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EX485 fan replacement
http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=13988		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  ekrasny [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:34 am ]
Post subject:  EX485 fan replacement
Can somebody please point me to what I need to buy to replace case fans in ex485? I have very loud high pitch noise coming from the back of the unit. Power supply is aftermarket unit that I replaced about a year ago and I hope it is not it again. Also, is there a write up available on how to do it? I did search the forum and only found references to other models, no ex485. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Author:  Comp1962 [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 6:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
The fans you need are 80mm, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and have a 4 pin connector with all 4 pins used. Here is a link to Newegg to give you an example of what is available but you can find them from other venders: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... Submit=ENE

When you remove the fans you will see they are mounted on Silicon Mounts and if your careful with them you can extract and reuse them. I have never had to actually go out and purchase new ones so I do not have a vender to point to for those.

Let me know if you need help extracting the fans because if you have never done this before you can actually damage your MSS top cover or backplane.
Author:  ekrasny [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
I've never done this before, but I've replaced power supply myself, so I have a basic understanding on how to take it apart. Will see if I can get the mounts. I ma hoping it is not the PSU fan that is making the noise, Taping the desk it is sitting on makes the fan go crazy, but I can't pin point which one without taking it apart,
Author:  Comp1962 [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
The only difference in taking the server apart is you only have to remove the top cover and backplane to get at the fans. Just take great care when removing the backplane because you can damage the capacitors which are on the fan side.

The fans actually slide to one side of the MSS or the other. Once you free up the top fan the bottom fan slides to the opposite side of the MSS. You can extract the silicon mounts just go easy on them and they will come out.
Author:  ekrasny [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Got two of these Noctua NF-R8 80mm Fan (31 CFM) , will report back on how they worked out.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S95RWE/
Author:  Comp1962 [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 9:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Did you confirm that fan was PWM because all I can see in the description is that it has a 3pin to 4 pin adapter or visa versa. You server has a 4 pin header for a PWM Fan Connection and you can run a 3 PIN connection but I am uncertain of which 3 pins to use but with a 3 pin fan connection the fans will run 100% all the time and the server would not be able to regulate their speed and because it will not receive any feedback from the fan you may get a Server Health Alert Warning pertaining to the Fan Speed.
Author:  ekrasny [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 11:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Good catch, I was looking at the right one and ended up ordering a wrong one. Fixed it, got these instead http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NF-R8-PWM- ... B006GD30UC

Thanks for catching this!
Author:  Comp1962 [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
That's better. The only thing that stood out for me on that fan is the RPM's and the MSS does monitor the RPM's so you could get Alerts about the fans not running at the proper speed. Once you change the fans out make sure you keep an eye on the operating temperatures of the server. These passive cooling systems really need good air flow to operate properly. ADD-INs like HomeServerSMART Classic does monitor the drive temperatures. Thing here is you will want to know what the temps are now with the original fans so you can compare the temps with the new fans.

I look forward to seeing how these fans work out for you.
Author:  ekrasny [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Do you think I should go with a different fan? Are you saying that RPM range is too low? Can't really measure the drive temp, since the server has to stay down for now, it is too noisy and my daughter sleeps next door.
Author:  Comp1962 [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
I would at least try to get the current temps so that you would have something to compare against. Unlike most I happen to have an abundance of MSS Spare parts fans included from MSS Project in the past so if a fan acts up on me I just pop in one of the spares I have,

If you look at the health monitor on the MSS it monitors quite a bit and has ranges it expects to see and this is why I raise the concern about the RPMs because if memory serves me correct the fans in the MSS when running 100% will run around 2500-2600 RPM and if you look at the specs on the fans you have it lists the max as 1300-1800.

Now some have removed the fans and then peeled back the AVC label and placed a small drop of oil to lubricate the bearings and placed the fans back into service to quiet them down but if the bearings are shot then there is little to nothing one can do to quite them down.
Author:  ekrasny [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Tried to cancel these but it was too late. :). I recall my unit temp ranges between 57 and 61C. I am not sure how to measure drive temp. I can try these two or I will try to fix the original one per your instructions. Which fan would you recommend buying though, there not that many choices, right?
Author:  Comp1962 [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
The fans you ordered may work out ok I am just concerned about the speed of the fans and if the server will flag an alert about the speed.

Here is an old post about replacing the fans in the MSS: viewtopic.php?t=1240

Here are a listing of PWM Fans on Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... sdeptsrh=1

Here is the download link where you can download HomeServerSMART Classic which monitors your hard drive health and will report your Hard Drive temps: http://dojonorthsoftware.net/HomeServer ... c.html#all

One thing about fans is getting the right balance between air flow measured in CFM, and noise level measured in db. You want a fan that will keep your device cool but not make a lot of noise at the same time. Everyone has a different perspective on this some do not mind noise others hate it with a passion and sometimes it comes down to where in this case the server is located. Some have their servers in areas where they never seen so noise is not an issue while others have them in their living room and so noise does become an issue.

I have some 80mm fans that sound like shop vacs when they run that I do keep on the shelf but these move like 56 CFM and run at like 3600 RPM, so they get used in builds where cooling is critical but noise is not.
Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
ekrasny wrote:
Tried to cancel these but it was too late. :). I recall my unit temp ranges between 57 and 61C. I am not sure how to measure drive temp. I can try these two or I will try to fix the original one per your instructions. Which fan would you recommend buying though, there not that many choices, right?

That temp seems to be extremely high.
I would be concerned if anything exceeds 50c for a extended time.
Might be due to the bad fan.
Most drives and cpus have a max temp of 60 to 70 c.
As far as the drives when you get up and running install the SMART add-in.
It will show drive temps as well as the status of the drives.
Author:  ekrasny [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
Will do, hopefully the new fans even at lower RPMs will provide more cooling. I even positioned the server sideways on the shelf to allow more air to go through it, but not being noisy is pretty important to me and that's why I picked this brand. Should be here on Tuesday and I will give it a try.
Author:  Ruben Rocha [ Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: EX485 fan replacement
I just looked at my ex490.
peci temp is 46c and fan speed reports 1700 rpm.
One other item to remember is.
When you change the fans make sure you plug the lower one into the same plug as well as the upper.
It does matter which plug is used per fan location.
I tagged my connection so when I take it apart I don't have to rely on memory
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