Anti vibration accessories for fans - are they any good? (and if so what type to get?)

[VicVega1]

Hi, everybody!
I've been recently dealing with a noisy fan (side-panel case fan). At first I thought it was dying and replaced it with another, but that didn't help. The noise is still there. So I've decided to give those anti vibration bits a try, but since I never used them, I'd like to hear an opinion first.
So: did anybody actually solve a noisy fan problem with one of these? And if so what type - gasket or mount (plug/stud-like thing)?

 

[pecul1ar]

You can mount rubber washers (from gasket faucets, etc.) in between the fan screw holes that is in direct contact with the casing. Wood also has good vibration dampening qualities, if you want an alternative.

Another one to keep in mind is the orientation of the axis of the fan itself: if the fan is not totally vertical/horizontal, gyroscopic forces will affect the way the fan spins eg. some parts might be grinding together too much. A bubble level can help you square things away.

Google images: bubble level
https://www.google.com/search?q=bubble+level&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=wXnKVN6fNIHlmAWFh4DgAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1680&bih=902

 

[VicVega1]

You can mount rubber washers (from gasket faucets, etc.) [...]

Why haven't I think of that? I have lots of those from a special "I fix crap around the house" set I got some time ago.

Another one to keep in mind is the orientation of the axis of the fan itself:
[...]
A bubble level can help you square things away.

That makes a lot of sense as well.
I'll try what you advised tommorrow and check back with results.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[VicVega1]

Ok, so I've put rubber pads between the fan and the case panel it's mounted on. It did help, but just a little bit. The fan does seem to make less noise at highest speed now. I think the problem is not about vibration but the through hole on the panel. It has this latticework that, IMHO causes the noise while air is flowing through it.
So rubber pads (home made) helped a bit, but the question about anti vibration accessories is still valid, if anybody would like to weigh in.

 

[pecul1ar]

Perhaps a video can help with what kind of sounds/noise, the casing, the fan, etc. is in order?

If it is a rattling sound, then the part where the fan is mounted is not braced properly i.e. very thin/bends easily with regards to the forces acting on it. 1/2" or 1/4" strips of wood (wood can dampen vibrations) can help stiffen the mounting area if it is braced properly into a solid part of the case.

Another fix would be to reposition the fan to somewhere else..

 

[VicVega1]

The sound is more buzzing than rattling. The fan is mounted properly, so is the panel it sits on. The fan is level. I don't feel any vibration on the panel. Plus it makes the same sound when I take the panel off the case (with the fan still mounted and plugged in). Previous fan did the same thing and is now sitting quietly as a second fan on the CPU heatsink.
Sound changes or even reduces to zero when I cover the latticework. That's why I think it's not the fan or the way it's mounted, but the airflow holes that cause that noise. Perhaps it was a bad design.
Repositioning it is not an option since I need a fan in that particular spot.