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Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

supertix
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

hi to all 🙂
i have just installed in my ReadyNas Duo a NOCTUA NF-R8 80mm with Akasa fan adapter 60mm->80mm, and it works very fine. Noise level now is reduced and disks are colder.
But i have 2 questions:

1) following user posts pictures i have installed the fan PULLING OUT the air, is it the right installation direction? i have this doubt becase i can't remember how was installed the original fan...pulling air out or in??
2) for people with my NOCTUA 80mm fan: do you have used LNA or ULNA cables? i have installed LNA, so my fan speed is 1200rpm, 10db noise level, and disks are 30 degrees. Has anyone tried ULNA configuration? Is too poor cold air or i can try?

thanks guys! 😉
Message 101 of 127
PapaBear1
Guide

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I don't know about the cables, but the fan pulls air out the back. You should be able to feel the current when you place your hand about 1" away from the fan.
Message 102 of 127
eton
Luminary

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

@supertix

Yes the fan should pull out the air. That's why there are holes in the hard drive door at the front.
You might not need the Noctua cables, you can experiment with the EnableFanMinRPMOverride add-on
http://www.readynas.com/?page_id=617
Message 103 of 127
eton
Luminary

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/coolin ... case-fan/1

The be quiet - SilentWings USC - might be the worlds best 120 mm fan.
http://www.be-quiet.net/be-quiet.net/in ... iteLang=en

I will try it
Message 104 of 127
bsevans
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

My DUO started posting fan errors in the log. After a couple weeks of on and off fan errors, I took the DUO apart to remove the fan which I took to the local computer store. They sold me a fan that was actually thinner than the NAS fan. They said the fan they sold me was more than capable as far as CFM and was also quite. I installed the fan and have not had any errors logged for the fan and the temperature of the two drives are in the same range as I saw on the Health page in Frontview before the Factory fan started having errors. The fan has been in the DUO for almost 6 months and not one error for HD temperatures or the fan speed. Also, the fan is quite to the point I cannot hear it. My DUO is located on a wooden shelf in front of me and slightly above my head.
Message 105 of 127
hadaak
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I bought my Duo last friday. I haven't read this thread before buying.
I did find out that the fan is noisy and just ordered a Papst fan : 38€ 😞 (shipping included)

http://www.ebmpapst.com/en/products/compact-fans/axial-compact-fans/axial_compact_fans_detail.php?pID=53780

Technical description
Approval VDE, CSA, UL, CE
Bearing Sintec sleeve bearing
Connection line Single strands AWG 22, TR 64, bared and tin-plated.
Dimensions 60 x 60 x 25 mm
Direction of air flow Air exhaust over bars
Direction of protection Right, looking at rotor
General description Suitable for use at high ambient temperatures. Electronic commutation completely integrated.
Housing material Fiberglass-reinforced PBTP plastic
Lifetime L10 at 40 °C 80000 h
Lifetime L10 at maximum temperature 32500 h
Locked-rotor protection With electronic blocking and overload protection
Mass 0.066 kg
Material of impeller Fiberglass-reinforced PA plastic
Motor protection Protected against reverse polarity and locking.

Nominal voltage [VDC] 12
Nominal voltage range [VDC] 8 .. 15
Speed [min-1] 3000
Power input [W] 0.7
Min. ambient temperature [°C] -20
Max. ambient temperature [°C] 80
Air flow [m3/h] 25
Sound power level 3.9
Sound pressure level [dB(A)] 19


Wil update you when I install it.
Message 106 of 127
erodrigues
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

Hi all,

I just installed a Fractal Design 60mm silent fan given the feedback i saw in some forum posts.

The first feedback is that it is in fact more silent then the stock CROWN AGE06025B12U but even after calibration i don't get reasonable lower RPM speed :cry: :
These are the reading 10min after a reboot:

Disk 1 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 26 C / 78 F , Write-cache ON
Disk 2 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 27 C / 80 F , Write-cache ON
Fan 1 2027 RPM

I will monitor closely the HDD's temps to avoid any problems... I do remember that the original operating temps were around 36C-37C (under heavy data writing/reading).
I am also aware that the original fan would draw more air and support higher rpm.

I will keep testing and let you guys know the results.

Look forward to hear any feedback either way 😄
Message 107 of 127
erodrigues
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

erodrigues wrote:
Hi all,

I just installed a Fractal Design 60mm silent fan given the feedback i saw in some forum posts.

