How to clean the fan of laptop?

A faulty laptop fan makes it to the list of most annoying things of the world. There are many reasons why the fan may fail. And one of the most common is heat buildup in the laptop. Eventually, it can cause a lot of damage to your computer such as permanent damage to the hard drive, failure of other parts due to overheating, and other similar problems.

If you’re suffering from a faulty laptop fan that never turns on, we’ve put together some easy steps for you about how to clean it! Follow these steps for optimum results and avoid damaging your hardware.

Why laptop fan fails?

Laptop fans are known to fail due to heat buildup. One easy step you can take to prevent this build up is by installing a fan controller. It will regulate the temperature of your laptop and make sure that the fan doesn’t have any problems.

A fan controller helps lower the temperature so that it doesn’t cause damage to your laptop and other components. The best thing about these fan controllers is that they are very affordable and they help with noise as well. These controllers act as a safety feature in case the system overheats and causes other damages.

Step by step guide to clean the laptop fan

If your laptop is overheating, or the fan is creating annoying sounds, the step you should take is cleaning these fans. If you want to clean the fan and make it run smoothly, you can do it yourself. Basically, all you have to do is follow these steps-

(i) Remove the back panel of your laptop. Some laptops like MacBooks are different but most laptops will have a panel that can be removed easily. You can use a screwdriver for this purpose or a plastic pry tool.

(ii) Next, remove any components that are in the way of your fan by gently pulling them out. You can also remove some screws if needed and then move them out of the way.

(iii) Now unplug the wires connecting your fan to the motherboard.

(iv) Now detach the fan from the heatsink by unscrewing it.

(v) Using a can of compressed air, clean out any dust that is inside your laptop and in between your components. Also, blow compressed air through all vents and slots of your laptop to make sure that no dust is stuck in there as it will cause overheating.

(vi) Next, take a brush or a small fabric and remove any dust or dirt from the blades of your fan. If needed, remove parts of metal or plastic that are in-between blades of the fan so that you can clean them properly with no problems.

(vii) Now attach your fan back to the heatsink by aligning the screws in the correct slots.

(viii) Then, put everything back together and behold the beautiful look of your laptop!

Things to avoid while cleaning a Laptop Fan

1) Removing the fan from its mounting place

When you take out your laptop’s fan from its mounting place, it can make noise and it might cause damage. You don’t want to be taking this risk with your laptop as it may not work properly afterward. Make sure that you don’t make any mistakes when removing the fan or else you will have a really bad time!

2) Removing the fan from its mount point by excessive force

Using too much force when taking out a fan from its mounting place can damage it or make it break. If you’re trying to clean dust or dirt, make sure that you don’t do this with too much force. The goal is to remove dust from the air intakes of your fan and to clean the fan blades.

3) Forgetting to ground yourself before cleaning

When you use a can of compressed air, it produces static electricity. This static electricity can be harmful to your computer so you have to make sure that you protect yourself by grounding yourself using a wristband with a ground wire attached. This will make sure that your system remains safe from any potential damage and you avoid electrostatic discharge.

Also Read: How to rotate the screen on a laptop?

Note: Do not clean your Laptop’s fan often as extreme temperatures may damage it. Try to clean once every three months or so and make sure that you do not use too much force while cleaning it.

Also, ensure that you don’t let compressed air in-between both cooling fans and mainboard since this is a common error of many people who don’t know how to clean their fan properly. Don’t blow it between both fans simultaneously or else you’ll end up damaging your laptop.