Loud Switch Fan

[claytonmaartens]

I have the following switch installed where I work Procurve. The switch is very noisy from the fan (even at low speed). My employer has requested me to replace it with a less noisy version. It also has a fiber optics cable attached.

This switch is in a server case inside a classroom and it is disturbing the students.
Here are some pictures of the switch.

I want to know, is it possible to find a less noisy switch with the same abilities? If so which would you recommend and what could be my options? Please tell me if I am not clear enough.

Thank you
Clayton

 

[Ralston18]

First investigate why the fan is noisy. Trace the noise to a particular area or component - fan may not be the cause per se.

The last photograph shows the switch just partially attached and hanging.

How securely is the enclosure attached to the wall or ceiling? Secure the white box. It is probably bouncing some. Remove any unnecessary unused components from the enclosure.

Are all the internal "nuts and bolts" tight? Any loose components vibrating/reverberating? Resonance.

May just need some rubber padding at the various mounting points. Or lock washers to keep the nuts and bolts tight.

Carefully clean off dust and debris from the fan blades. May be out of balance.

May well discover that just some cleaning and basic maintenance will quiet things down.

 

[claytonmaartens]

First investigate why the fan is noisy. Trace the noise to a particular area or component - fan may not be the cause per se.

The last photograph shows the switch just partially attached and hanging.

How securely is the enclosure attached to the wall or ceiling? Secure the white box. It is probably bouncing some. Remove any unnecessary unused components from the enclosure.

Are all the internal "nuts and bolts" tight? Any loose components vibrating/reverberating? Resonance.

May just need some rubber padding at the various mounting points. Or lock washers to keep the nuts and bolts tight.

Carefully clean off dust and debris from the fan blades. May be out of balance.

May well discover that just some cleaning and basic maintenance will quiet things down.

Thank you for the response Ralston18

I have done as you said and removed all loose objects, I checked all screws and fixtures. The IT person responsible has failed to fix the switch and it's why I'm doing this myself now. The sound does not have a vibrating nature. It is the sound of a loud fan. I want to order another switch but I want one that has little to no noise. Do you think that a fan-less version of this switch does exist?

Thank you

 

[jsmithepa]

Small fans tend to be noisy, is a physics thing, u can slow it down if you don't mind the extra heat. If the vent slot is on top, I would suggest a large, slow turning fan on top. If vent is on sides, I dunno if you want to retro-fit it with multiple fans of the same size turning slower.

Business class equipment are like that, they are designed to be mounted in a closet/data center and noise is not in the designers priority.

Another option is, buy a printer cabinet with noise foams.

 

[bill001g]

There are small number of commercial switches that are designed for office use but it is not common. Most equipment is designed to be placed in data center or some IDF type of room. If you are looking for something like 48 port switches especially ones that have PoE all those are going to make huge noise they have a huge amount of heat to get rid of.