Can You Damage A Fan or Motherboard By Spinning a Fan Too Fast?

For more than 10 years, I've been saving time, money and the environment by using an electric leaf blower to blow the dust and debris out of a PC and back onto the Earth from which it came.
Yet, despite undeniable video evidence of demonstrating this process on every single PC that has come in to my shop for repair over the last decade, there continue to be stubborn, imaginative dreamers who insist this is a dangerous practice because they insist spinning a fan too fast will cause bearing failure and create voltage being fed back into the motherboard. Therefore, they advocate disconnecting fans from the motherboard and using toothpicks to prevent the fans from spinning. I suspect these are the same people who always wear protective goggles any time they step foot outside and use hand sanitizer every time their hands come into contact with anything other than their own bodies.
Here is more evidence those people have a disease I call Tecno-Hypochondria and it is contagious and spread through internet forums, videos and blog posts.
So I perform the tests that these nay-sayers are too lazy to do themselves in my attempt to have them accept reality. Furthermore, I invite them to leave any comments and criticisms that their imaginations and disease can further dream up that invalidates my video proof testing methodology. Hence, this is part 1. Part 2 will address the comments left here.
Enjoy!
Video editing software used to create this video:
Cyberlink PowerDirector 15 Ultimate:
www.cyberlink.com/products/po...
Screen captures by Camtasia Studio 9:
www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html
Questions?
/ careyholzmanfanpage
See more of Carey's video's here:
www.CareyHolzman.com

[@JerryAllen1919]

It's a sad commentary that you have to go to this extreme to demonstrate to people who still doubt that a professional who has decades of experience is actually right...good video Carey.

[@ruvrandomusefulvideos]

I just received a comment on my video regarding this. I am computer technician for over 20 years and we use compressor to clean desktop's, laptop, GPU and PSU fans and never burn anything. So I copied the link of your video and reply to that comment to prove it. Excellent video and thanks for saving my time from making same video.

[@ZardozSpeaksToYou.]

Carey thank you for this, the amount of crap I get for using a data vac and "Not removing" fans or trying to hold them in place while blowing is amazing. Love these PC repair Mythbuster videos, keep up the good work!

[@DigBipper188]

Thank you Carey for FINALLY proving a point I've been making to people for the past 9 years!! 1: The fan has to be spun at insanely fast speeds to produce more than a few millivolts 2: The fan does NOT produce enough current to blow out a header (mainly because it can't produce the voltage required to overcome the protections in the fan control chips) As for the "Can you kill a fan for spinning it too fast" the worst that can happen is the blade structure is weakened or the bearings were close to shot when you spun the fan up... you either lose a blade or it makes a horrible noise... simply replace it with a new one and you're back to normal again!

[@cynnister0021]

Carey are people STILL maintaining that this is an issue? Man...some people are as dense as bedrock and just as dull. This does "NO" damage to any of the fans.....beyond possibly (if set too high on psi) breaking a fan blade off. Then again, if the blade is that sensitive it's needing replacement anyways so that's a blessing.

[@kendel423]

Probably not, but Carey can't keep himself from arguing about computers with middle schoolers on the internet

[@justinrivers9355]

Thank you SO much for proving this point! I've been doing this for years, and had so many people telling me that I was going to ruin my fans and motherboard by doing this. Obviously, I just continued to ignore them, but this satisfaction is bliss. =)

[@erikwalfridsson8790]

