Horizontal Sleeve Bearing: Myth or Fact?

PartEleven · Post by **PartEleven** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:54 pm

You know, I really have to wonder about the truth behind the "don't use sleeve bearing fans in horizontal". I haven't seen any tests or anecdotal reports to verify that sleeve bearing fans make more noise and/or have a shorter lifespan. So is this really fact or an myth that's being perpetuated? There is one SPCR review that warns against sleeve bearing used in horizontal positions, but that was just a one-line suggestion. I'm pretty sure that bit of information was passed on from somewhere else and not the result of actual testing or observation.

Post by **MikeC** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:40 pm

I can say that some sleeve bearing fans definitely sound noisier when held horizontal -- ie with the airflow going up or down. Not all. Whether their lifespan decreases is not something I'd conjecture on, but some 120mm fan PSUs use sleeve bearings, and I have not heard of early wear complaints about those.

The first page of our Anatomy of the Silent Fan article has extensive info comparing the two bearing types, with links to arguments from both camps, but it's not entirely conclusive.

BillyBuerger · Post by **BillyBuerger** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:11 pm

I had 4 el-chepo PSUs from some PCs at my work place that someone else (not me) put together. All four of them died within 3 years with the fan seizing up. And after trying to replace them with a new fan they would start smoking. In the bin. They all used sleeve bearing fans, albeit cheap ones. So this is a case for sleeve bearing fans not being good in a horizontal orientation... Or at least these cheap fans in a horizontal orientation. Maybe a good quality sleeve bearing fan would be fine. But I myself would be concerned from this experience.

cpemma · Post by **cpemma** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:03 am

Some very good fans have sleeve bearings and I'd have no hesitation in using a (very good) fan in any orientation. The better sleeves are porous (produced by sintering the sleeve from metal powder) and hold a reserve of oil by capillary forces. It's a case of reading the fan datasheet and seeing what precautions have been taken by the maker.

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:35 am

I had 4 el-chepo PSUs from some PCs at my work place that someone else (not me) put together. All four of them died within 3 years with the fan seizing up. And after trying to replace them with a new fan they would start smoking. In the bin. They all used sleeve bearing fans, albeit cheap ones. So this is a case for sleeve bearing fans not being good in a horizontal orientation... Or at least these cheap fans in a horizontal orientation. Maybe a good quality sleeve bearing fan would be fine. But I myself would be concerned from this experience.

That is really a better suggestion of not using sleeve bearing fans in hot areas, as (unless this is another myth) they have a decreased lifespan compared to BB fans. In cheap PC's with cheap PSU's, their is often poor intake ventilation, which then gets clogged up, adding to this that many cheaper PC's use the fan in the PSU as the sole cooler for the case and you end up with overheating.

The vast majority of faulty PSU's I have seen have died with the fan still working, and many PSU's have sleeve bearing fans, so there is no conclusion to ant of the above.

Of which the fans in PSU's that I have found to be dead are often clogged up with dust which could slow the fan to such a degree that the fan seizes, I once found a fan that was practically welded together, i tried to turn it, but ended up snapping off blades.

Andy

mattthemuppet · Post by **mattthemuppet** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 4:13 pm

I've had a Yate Loon DS12SL-12 in my Greenpower PSU for the last 3 years and it's still, as far as I can tell, absolutely fine. I think that any quality fan in a well ventilated case that's cleaned occasionally would be fine.