The first feedback is that it is in fact more silent then the stock CROWN AGE06025B12U but even after calibration i don't get reasonable lower RPM speed :cry: :
These are the reading 10min after a reboot:

Disk 1 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 26 C / 78 F , Write-cache ON
Disk 2 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 27 C / 80 F , Write-cache ON
Fan 1 2027 RPM

I will monitor closely the HDD's temps to avoid any problems... I do remember that the original operating temps were around 36C-37C (under heavy data writing/reading).
I am also aware that the original fan would draw more air and support higher rpm.

I will keep testing and let you guys know the results.

Look forward to hear any feedback either way 😄


UPDATE:

I have to say that even with the same RPM as the stock fan it is much much much more silent than before! This upgrade is highly recommended!!!

Disk 1 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 30 C / 86 F , Write-cache ON
Disk 2 WDC WD20EARS-00MVWB0 1863 GB , 30 C / 86 F , Write-cache ON
Fan 1 1666 RPM

I believe that the 2000 RPM from my previous post occurred because of multiple refresh that i was doing to the webGUI of the ForntView. I also believe that the fan speed is influenced by the ReadyNAS DUO CPU temperature. Can anyone confirm this?
Message 108 of 127
csouthon
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I have also installed the Fractal Design 60mm fan. The most complex piece was finding the right screwdriver!

It's been installed for a couple of weeks now and is significantly quieter than the stock fan. In terms of temperatures they seem a bit lower than the stock fan

Disk 1 Seagate ST3500418AS 465 GB , 30 C / 86 F
Disk 2 Seagate ST3500418AS 465 GB , 29 C / 84 F
Fan 1 1630 RPM

All in all I think this is an excellent upgrade
Message 109 of 127
rustlerush
Aspirant

Use the force of 8 quid Duo users - buy the Fractal Fan

If anyone is thinking of getting rid of this device because of the noise: I followed the crowds and purchased the Fractal Design 60mm Silent Series Cooling Fan [ASIN: B003ZVTS4A]

I could't believe the difference. Now I have the device on a book shelf where I can access the usb ports.
Message 110 of 127
Pjotr1
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

erodrigues wrote:
...........
I believe that the 2000 RPM from my previous post occurred because of multiple refresh that i was doing to the webGUI of the ForntView. I also believe that the fan speed is influenced by the ReadyNAS DUO CPU temperature. Can anyone confirm this?

There is a utility you can install to set the minimum fan speed (a link is posted earlier in this thread). I have mine set at 1500 rpm with a 80 mm Nexus fan and it never gets up, not even on hot summer days, keeping the HD's at a comfortable 31 - 38 deg C.

Remember that the optimum disk temperature is between 30 an 40 deg C. Lower will shorten life time.
Message 111 of 127
Sulu
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I have joined the many who have replaced the stock ReadyNAS Duo fan with an aftermarket fan. I have to say that the noise difference is dramatic and well worth it. However I am worried about the potential for problems after getting thoroughly confused by this thread which goes into much more detail about matching the CFM, RPM and wattage between the stock fan and an aftermarket fan. Instead of trying to understand all of this, I took a leap of faith. I followed the many users in this thread who have had success with the Fractal Design 60mm Silent Series fan http://fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=4&prod=15.

For those of you in the US looking for a place to buy this fan, I couldn't find any place that had reasonable prices and availability. I would like to recommend Quiet PC http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/fractaldesignfans/fd-fan-60 located in the UK. Simply change your country and currency in the upper left corner of the site and you can see that the Fractal Design fan will cost you $11.33 shipped. My fan arrived in less than a week which is faster than some domestic deliveries and the shipping price is great for international.

Prior to installing the fan I took a screenshot of my Duo's Health tab in Frontview. I run two Seagate ST3500630AS 500GB drives in my setup. I don't have any streaming services running, I simply use it as a file server at this time.

The temps and fan speed using the stock fan at the time I took the screenshot were:

  • 1704 RPM

  • 42 C / 107 F

  • 37 C / 98 F


I realize that this fans RPM fluctuates based temperature, but I know that it has been around 1700 RPM in the past when I have checked. I also have my HD's set to go into sleep mode after periods of not being used.

Following the nice video guide uploaded by danielrc15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68Bw2qgN4E I was able to install the new fan in a few minutes. It is really simple, and the only note I would make is that the Fractal Fan has a much longer cable so I wrapped it conveniently around the fans outer frame which keeps the cable away from any of the electrical parts on the board.