TO EVERYONE: Computer fans uses brushless DC motors. I don´t know exactly how they work, but apparently the can´t be used as dynamos the same way as a brushed motor I have tried both spinning clockwise and counter clockwise This was 12 V low rpm fan from Nexus, and I ran it much, much faster than during normal operation. The instrument was a Peaktech 1655 that can keep track of max and min values itself. (costs about $150 I think) Measuring DC I got about 0,125 V It got higher voltage when mesuring AC(!) 0,3306 V was the highest value when spinning the normal direction. Note: the instrument can register and hold min and max values itself when it comes to voltage, but NOT frequency. The highest value I could see was 256 Hz. Since I don´t know how many poles the motor has I can´t tanslate that to rpm. In reverse direction I got ~0,39 V (don´t remeber the exact value) Frequency unknown. TO CAREY: ========= Even if the fan can´t hurt the MOTHERBOARD you can´t say this is not destructive for the FAN unless you find out exactly how the motor's internal electronic controller works. One can easily conclude that the BEARINGS are not designed for this kind of asymetric load, but it is difficult to know what the consequenses are when the fan manufacturers keep inventing new technologies to achieve more silent operation and longer life. It is however very unwise to let some fans spin in the wrong direction since this can drive out the lubricant!!! Using a blower in the normal direction of air flow is probably much better than using I vacuum cleaner(from the bearings point of view) since the fan keeps rotating the correct direction. Also due to the geometry of the blades, this direction of air flow can never generate as high as rpm. Thanks for your videos!! / Erik Walfridsson, Sweden.

[@Timmitous]

Hello, I'm interested to know more about what you stated about running certain fans in the wrong direction and grease escaping the bearings. How exactly does running a fan in the incorrect direction drive grease out of a sealed bearing?

[@chayhellings926]

You're the best Carey. thanks. keep it up

[@marioevildm7410]

We use an air compressor at work to clean the nasty PCs, never having to change a fan b/c of the cleaning. Fan that are finish make a nice noise or don't turn at all, so you change them! good video Carey : D

[@MrAndyPee]

I've been cleaning my pc blasting the fans for years lol, but i've read loads of comments on here saying oooo no rip fans. Thanks for putting my OCD to rest on this one lol.

[@TheSilverwing999]

Thank you for this video. I hope that at least some of those people learned a little now.

[@SuperTechWizKid]

I've been expecting this video for so long.

[@mrbr549]

At least once a year I take my computers out to the garage and use 80lb. compressed air to clean them out. I have done it this way for many years. Over the years I have had not one single problem with fans or anything else. A computer can be harmed much faster by leaving them dirty.

[@panagiotispapadopoulos5205]

Very nice video. Thanks a lot!

[@toyotadiy1497]

Thanks. This puts my mind at ease now.

[@Demon09-_-]

props on doing this video

[@gerarddresch712]

Carey I get old PC's from people and recycle that are so dirty I will not bring in house till I blow the heck out of them and have found no damage from doing this ( about 40 in last year ) . Thanks - Also First 65 or Older

[@davidprice2861]

Good to see that one refuted, once and for all, thanks..

[@MrMGR1986]

Carey is great. He has corrected alot of Broknowledge that I use to subscribe to

[@workspc]

lol, I actually fell for that one and believed it was best to unplug them before cleaning out the case. Thanks for this video.

[@endless031]

I am sure someone will say you did something wrong

[@donaldrobertson8957]

Thanks for this video. I'm not really an electronics technician. I've learned a some from schooling as an audio engineer, and some just from experience. Within the last year, I was put in charge of repair and maintenance of a large video scoreboard.There are over 100 cooling fans in this scoreboard and they are very dirty. I've been going through and cleaning it during the current CV-19 shut down. And I had heard the myth of generating enough voltage to damage the electronics. I was going to try to meter it myself but I decided to check KZbin first. I'm now a fan of your videos. And I will subscribe.

[@dimples282]

I can't wait for part 2.

[@greg20711]

The proof is in the pudding. You go, Carey! Luv it!

[@7h3F33d3r]

I purchased and use a leaf blower to dust my computers since watching your videos. I work with an EE and when I told him this, he was fit to be tied. Said the forced air could force dust into areas (i.e. HDD) it was never meant to be and ruin the computer. We had quite an argument about this. I'm still gonna use my leaf blower!

[@Austin1990]

What kind of EE was he that he would make such an opinionated comment without realizing that HDDs are sealed air-tight? No dust is getting into a HDD from a leaf blower. lol

[@kleanthispapadopoulos2555]

You can't put dust in the HDD except by either breaking the shell first or use the Enterprise teleporter :D

[@havaranis]

You should try a couple of different 10yo laptop fans. You should also try spinning them in both directions. I had an old laptop where bursting compressed air to the fan it killed it.

