Fan Filters

Ergnas · Mar 3, 2004

Are fan filters really worth it? They are kind of expensive....is there any cheaper way to make your own?

Sentential · Mar 3, 2004

Ya know, Ive heard that brillo pads and pantyhose works very well as a fan filter.

However if you routinely clean your case then there really isnt a need for it.

Not to mention that filters restrict airflow. In the end its your call.

I personally dont see a need for it.

Armitage · Mar 3, 2004

I don't think they're needed either.
I have a real problem with dust in my place, but I've just learned to live with vacuuming out my case once a month.

Ergnas · Mar 4, 2004

Yeah, I think vacuming out my case every so often, and just cleaning it out in general should be ok....I might try the panty hose things, but oh well....

rxc · Mar 4, 2004

Well, my side intake fan blows a lot of dust into my system so for me the filter was worth it. The brillo pads, cheese cloth, or whatever mesh like material you have on hand will also work. Personally, I think the filter looks a little better

Dubbin1 · Mar 4, 2004

Hmmm I wonder how well a K&N air filter from a car would work. I would hate to spend all that money just to cut it up.

Voodoo Rufus · Mar 4, 2004

Someone did an auto filter mod for the front of his case a while back. Works good.

The foam filters are pretty cheap at some places, like $2 or so. The Aluminum ones are a bit more pricey, but they work!

Clean cases are nice.

itshondo · Mar 4, 2004

I use the cleanable, snap on plastic filters with the foam elemnt- they work great and clean easily.

atconc · Mar 4, 2004

I made one for my intake from an old peice of pantyhose (thanks mum

) but it raised my temps the same amount turning off the front intake entirely does (~3 c) so i ended up taking it off again. That was on a 3led antec 120 mm at low volts. Maybe a fan pushing more cfms would be less affected, I think it's another case for trial and error, see what works best 4 u

Voodoo Rufus · Mar 4, 2004

Yeah, an undervolted fan combined with a restrictive air filter will kill its performance.

crull · Mar 4, 2004

I think the best filters are the metal mesh kind. They seem to have the best airflow and they are easy to clean. You don't even need to take them off to clean them. Just use a vacuum with a brush and it pulls all the trapped dust out of them....simple. No need to wash them like the cloth filters.

Voodoo Rufus · Mar 4, 2004

I've got a pair of those. They work, never have tried the vacuum cleaner (duh....why didn't I do that). I remove them every month or so and wash them off in the sink then put them back on, one reason I'd like to have the foam ones.

crull · Mar 4, 2004

Voodoo Rufus said:
I've got a pair of those. They work, never have tried the vacuum cleaner (duh....why didn't I do that). I remove them every month or so and wash them off in the sink then put them back on, one reason I'd like to have the foam ones.

I wanted the best airflow, but with a filter. I know there are other things to use, but they either need to be replaced or washed. With the metal filters there is no need to remove them, just a quick vacuum with a brush and your done. I have tried the plastic filter with the cloth sheet and the snap on front, but the metal ones give more airflow. On the front of my case I modified one of the plastic filters by using a metal filter glued to the snap on front instead of the cloth filter. So I can snap the metal filter off and on if I need to.

TheWesson · Mar 5, 2004

I cut away a 4" by 6" section of the front bezel, at the bottom, and installed an air filter consisting of pantyhose stretched over "wire cloth" (a wire mesh with 1/4" openings.)

I bought "pearl" tone pantyhose which matches case beige very well.

My wife was with me so I didn't have to wonder what the clerk was wondering.

Behind the filter in the case is an 7v 120mm fan. With ducting, I don't need much airflow for a 25C case temp.

I'm cleaning the filter off once a month or so, whenever I lose positive case pressure.

Cleaning consists of yanking off the front bezel and blowing into the filter the opposite way that the air usually flows. I suppose I could use a small vac or whatever too.

the wesson

blkgti · Mar 5, 2004

Ergnas said:
Are fan filters really worth it?

That's a question an individual can only answer for himself. The concept of "value" is purely a personal issue.

They are kind of expensive....is there any cheaper way to make your own?

Well, I don't think they're very expensive at ~$2-3 a pop for the foam variety and ~$4-5 for aluminum mesh, but it doesn't hurt me to buy a cheeseburger either. In situations where use of commercially made filters was less then optimal, I've utilized clothes dryer sheets to good effect. As they work best after having been through the dryer a few times, you can certainly count on the savings driven by using the product for its intender purpose beforehand.

clocker2 · Mar 5, 2004

Dubbin1 said:
Hmmm I wonder how well a K&N air filter from a car would work. I would hate to spend all that money just to cut it up.

I've actually tried this using the conical, clamp-on style meant for motorcycle carbs (yes, they were real K&Ns, not cheap fakes).

Not so good.
The intake for an internal combustion engine generates a LOT more vacuum and airflow than any reasonable case fan.
The fan wasn't completely strangled, but the K&N did reduce the flow significantly.
Perhaps if you constructed a still air box and had several fans drawing from it, the K&N would be okay.

I'm using the metal mesh filters now.
For a long time I was so actively working on my case that dust wasn't an issue.
Now that my cooling solution has been resolved I decided to try the filters.
I haven't been running long enough to form a conclusion yet as to the effectiveness/performance ratio.

atconc · Mar 5, 2004

clocker2 said:
I'm using the metal mesh filters now.

Now that my cooling solution has been resolved I decided to try the filters.

Do they make any difference to noise levels? I snipped out the grills in my case and noticed a slight reduction in noise, I'm wondering if putting metal filters in would bring that noise back

clocker2 · Mar 5, 2004

I didn't notice any change in the intensity or pitch of the noise with/without the filters.
They do cut down on airflow some.

crull · Mar 5, 2004

atconc said:
Do they make any difference to noise levels? I snipped out the grills in my case and noticed a slight reduction in noise, I'm wondering if putting metal filters in would bring that noise back

I'm using 4 - 80mm Metal Filters on my case. If the metal filters do increase the noise it's very slight and I can't notice it. I think more noise comes with more restriction of airflow. The more restriction the more noise.

jimbobjones · Mar 5, 2004

im using the cheapest of cheap air filter
all i use is those cheap green scouring pads (usualy avalible in packs of 4 or 5 for 1 uk pound ($2usd) i personaly only use the ones that you can just about see light through (appx 5-7mm thick)

i cut them to size an sandwiched them betwen 2 fan grills

its cheap and it works

Fan Filters

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