Question Can I manually stop a fan temporarily?

[Dimitri001]

I have two coolers in my computer and one of them started making a lot of noise recently, but I can't tell which one. Is it safe to temporarily stop the cooler by putting a screwdriver inbetween the blades of the fan, so I can hear which fan the noise is coming from or will this damage the cooler or something else?

 

[Lafong]

It's OK......I use a finger.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Is it safe to temporarily stop the cooler by putting a screwdriver inbetween the blades of the fan, so I can hear which fan the noise is coming from or will this damage the cooler or something else?

You'll probably break off a fan blade by using a screwdriver.
Use finger instead or just disconnect fan cable.

 

[Dimitri001]

You'll probably break off a fan blade by using a screwdriver.
Use finger instead or just disconnect fan cable.

But the thing is, one of the fans I have to stop is in the PSU and that one is protected by a metal "net", so I can't reach it with my finger and I don't think there's a cable to disconnect for that fan.

 

[DSzymborski]

But the thing is, one of the fans I have to stop is in the PSU and that one is protected by a metal "net", so I can't reach it with my finger and I don't think there's a cable to disconnect for that fan.

Hang on for a sec, this is the first thing you said about a PSU fan; that's far more serious. Test the other fans, do not stick anything inside a PSU or open it in any way.

 

[Lafong]

General rule is to stay out of the PSU.....period.

 

[Dimitri001]

Hang on for a sec, this is the first thing you said about a PSU fan; that's far more serious. Test the other fans, do not stick anything inside a PSU or open it in any way.

Well, I wouldn't stick anything that conducts electricity in there, of course, credit me with SOME intelligence 😄 I have a rubber-isolated screwdriver.

 

[DSzymborski]

Well, I wouldn't stick anything that conducts electricity in there, of course, credit me with SOME intelligence 😄 I have a rubber-isolated screwdriver.

That you think that sticking even an insulated screwdriver into a PSU is a good idea indicates that you don't have the expertise to do anything internal to a PSU.

Test the other fans. If you figure out it's the PSU fan by process of elimination, replace the PSU.

 

[Dimitri001]

That you think that sticking even an insulated screwdriver into a PSU is a good idea indicates that you don't have the expertise to do anything internal to a PSU.

Why, what can happen?

 

[Lafong]

Can power supplies really kill you or deliver extreme shock?

Recently I've been hearing this a lot and I'm a little concerned about how much truth there is to this statement. Few weeks ago I replaced my noisy PSU fan with a high grade silent case fan. The pins didn't match for the connection so I had to do some old school wire stripping and soldering it...

forums.tomshardware.com

[SOLVED] - Is touching the internals of a PSU really dangerous?

I didn't know this before I watched Greg Salazar's video of cleaning a PC. I used to clean my PSU every 3 months with a cloth and some isoprolyll by fully opening it. (The dust filter is useless). It it really dangerous or I just got lucky? I touched at least all the capacitors, and the PSU...

forums.tomshardware.com

Some reading material for you.

Draw conclusions as you see fit.

 

[DSzymborski]

Why, what can happen?

Really? You need this spelled out? I'm even more certain you have no business doing anything internal with a PSU than I was before.

There are more things that can happen than just injury/death to you when you're stuffing metal into a powered device in a way you're not intended, to your components, to your house's circuitry, and so on. And people competent to work on devices like this don't use a rubber handle as an excuse to do something unsafe.

 

[USAFRet]

Roll up a piece of paper, hold it to your ear, point it at the different fans.

 

[geofelt]

This^^^

 

[Dimitri001]

Really? You need this spelled out? I'm even more certain you have no business doing anything internal with a PSU than I was before.

There are more things that can happen than just injury/death to you when you're stuffing metal into a powered device in a way you're not intended, to your components, to your house's circuitry, and so on. And people competent to work on devices like this don't use a rubber handle as an excuse to do something unsafe.

Pal, I'm just putting a screwdriver inbetween the blades of a fan.

 

[USAFRet]

Pal, I'm just putting a screwdriver inbetween the blades of a fan.

And the stuff with power is just behind that fan.

Use a toothpick.

Or the above mentioned roll of paper, held to your ear.

 

[Karadjgne]

Psu fans are normally pointed down, open underneath the case. If you can actually hear that fan at all over the case fans, that psu fan is spinning far faster than it should, indicating you have power issues to begin with and fan noise is the least of your worries.

Just for general knowledge, a defibrillator is initially charged to 200 joules, which over the course of 35 seconds equates to @ 6watts. It's then bumped to 300 joules which over 40 seconds would equal @ 7.5watts, at 36 volts.

That's what's used to stop/start a heart, a measly 7.5w at 36v. And you want to stick something metallic inside a psu capable of 550w?+ at 120/12v? You'd be Dead before the word 'Sh*t' came out of your mouth. Even professional reviewers are well beyond extremely careful when reviewing a psu, staying Well away from Any contact with Any of the internal circuitry.

You wanna know if the psu fan is noisy? Tip the pc on its rear and stick your ear upto the bottom by the fan. Do Not think about foreign objects to stop the fan.

 

[DSzymborski]

Pal, I'm just putting a screwdriver inbetween the blades of a fan.