[@kyle6143]

Thank you for this, finally put my mind to rest. I gave my Xbox one S a couple of short bursts of compressed air the Other day and didn’t unplug from wall but it was turned off. Kinda had got worried after reading all of these forums online.

[@twoskoops74]

Myth busting again :D, a person can learn so much from your videos if they actually watch and not skip over anything. Right when I was building my PC, thanks btw, I brought 2 cans of air to clean out my power supply and graphics card which was migrating to the new system. The air pressure went down quite fast and even with switching was longer than I expected to use them, so I can't imagine how long it would take or how many cans you would need for a full computer cleaning. I could still see bits of dust in both items. Then I used an electric blower and puffs of dust like in your videos showed up. I wasn't being skeptical but just doing as suggested by you to test things for myself and an electric blower is definately the way to go for me and I will not be contributing to landfills with buying tons of air cans. Another great video and a shame to anyone who still spews out venom of misinformation after watching this video on this subject.

[@c.m.7692]

THANK YOU!

[@gvvq-pi5ml]

Carey i think you would have to have the meter on AC volts and i dont believe the fan would generate DC unless it has brushes in..i'm not certain on that but i think so...if you use it on DC you would have to have a diode in line with the meter, also i am with you i dont believe spinning that would cause any problems at all from Fred in UK.

[@thefluffii1945]

Thanks Carey, I don't have to keep explaining this now just link them this video

[@glennplumbe7815]

But you have to over clock the fan first lol Go get em Carey.

[@CareyHolzman]

I'm fairly certain the leaf blower over-clocked that fan...

[@dmanhattan1]

Spinning a fan very fast like that does not directly cause damage to the fan. But it does cause the lubrication in the bearings to migrate out. Which causes the bearings to fail early.

[@cynnister0021]

Wrong @ The Devil's Kin. Again, another know-it-all trying to demean this method and no information to back-up the theory. But do keep posting....it's people like you (that know jack-shit) that give me a good laugh.

[@TaintMeat68]

If it has actual bearings. But the speed would have to be sustained long periods.

[@glennplumbe7815]

Gee well done your a bright one my god any wonder Carey get the shits.

[@tamtgirl]

the fans are not "DC" motors, they may be supplied 5 or 12 volts dc, but there is circuitry to drive the motor at 3 or more phase as is common for brushless motors. therefore cannot generate voltage like a brushed motor can, besides there's the the mosfet or transistor on the mobo side that's like a diode and won't let any voltage past in reverse polarity

[@TechOut]

If spinning the fan like that was going to damage the bearings then so would the fan being powered on normally its not like its lubricated or anything when powered up

[@fatmannoor7790]

I guess people are worried the current might go in the opposite direction and maybe burn something, but the video shows that the voltage won't go past 1.3 mv which doesn't look like it can cause any dmg

[@firdausgoalie]

Talking about electricity reminds of that North Korean conductor joke. I will have to rewatch this because I am confused AF when it comes to this topic

[@williamcricket7931]

In the words of Kali Muscle: Prove Em Wrong

[@StarlightSky]

Thank you for the video! Got a satisfying answer to the question and a good laugh ^_^

[@dgarrett4804]

I can't believe you actually; had to make this video to prove your point that ducting out a PC with a leaf blower (electric) isn't going to damage the CPU fan(s),I've been using your method on my repairs since watching you over a year ago.Hey Carey,I bet you this still isn't gonna shut them up.....lol

[@Dragonichh]

This was a good informative video - thank you! Can anyone answer me regarding the static charge that people fear when using compressors? Do I need to hold things as I clean the computer or can I just hold the compressor and blow every dust out of my computer without touching anything? The question is whether I should be afraid of touching things in the computer while blowing the dust of the computer. Thanks. I hope it makes sense :)

[@drtechtek2165]

Great video, for others to see :)

[@fishodorvagina]

I'm glad I know now because I'm like OCD about keeping my PC clean.

