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Fan Cleaning Assistance
My Dell Inspiron 14z - 5423 ultrabook's fan has recently stopped working. During usage, I hear a low grinding sound/high pitched straining sound from the area of the fan. I assume that this is the sound of the fan straining against the dust (there's a buildup of dust visible).
I've decided to clean out my fan with compressed air, but it's my first time doing so. There's a few questions I have.
1. Is it necessary to remove my battery before cleaning the fan? My laptop's battery is hidden under the CPU and it's a lot of trouble to remove it, and I'm scared of doing something wrong.
2. Is it viable to clean the fan without taking the back off? Taking it off is an option, but I'm pretty experienced and I'm prone to breaking things...
3. I've read up on cleaning out fans and they all say to use "short, strong bursts" of compressed air to clean the fanblades or they may spin to fast. How long is "short"?
4. Should I remove the fan from the computer to do this?
5. Some people advise to use mineral oil or such to touch it up. I assume this isn't needed?
6. Guides also say that static electricity is dangerous. Is there specifically something I need to watch out for?
The back of my laptop is confusing to me when it comes to opening...
Thanks.
DELL-Prajwal Sh
395 Posts
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April 1st, 2016 04:00
Hi Zsk720,
Thank you for writing to the Dell Community Forum.
Dust accumulation is one of the main reasons for fan noise and system overheating. Cleaning the air vents is first step to see if the issue can be resolved. Compressed air is a great way to clean dust from the air vents. Please ensure you have disconnected the ac-adapter and any external components before proceeding further.
Following are my suggestion for your concerns:
1. It is not necessary to remove the battery to clean the air vents of the fan, provided you are not removing any components on the system. I wouldn't recommend you to remove the battery, unless you are very experienced in disassembling computers.
2. On this model, the base cover cannot be removed and the only way to access the battery & fan is by removing the keyboard and the palmrest. Removing the keyboard will help as it exposes the top of the fan, which can be cleaned using compressed air. Instructions to remove the keyboard can be found in the owners manual from the link: http://dell.to/1VeVf2A . Removing the keyboard, will also give you access to battery switch, which can be turned off, if you are willing to disassemble further (not recommended unless you are experienced)
3. The intensity of the air would be subjective. Recommend you to start will short bursts to see how effectively you are able to clean the fan and increase it if required.
4. I wouldn't recommend the fan removal unless you are experienced. Any damages during the dis-assembly wouldn't be covered under warranty.
5. I wouldn't recommend usage of any liquid to clean the fan.
6. You need not worry about the static electricity unless you are disassembling the system to access the inner components. Usage of anti-static mat and wrist straps are necessary if you are disassembling the system, ensuring your safety as well as the system hardware.
Hope I have addressed all your concerns. Please do get back if there are any further queries.