Power Plant P3 fan replacement

Hello!

Just wanted to clarify which fan models can be used to replace stock P3 fans? I suppose they are standart 120X25mm computer fans, isn’t it right?
But what speed (RPM) should they provide? Is this the exact number or some range (500-1800 RPM, for example)?
And what connectors should they be equipped with? 3-pin, 4-pin or some other kind?

Yes, they are a standard computer fan inside. I don’t believe the speed is really all that critical. Shoot an email over to tjt@psaudio.com and he’ll be able to get you the correct part number for the fan. I believe we used the same fans in the P3 and P5 as we do with the current P12.

Thank you for the reply.

I opened the upper panel of my P3 to clean it from dust and found out that there are two fans made by Xfan. This is RDL1225B2 model rated at 24 V, 0,13 A, 1700 RPM. Their size is 120 x 120 x 25 mm. And looks like they use just two wires for connection.

So the main problem is the voltage. There are plenty of stadart computer fans rated at 12 V with 3-pin and 4-pin connectors. But I suppose they will not fit to P3. And not only due to the voltage difference, but also because of just two wires used for connection to the P3 itself, while majority of 120 mm fans use 3 or 4 wires.

I was not able to find such part in any online stores. But there are two alternatives I managed to discover - these are Sunon and Jamicon fans. They produce many models including those rated at 24 V.

Just curious, what’s the reason for wanting to replace the stock fans?

The main reason is the frequent noise. Lately my P3 cools itself much more often than two-three years ago. It’s fans turn on like every half an hour. While earlier it was a rare case when I could hear them rotating.
The second reason is the noise itself which became more obvious than previously. I suppose the fans outlived their usefulness. That is why they are making more noise than before.
I do not see any way to make them work less frequently, so I think their replacement is the only way to eliminate the noise produced by them.

I have not dealt with these particular fans specifically, but I have found a small drop or two of light oil on a fan’s bearing will often eliminate the noise for a good long time. It takes just a moment to try.

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Thank you for the advice, Elk! I think I should try this method. What kind of oil would you recommend to use? A special one or something simple (like refined olive oil, for example). Or maybe I should purchase a silicone grease or a synthetic grease (made precisely for fan lubrication)?

Do not use olive oil, or any cooking oil—they will dry into a sticky goop! 3 in 1 oil, or other such light oil will be great. Grease will be hard to use, but a silicone spray should be OK (not WD-40, it will remove any lubrication that may be on the bearings!).

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I use 3-In-One.

@Palouse’s advice is good.

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I purchased a silicon grease (it comes in a syringe with a needle). Good stuff. First I tested it on an old computer fan, which became very noisy. I suppose it’s bearing was ruined due to extremely long period of work. Anyway when I added some grease inside it, the fan became perfectly silent! This grease works like magic.

Then I decied to do the same thing with the two fans inside P3. I had to spend some time to figure out how to take them out. I must say the internal design of P3 impressed me. It is quite simple, yet beautiful and effective.
Unfortunately it seems like the fans did not like the grease. I’ve been adding little by little while rotating them manually, but it did not seem to work. Than I decided to put them back into P3 and let them work for some time. I turned P3 a few times while it was spinning the fans at their max speed. But it did not help. One of the fans is still making that noise, which sounds like a cricket. It is especially obvious at low RPM, which is the usual way of their operating. The lubrication did not change the noise at all. Maybe I need to wait sometime, until the grease disperses.

So it looks like I have to replace at least this one fan. The problem is I have not found such at my local shops. But the are other models, like:

  1. Jamicon JF1225-2E (1500 RPM, 48 CFM, 20,4-27,6 V, 0,08 A)
  2. Jamicon KF1225-2L (1500 RPM, 56 CFM, 20,4-27,6 V, 0,08 A)

I am not sure if any of these may replace current XFan RDL1225B2 (1700 RPM, 60 CFM, 12-27,6 V, 0,13 A), because Jamicon fans support higher voltage (20+ V), while stock XFan fans can operate starting at 12 V. I think I will contact with customer service to make sure what voltage (range) the P3 itself supplies to the fans. I believe it is dynamic, as the speed of the fans may change.

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Great, those guys will be able to get you some answers. I’m guessing the tolerance for the fan spec is pretty wide.

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I haven’t received a reply from the customer service yet, but I have a good news for those who are thinking about replacing fans in their Power Plants.
Looks like the grease finally made a difference. The fans became significantly less noisy. Now it is really hard to discern the noise they produce staying at the listening place (about 2,5 meters away from the P3).

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Very good news. Thanks for letting us know.

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That’s cool. Interesting that it took a while for the grease to settle in.

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Looks like after some time the fans became even slighly less noisy. So now they work practically like the new ones. They are not completely silent, but quiet enough not to bother listeners. I think the problem was sloved. Thanks for tip about lubrication!