[@deshraiden4819]

For a second I thought that was cat hands trying to touch the cooler

[@TCRSCircuit]

Most boards also have a diode AND a fuse at the fan circuit.. that stops current flow to the rest of the board..

[@JHACbiz]

Ah just throw it in the dishwasher.

[@brettwallace7211]

ive been cleaning fans with an air compressor for years, never actually had a fan fail on me, i usually upgrade my pc before fans fail

[@ksells]

Some people are still questioning this - unbelievable! Carey, you've done the best you can to prove it but there are still morons that think they know best.

[@edoardobarbieri360]

Thank you bro

[@lancemckay5778]

Good stuff Carey! lol

[@Bostish2]

Carey, your advise is always sound. I'm sorry that people push you to prove stuff like this. IMO, if your fan can't handle this, then that person purchased a CCAF (Chinese Cheap Ass Fan) and shouldn't consider themselves on the level of being a pc tech and just a hobbiest. I would also bet that their fans are loud as heck, fans breaking because of cheap bearing systems and if the blade breaks cheap plastic.

[@SPEXWISE]

Nailed it.

[@dwayne0t]

I know the fan/voltage thing is not an issue; however, the centec meter is +or- 3.0 volts accuracy lol

[@Roorjfjfjfjffkdoeendd]

Hi Carey. Where can I post photos of my first build

[@CareyHolzman]

Facebook fan page link in every video note of every video I've ever made.

[@Xenon777_]

The bearings will be fine if you have a high quality fan with ball bearings. However, I have noticed that cheaper sleeve bearing fans will make more noise.

[@normanbliss6952]

Im an electrican and i have ro say that the only way you can damage a fan with a leaf bloewr is if the fan is to the point its about ready to fail and all you did was just made it fail with the computer off not while you are either working on something important or in the middle of a battle and then compuuter shuts down from excessive heat

[@CareyHolzman]

Yes, I can confirm that from actual experience. The only time a fan has ever failed after blowing it out with the leaf blower, the fan was already bad and this saved myself and my customer time by taking care of it immediately while the computer was in the shop for other repairs.

[@GaryBeltz]

Wouldn't you notice the computer getting extremely slow before shutting down due to overheating? Usually when the CPU starts throttling it would slow the performance down and if you are playing a game like Call of Duty either on or offline I think you would notice something was up shortly before the computer would turn itself off.

[@normanbliss6952]

Most people would but theres quite a few who wouldnt notice or not relize

[@GaryBeltz]

Norman Bliss I remember the older motherboards having alarms built into them that would make a siren like sound through your speakers and display a message along the lines of "CPU TOO HOT!" and their were also external CPU alarms that were for sale. I'm guessing g the industry found out these actually didn't work?

[@zeriel9148]

@@GaryBeltz Coming to this super late so apologies for that, but the utility of those alarms was that CPUs didn't used to have the safety feature of throttling because of temps. Even 10 year old CPUs do that now, so they can never really "die" from heat unless running at the lowest throttle speed is still going to make them gain heat (unlikely). Some 90s cpus ran so hot they'd literally turn to molten metal after a few minutes of not having a fan, though.

[@ziploc53]

Before watching looks like fun.

[@oldatarigamer]

Does the air moving at that high speed damage the concrete? ;)

[@leem0401]

There's always a guy warning people not to do this without actually knowing what they're talking about

[@CareyHolzman]

That's I made this video. Unlike them, I actually demonstrate and prove what I am saying. The rest are just talking nonsense.

[@BNETT21]

If you have ever torn down one of these fans you would know that there are transistors that fire one coil after another. If the fan is not on, the transistors are off. So there is no circuit of the coils to anything. Carey I would suggest trying this with the PSU turned on and using two multi-meters. One connected in series to see the amperage and the second connected to view the voltage. But then again I don't think you blow out the machines while they are running.

[@cyangtw]

I honestly never have or seen any Intel & AMD stock fans damaged because of spinning too fast,they're incredibly reliable,but they tend to get louder from time to time.

