Step Guide (Step 3)?
Removing Dust and Dirt
To clean your laptop’s heat sink and fan, you’ll need to separate them so that you may cover all of the surfaces of the components with a safe, lint-free cloth dampened in rubbing alcohol while avoiding getting any on or inside of either piece. Begin by turning the heat sink upside down so that its blades face up. Pull one side off slowly until it releases from where it was stuck onto the motherboard.
Now pull off the other side just as carefully since there is an extremely tiny black strip beneath each corner of this once-attached part that will only allow it to be separated in this manner without breaking anything off except for that little black strip if pulled apart quicker or with more force.
If your laptop’s fan is still attached to its power cord, you can now pull this part out from under the silver metal plate by simply pulling on its wire. If your fan is not attached or if it doesn’t have a cord, gently rock it back and forth with your fingertips until all of the plastic clip-like grooves around its perimeter come free. Now turn the heat sink right side up so that the blades face downward for easy cleaning.
With most laptops, there should be several screws holding down each corner of your heat sink onto your laptop’s processor beneath them just as with any computer. They may look different from what I have pictured here, but they are designed to fit into holes that correspond along four sides of this metal piece in order to lock each corner of it down onto your laptop’s processor evenly. Unscrew them carefully in a diagonal pattern going from one corner to another in order to avoid stripping them out and causing damage, but remember that they are extremely easy to strip if done too quickly or with too much force.
Once all screws have been removed from both pieces, you can pick up the heat sink by either end with two fingers along its outermost ridges while avoiding touching it directly with your fingertips since this heatsink is still quite warm from being under load. Turn it upside down into your hand so that the blades face downward for easy cleaning. If there is any dirt, dust, hair, bacteria, etc… on the metal plate beneath these parts were attached, remove them using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) until they are clean.
heat sink and fan Cleaning Procedure:
As the heat sink and fan sit right on top of your laptop’s processor, it can be very easy to accidentally splash or pour some of this 70% isopropyl alcohol onto either component which would not only dissolve the thermal paste between them but effectively fry both parts due to their circuitry being connected directly with your laptop’s power supply. For this reason, I recommend taking the screws out first so that you may safely clean each part separately by holding one in each hand before reassembling them without alcohol drying onto any surfaces in-between. Now turn the heat sink back upright so that its blades face toward you for safe cleaning.
To clean your laptop’s heat sink, use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) to wipe away any dirt, dust, hair, bacteria, etc… from all of its blades while avoiding the processor underneath them. After it dries for about 3 minutes or so, turn the laptop upside down and give it a good shake over your garbage bin. Any particles that may have fallen onto it will now be shaken free into your garbage bin when you lift off the laptop again.
If there are any stickers or gunk beneath either of these heat sinks or fans, remove them using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) until they are clean enough to be removed. Avoid scratching any stickers that are designed for temporary attachment to your laptop’s heat sink since they are usually applied with low-tack adhesive which will ultimately lose its hold over time once you remove it should it be forced off by rubbing alcohol.
Turn either or both of these heat sinks right side up so that the blades face downward for easy reattachment onto your processor. Before reassembling either one, use a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol to wipe away any sticker residue from each plastic clip on opposite sides of each metal plate that held them down previously. After it dries for about 3 minutes or so, align the screw holes on each corner of this part back into place before screwing them back down into their proper holes along each side of your laptop’s processor.
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Final Words:
Cleaning your laptop fan is an easy way to prevent it from overheating. With a few simple steps, you can easily clean the dust and debris that has accumulated on the cooling fins of your computer’s processor. Make sure you are using lukewarm water without any soap or detergent- this will help keep your laptop cool by preventing the buildup of dirt over time. We hope you get the solution and full Guide. Don’t forget to share it. Thanks!
I Am Robert Karsyn (Graduate in computer science). I found LaptopsRai to Share my Experience Online World Wide. I have a Greater 8 Year Working Experience in the Computer Field and Love to troubleshooting Computer issues. In This blog, I Share My Experience and Provides You Best laptop Buying Guide۔
