The Fix for Noisy Fans... or How I Learned to Love Whiskey

[Smokestoomuch]

I appreciate the spirit of community here at the Thinkpad Forum. So, when I accidentally stumbled across an easy fix for a noisy fan, I just had to share it. If you think your noisy fan might be shot, it is not. It's only dirty. So far, I must have rehabilitated a dozen or so fans and never had to pitch any of them. Here's the fix:

Go down to yer local liquor shop and pick up a 5th of pure grain alcohol. Here in California, they sell Everclear, which is something like 180 proof (aka 90% ethanol). In some states Everclear is illegal (as it should be everywhere ), so you might have to do some clever sourcing. Now take the Everclear and pour it into an empty Windex spray bottle. Spray the bottle into the sink to get all the Windex out of the pump. The rest is easy. Remove your complaining fan and spray the be-jesus out of it. Blow on the fan to get it turning and keep spraying any crevice that leads to the inside. Let the fan air-dry for an hour before re-installing. Enjoy your whisper quiet fan.
Smokestoomuch, Palms Springs, California

[richk]

Denatured alcohol (shellac thinner) is cheaper and there is no water. (Ethanol and methanol). It evaporates completely, but you cannot drink the leftovers.