[@yevgeni10]

McGrauado that because of dust inside,you have to clean the fan and it will stop make noises.

[@CareyHolzman]

That's because you are not oiling them. I'll do a video about that later, but you can use Google if you're curious. Here's a hint - sewing machine oil.

[@tyrannosaurus4649]

i love how you really care minor problems( major for some people ) of people in the comment section. You really love this work and i love you for this reason CareyHolzman

[@cyangtw]

+CareyHolzman I never thought that the computer fans can be oiled,I thought oil would damage the electronics if it leaked.I'll definitely looking forward to the video.

[@twoskoops74]

this is true I used oil on an exhaust fan that was making noise, sewing machine oil as Carey suggested, and the noise disappeared. I would like for you to do a vid on the stock intel heatsink fan though. I wanted to do the same to it also, but was afraid I was going to break it just trying to get it open, the other fan I had was easy as pie to do.

[@JimmysTheBestCop]

This is how we have been cleaning out desktops for 10 years. Plus it always looks like you are setting off a chemical weapon when you get a real awful desktop.

[@ganeryhyperion8386]

yap brush less motor like that fan have weak magnet there will be no possibility to generate volts or amps also it have internal components will prevent a feed back volts or amp returning to the input volt supply, as what you said before from your videos it have some diodes and some transistor. The only damage you can make is to wear the bearing of the fan slightly but it is very negligible

[@heksogen4788]

Somehow i found this sound soothing :)

[@yokotaashi]

You should also demonstrate that there is no true "bearing" in these fans. Its just a little plastic disk. The forces at work here do not generate enough friction to even need a bearing!

[@falmatrix2r]

This video proves we need further rigorous testing

[@drivingmemad7640]

I deleted a post on a laptop cooling station for heavy use senarios I built that had a rear extractor as part of it. All I got was criticism of the extractors apocolyptically destroying my laptop fans because it'll spin them a little faster than rated. What's more damaging in the long term, the fans running with 20% more RPM due to enhanced airflow, or the board running many ° hotter? I deleted it rather than argue the point, because I'm just so fed up with the "but I must tell you you're wrong due to my unsubstantiated criticism" type people. I'm fed up with dealing with these people. I refuse to be the subject of thier pathetic superiority complexes.

[@Apeman_king_of_apes]

that's a loud fan XD

[@zadrik1337]

No dust left on that fan! Sorry, I can't think of any really stupid comment to make as I have also been using an electric blower for years.

[@kuyache2]

and almost all motherboards have VRM + caps and other components that regulate the flow of electricity! the fan header of the motherboard is connected to some of them which regulates the flow of electricity to the fan while also blocking any electricity coming back... hahaha the human body discharges more electricity than a fan being blown by a high power leaf blower ^_^

[@CRhetorix]

Thank you for this, I swear the internet is a crazy.

[@Big_Tex]

*Brought to you by the United States Leaf Blower Assoiciation

[@bullettube9863]

I think the reason so many KZbin viewers are ignorant is that most schools no longer teach shop! I took electric shop in my senior year in HS; we made basic motors, crystal radios, and bread boards using printed circuit boards we made ourselves. We studied basic electricity as freshmen in General Science. I built my first Heath kit computer in 1980, and assembled a 286 from parts bought thru Computer Shopper in 1986. I learned exactly what Carey is teaching as a teenager! Is it me, the schools, or are kids today really this dumb?

[@danielkerr4100]

its pretty sad that Carrey has to do this video just for people that constently say that he shouldn't be leaf blowing the fans even tho he said 100 times its safe aha

[@mark3010]

Glad to no it’s safe as I just blew out dust from my computer with a Leaf blower, something l learned from watching utube videos.✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻

[@xineohpinakc264]

I've been using my dad's air compressor to do this for 15 years and if that didn't burn them out nothing would.

[@rparl]

A man convinced against his will / Is of the same opinion still.

[@robertsymonds1238]

don't need to see anymore...I have used leaf blower on all of mine, electric leaf blower, no a gas leaf blower. the only time I have ever seen a fan break is with an air compressor in my former job we used one but a fan was broken maybe twice and we blew out probably about 60 computers a week.

