# Switching a fan around



## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

Hi.

I have 3 fans in my system. A Processor fan, an intake fan and a PSU fan.

My intake fan is literally right beside my proc fan and I thought it would be more logical if it were an outake fan, so it can take my proc heat right out of the system. So I am wondering if I just turn the fan around if I can change it into an outake fan. Or will I have to buy a new one.

And water cooling is not an option.


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Your rear fan is an intake? If so, who put that in, rear is always exhaust. General rule of thumb is front and side intake, rear and top exhaust. 
You can take it off and just put it on so it sucks air out of the case.


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

grimx is correct. But you didnt specify if the fan is a rear fan or door fan.


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## Leitz (Sep 4, 2008)

Yeah I had this issue with my Antec 900 case however the side optional fan had been mountwed as an extraction fan, didnt think this was clever so just turned it round, now my 9800GTX+ is nice and cooled


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## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

Oh it's called exhaust is it? well the fan is on the rear, making it right beside my proc. I have nothing on the top, front, left, right of the case. (well other than a few vents.


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## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

Oh and if your right,grimx133, then maybe it's just me and the air coming out is really weak and just feels like an intake. If it is on exhaust fan then do you know a cheap exhaust fan (doesn't need lights and a toaster okay!) that I can buy?


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## drew16387 (Oct 3, 2008)

wolf test it see which way its working. use smoke from something of gert a small smoke bomb from a joke store to find which way the air is flowing. as for another fan just pop into a local pc store and they will have them for cheap neon ones are only say£5 and standards ive bought one for £1 all fans can be used as exhaust fans just turn them round


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

or simply look at the fan when it's stopped. the side of the blades covered in dust, is the direction the air is blown


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## drew16387 (Oct 3, 2008)

nice little quick test although looking at the blades alone would help but alot of ppl not sure by a glance. most fans blow the air out the side with the plastics bars on to hold fan too


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Well, you can always test your temperatures on both idle and load. Switch the fan around, and then test them again on idle and load. Put the fan in the orientation that provides the lowest temperatures. 
Some fans have directional arrows on them for spin direction and airflow direction, but they are hard to see, just molded plastic.


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## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

drew16387 said:


> wolf test it see which way its working. use smoke from something of gert a small smoke bomb from a joke store to find which way the air is flowing. as for another fan just pop into a local pc store and they will have them for cheap neon ones are only say£5 and standards ive bought one for £1 all fans can be used as exhaust fans just turn them round



Well I don't know how much 1 or 5 pounds are in CDN but it sounds pretty cheap, it's because I always see fan in magazined for like $80.00 and stuff.


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## drew16387 (Oct 3, 2008)

8.77 canadian is £5 there realy cheap magazined ones are exspensive as there much much better most of the time i have a few laying around with no clips on the ends just bare wires if you wnt and extra fan for nothing


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## -WOLF- (Jan 17, 2009)

Lol and I suppose you would send it to me and then I get some mashed up fan and you pay like $20.00 just to send it to me?


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