Quieter Fans

[dramsey]

Many here on the forum are using the noctura fans. I know they are being used because there quiet. My question is what is there life like? These are not inexpensive fans.

A Noctua 60mm fan is $15 from Newegg. Granted this is much more than a generic 60mm fan which can generally be had for anywhere from $5.00 - $9.00. However, in the context of an $1,800 printer, it's really not much.

Question 2. Is there a problem with using a buck converter on the 60 mm fan that cools the part and using a 12v noctura there as well. I assume you would loose the ability to change the speed but ever since I converted to 24v the amount of effective adjustment is minimal and I just use it on or off.

I'm not actually sure what you're asking here. If you slow the original fan by dialing down the voltage with a buck converter, presumably you would not need a Noctua. The buck converters at < $2.00 (not including shipping) are much cheaper than the Noctua, so it's certainly worth a shot.

[Slipshine]

I'm not actually sure what you're asking here.

Sorry I wasnt clear. Noctura doesnt make the 24v fan that is used to cool the part. I was asking if anyone knows of a reason that you couldnt use a noctura 60mm 12v fan and a buck converter for this application to quiet things down,

[dramsey]

The 60mm fan in the power supply is a 12v part.

[Slipshine]

Not for the power supply....
To replace the fan that blows across the printer bed.

[dramsey]

Not for the power supply....
To replace the fan that blows across the printer bed.

Ah, sorry. In my case simply removing the fan guard made the fan so much quieter that I decided not to go to the trouble of replacing it. Also, of all the fans in the system, the airflow from this fan is probably the most critical (for getting good prints), so I'd worry more about replacements.

It just takes a minute or so to do; give it a try!

[zemlin]

In my case simply removing the fan guard made the fan so much quieter that I decided not to go to the trouble of replacing it

I learned this when I was building a quiet computer for my recording studio a few years back - getting the grill away from the fan blades makes a big difference in the noise level.

The grills I made for my fan mods (some seen here - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3548 ) are 2-3 mm away from the blades depending on the fan size.

I have stand-alone grills for 40, 50, and 80mm fans modeled. I would be happy to post these on my Grab Cad account if folks are interested. Better airflow, lower noise, and still provides protection for the fan blades.

[RJD]

This existing stock bed fan is 50mm. I see some are using a 40mm for Noctua since they don't make a 50mm. Is there a problem with utilizing the 60mm version from Noctua?

[dramsey]

This existing stock bed fan is 50mm. I see some are using a 40mm for Noctua since they don't make a 50mm. Is there a problem with utilizing the 60mm version from Noctua?

I wouldn't think so. It's not a super-precision type of thing.

[April_21]

Great try! Nice work!

[crazyg0od33]

Well, I have modded my extruder head fans, power supply fan, and added dampers to my X and Y motors.

Holy crap! I keep forgetting this thing is on. It is super quiet.

Power supply mod for Noctua 60mm fan. This is the first mod you should install, just change a connector and swap it. It is a huge reduction in noise vs. the stock fan. You don't have to mod the case like I did, but it helps keep the air flowing through.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3160&hilit=noctua&start=20#p23236

I know this is old - but does this fan still work on the Revision E power supply? Or is that a 24V fan as well? Trying to quiet that thing down big time.

Thanks!