Ultimaker Fan Sometimes Very Noisy?

[coofercat 3]

Hi All,

My Ultimaker's electronics cooling fan is sometimes *really* noisy. It's not touching anything (I know it a wire touches the blades that can make a lot of noise), and it doesn't do it every time I turn it on. However, sometimes, I turn on the machine and brrrrrrr it makes an absolute racket! This sounds a bit like the bearings are going in the fan - but that doesn't seem right, because the machine is practically new.

Has anyone else seen this? Got any ideas what I can do to fix this?

[joergen 2]

My Ultimaker's electronics cooling fan is sometimes *really* noisy. It's not touching anything (I know it a wire touches the blades that can make a lot of noise), and it doesn't do it every time I turn it on. However, sometimes, I turn on the machine and brrrrrrr it makes an absolute racket! This sounds a bit like the bearings are going in the fan - but that doesn't seem right, because the machine is practically new.

The board fan on the UM is always on, and has no PWM controller, meaning it runs as soon as 12V are fed to it.

Which means that if the fan makes excessive noise at times, something is touching it or skewing it mechanically, and both things should be looked at.

[cyclone 0]

Mine does the same thing. (Possibly) It make a lot of vibration when I first start up, but after the bearing or whatever heats up from spinning for 4 or 5 minutes it quiets down. I need to get a new one. This is exactly the same sound a processor fan makes before it dies...

And it's done this since day one. Might be related to the wires being backwards for the voltage when I got it, but I doubt it. It's just a cheap blower fan.

-b

[coofercat 3]

Hmm... yeah, sounds good to me. Mine's (almost) done it from day one too - and like yours seems to get over it after a couple of stop/starts or a few minutes. I'll check the power connection, but it seems to work okay, so I don't suppose there's a problem there. If I get some time I'll see if there's an easy replacement part (hopefully of slightly more reliable quality).

Thanks for the help - and for confirming my suspicions. Have a good xmas/NY :-)

[cyclone 0]

I'll check the power connection, but it seems to work okay, so I don't suppose there's a problem there.

No, at one point the batch of fans they got had the connectors wired backwards. So I first started the UM a few times with the fan wired backwards. It didn't spin and probably didn't hurt it as there is likely a diode to prevent such backwards wiring mishaps. But upon flipping the wires and it makes this noise doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies, nor does it convince me that I did *not* accidentally fry the fan motor.

-b

[coofercat 3]

I think I've solved this (at least, it's been solved the last couple of times I've started up the Ultimaker). Short summary: I regreased the fan (replacing it would probably also work, but I didn't find a blower that looked the same in the half hour I spent looking for one).

If you want to do the same thing:

1) Switch off the Ultimaker. Remove the wooden cover plate over the electronics and detach the fan power cable

2) Remove the fan from the wooden plate (in my case, this involved unsticking some blue tape I'd put on it to ensure a good air seal)

3) Unclip the case of the fan (this involved sticking a small screwdriver into each of the three clips around the outside of the fan)

4) Unpeel the sticker in the centre of the bottom side of the fan

5) Under the sticker there's a white plastic clip that prevents the fan blades assembly from coming off the fan case - pull that clip off

6) This should release the fan blades from the main fan case.

7) Regrease the metal shaft on the fan blades (I used some bike grease I happened to have - it claims to be good at high temperatures and high speeds, which seemed like it might be good qualities to have, but I suspect any half decent grease would do the job)

8) Replace the shaft into the main fan case, and replace the white retaining clip

9) Reassemble the fan case by popping the top case on and ensuring it locates in all three clips

10) Reattach the fan to the wooden cover plate and reconnect the fan power cable. You may want to test the fan works by plugging in the Ultimaker briefly.

11) Refit the wooden cover plate over the electronics and (hopefully) enjoy noise free printing again :-)

[mm_build 1]

Seems like the spammers all love taking apart their fan!

coofercat I actually did use this instruction btw, the bit about the white clip was useful since I've never taken a fan apart before.

Thanks for sharing this nice detail!

[wombl1 10]

Thanks for the info

Just greased my fan and finally it is quiet again .... just before i was thinking to build my own ventilation system

[ddurant 0]

If I wanted wire clips, I would print some! Go away!!

[micha 0]

And if I would want a spambot, I would print one...

[derrickoswald 0]

I also had a very noisy fan, which I could quiet down with a knock on the inside of the base of the Ultimaker after a half minute or so. These instructions from coofercat worked for me, and it was so quiet I had to feel the shaft to see if it was turning - because the printhead fan is so noisy.

Has anyone tried the regrease trick on the printhead fan?

[corngolem 0]

Second day and it's already making noise...

I unclipped the fan's case, broke a clip in the process, then I just put the yellow grease that I found at the bottom of the axis back on the axis. Noise disappeared but for how long ?

P.S. the white circular clip is actually split at one point so you can remove it easily, no need to force.

 

[znib 2]

I'm having the same problem, since about the second print.

Sometimes it helped to knock slightly on the side of the Ultimaker, sometimes I had to carefully stick my finger on the fan while it turns to slow it down and then slowly let it accelerate again. Very annoying! Now that I found this thread I will also try to take it apart and put some grease in it.

I think for a fan which is constantly on, Ultimaker should maybe invest 5€ more and use a better one....

 

[productdesign 0]

Same problem here too. It has to be said this is due to the quality of component used if a fan is screeching out of the box! Perhaps UM should be adding that grease if they aren't going to use better components.

 

[corngolem 0]

Happened again to me, this time I hit the frame several times and it stopped after a short while.

 

[znib 2]

I did as mentioned here, took the fan apart and put some grease on the axis. So at the moment the fan is silent. But now the fan on the print head starts doing a similar noice! Is it really too much to ask for ball bearings in the fans used in a 1200.- Euro machine???

 

[corngolem 0]

Ok I'm tired of it. Which fan that is guaranteed to stay silent can I use as replacement ?