[@likearockcm]

put simply fans move air not create voltage

[@brandon270]

lol i used my air compressor to blow my PC out, Fans sounded like turbos then i dropped the one fan while it was running broke a blade off and then i super glued it back on Guess whats still working !! My PC and all my fans including the super glued one. lol

[@jamessonger3]

Brandon now an air compressor is an entirely different thing. That is taking a chance "very small chance" but still a chance because of the water and condensation that forms in the bottom or the tank. Unless u have some sort of system that filters out that water which I doubt u do I wouldn't use an air compressor. My personal fav is a shop vac to blow it out or a leaf blower.

[@brandon270]

lol i know all the risks of it. my compressor is drained after each use and honestly people take more of a risk using canned air if they use it wrong in my opinion. Im no expert by any means but i know its worked for me for the last 10 or 11 years ive been tinkering and learning about the PC. When i was just starting to get into building my own PC the guy at the computer store tried roasting me on the air compressor and how i was going to cause damage possibly blowing the fans out and allowing them to spin, and oh how the water could cause damage. Only issues i have had was lol well i have a super glued together fan blade ( Not from the compressor.. was changing fan placement and had the fan on and dropped it .. ) and a couple fans with bad bearings ( again Not the compressors fault they were left uncleaned for too long and packed full of dust) I see the risk though! but then again i have grabbed a computer out of a snow bank i salvaged took it home blew out the dust and moisture left it sit for a week inside then plugged it in to try and figure out why it was in a snow bank.

[@darkstryker0084]

You're obviously going to damage the quantum accelerator drive by doing this Carey! What're you thinking!? But seriously, great vids that are really informative.

[@RabiBenLavi]

A fan can overheat and use unnecessary wattage on your chip set, though. Coolermaster fans being some of the worst offenders. That's probably one of the reasons AMD dumped them for Delta fans on the Wraith coolers. The Coolermaster fans on the old stock AMD's use as much wattage as a water pump.

[@wadesuhr]

1000mV = 1V.

[@TeemarkConvair]

maybe its an alternate reality? lol

[@PierreaSweedieCat]

But if the fan spins at exactly 88 mph..... (Sorry. Could not resist.)

[@nimrodery]

.....it was made by Delta and is functioning properly.

[@cybercat1531]

Maybe redo this with an Oscilloscope hooked up, to make it really visible. (If you have one of course). Btw I'm of the same opinion that it doesn't cause harm, but i still lock fans in place when dusting them, because i dont like taking chances, but also it keeps the blades in place allowing me to clean them better than when they are spinning.

[@CareyHolzman]

So you're suggesting I invest in a $400 oscilloscope to determine if it's possible to damage a $15 fan?

[@cybercat1531]

"(If you have one of course)" - so you don't have to if you don't have one. But an Oscilloscope is a nice toy anyway ;)

[@adamskaocelot8382]

yes

[@CareyHolzman]

Well, I guess I asked for it, didn't I? How else would you like to spend what little money I make from KZbin? A small 200ft wind turbine to compare the power generation?

[@coleplacemb]

QUOTE DarthKader: “…but this was only a test for the power it can create, and not about damage.” He blew out the fan with a fan blower while measuring the voltage the fan was outputting (1.3V max). He then hooked the fan up to a 12V power supply and demonstrated the fan ran correctly at a max voltage of 12.35V. He showed this measurement twice as he ran the fan for 1:36. It appears to me he demonstrated that he did not damage the fan. BTW - I have 2 digital mutlitmeters like that which he used for his demonstration (cen-tech 7 function digital multimeter) and have tested them both with a reference voltage meter at 2.5V, 5V, 7.5V and 10V and have found them to be within +/- 0.01V at these voltages. Of course, this doesn’t mean his meter isn’t out or faulty, only that I have tested my 2 (purchased approximately 8 months apart from one another) and found them to be as accurate as any other handheld DMM one might use in a test like this.