switching psu airflow direction...

rykoryko new york
edited July 2004 in Hardware
I recently purchased a new antec 450w psu and installed it about a week ago. To my surprise, the psu is sucking air in the back and blowing hot air down over my cpu. :eek2:

I want to open up the psu and switch the fans around so that air blows out the back. My main question is how long do i need to unplug the psu for before it is safe to open up? And then once opened, what exactly do i want to avoid touching, the caps? Anything else that could cause permanent damage?

Comments

  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    dont touch anything except the fans is my advice
  • rykoryko new york
    edited July 2004
    how long do i need to have it unplugged before i can open it up though?
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited July 2004
    you can probably do it immediately, especially if you have some rubber gloves :D
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited July 2004
    That is the strangest thing I've ever seen. You're positive you're not feeling air coming off your CPU fan or something?

    If so, just open it up and flip them around. I'd wait an hour or two at least, and just be careful working in there.
  • beatzbeatz i am a hamburger Member
    edited July 2004
    Hi ryko!

    Once you unplugged the psu the only danger might come from the capacitors. They might zapp you because of high voltage but won't kill you because they can't generate much current.

    Changing the fan direction is no problem at all, because most of the times you can simply unplug the fans inside the psu and then unscrew it and put it back in the other way around. Then plug it in again.

    The only danger lies in dropping something that conducts electricity on the board of the psu. That might touch the base of a capacitor and something that can't take much voltage/current like a chip and destroy it.

    Have fun :thumbsup: !

    Michael
  • rykoryko new york
    edited July 2004
    Geeky1 wrote:
    That is the strangest thing I've ever seen. You're positive you're not feeling air coming off your CPU fan or something?

    If so, just open it up and flip them around. I'd wait an hour or two at least, and just be careful working in there.


    I am positive the fans are "backward" b/c i can stick a piece of paper to the back of my psu, and it just sticks there like it is being sucked in.

    2 hours....i have to turn my pc off for 2 hours...damn :wtf:
  • EMTEMT Seattle, WA Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    My electrically inclined friend recommends "a couple hours to be sure"

    I would say, only put one hand in unless you really need two. Or you're not near any of those big caps.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited July 2004
    It wont take several hours. They drain fairly fast tho I wasnt using that large of a CAP either. Much smaller. I would think they would drain about the same. I did touch caps on a 90W PSU many times. Nothing. When its on is another story.;)
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