TIL you can fix a rattly laptop fan with a toothpick and some patience

Last week my 3 year old Dell started making this grinding noise every time I opened Chrome. I was about to drop $80 on a replacement fan. Then my buddy in IT said try cleaning it first, but I couldn't get the tiny fan screws out with my regular kit. So I grabbed a toothpick, carefully held the fan blades still, and used compressed air to blow out this massive dust bunny. It took maybe 15 minutes total and the noise is completely gone now. Has anyone else found weird household items that work better than actual tools for gadget fixes?

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3 Comments

gavin_reed4mo ago

Tbh that's interesting because I thought compressed air just blows the junk out, not deeper into the bearings.

4

drew9064mo ago

Idk this actually changed my mind, I always thought compressed air was safe too.

7

john_singh4mo ago

Ngl, a toothpick can work but compressed air just pushes dust deeper into the bearings sometimes.

1