After reconnecting my Duo and starting Frontview, I proceeded to recalibrate the fan once. After waiting for a period of time for the hard drives to heat up here are the results:

  • the fan speed settles between 1630 -1650 RPM

  • my HD temps are 40 C / 104 F and 35C / 95 F

  • the noise levels are lower.

  • This is on a cool day so I am sure the temps will rise along with the fan RPM when summer hits.


The one question I have is regarding the minimum fan speed. I am aware that there is a minimum fan speed utility posted on Netgears site with some rather ominous warnings http://www.readynas.com/?p=4216 . My Duo seems to be fine when the hard drives have been running for a few minutes and the fan RPM settles. I am concerned that when the HD's go to sleep, that the minimum fan speed is dropping to around 1000 RPM as the fan barely produces enough air to feel it blowing out of the back and upon initial FrontView access when the HD's were sleeping and prior to them fully heating up, I can check the health and see RPM's around 1300 or less on the fan even though the HD temps are much cooler like 25 C and 28 C. Should this be acceptable fan speed reduction as long as the HD's are in sleep mode or should I be concerned enough to apply the "discouraged use" minimum fan speed addon and set it to around 1300?

Thanks for the great thread and any helpful advice. 😄 I wish I could post links using BBCode... 😞
Message 112 of 127
Pjotr1
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

Hi Sulu,

Apart from the HDD's, be aware that the CPU also needs a minimum amount of cooling. I wouldn't go below 1500 - 1600 Rpm in any case and keep air inlets (front AND side) free of accumulated dust.
Message 113 of 127
Sulu
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

Thanks for the reminder about the CPU. Since you have installed the minimum fan speed addon is it as dangerous as Netgear makes it out to be? Is it complex to configure?
Message 114 of 127
Pjotr1
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

No not all, follow the guidelines given to install the utility and restart.

Then in Frontview under System --> Power you will find "Fan RPM Override Option". You can set there minimum fan speed as desired and "Apply". That's it.

The "Danger" is that you set fan speed too low. I.e. if the noise of your fan is perfectly acceptable at 1800 Rpm then don't set it lower.
Message 115 of 127
thomthom
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I've been considering to buy a ReadyNAS Duo, but I wanted to investigate the noise levels first. Found this thread very interesting.

There is one thing here which people talk about which I don't understand: "calibrating the fan". How do you do that?
Message 116 of 127
ilkevinli
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

There is an option in the admin panel to calibrate the the fan


thomthom wrote:
I've been considering to buy a ReadyNAS Duo, but I wanted to investigate the noise levels first. Found this thread very interesting.

There is one thing here which people talk about which I don't understand: "calibrating the fan". How do you do that?
Message 117 of 127
PapaBear1
Guide

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I don't know if some people are very sensitive to certain noises more so than others, but some members in the past have complained about the noise level of almost every ReadyNAS made. I have an NV+ that some think is noisy and I hear the drives over the fan, the same thing is true of my NVX units. I may be fortunate three times and gotten quiet units, or they may be more sensitive than others.

Also keep in mind that if you have a home network, you don't have to have the unit right beside you. Anywhere you have a good wired connection, it will probably be happy. Some people even use rack mounted units that are definitely noisy (fans run full speed all the time as they were designed for use in server rooms, not next to users), but they are in a basement location.
Message 118 of 127
frkeller1
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I don't know if this applies your case, but here is how I opened my ReadyNas Duo case. Remove the four tiny screws from around the edge of the back of the unit. You can optionally remove the foot pads from the bottom of the unit in order to reduce the friction when you slide back the side panel. Then slide the side panel away from the front of the box, towards the back. It was pretty stiff on my unit, and I had to work at it a little bit. For access to the memory chip, you only need to remove the left hand panel (looking at the box from the front).
Message 119 of 127
Heavyhms
Tutor

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

There are report for internal temp with fractal design fan and high ambient temperature (30°-32°C on summertime)?
Message 120 of 127
eton
Luminary

Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

Could be true, but keep in mind that to get that low in temperature the nas has to be equipped with disks that don't run so hot.
My old Seagate disks are booth noisy and hot. Infact I only hear my disks, not the replaced fan.
Message 121 of 127
duckson
Guide

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I seem to have a very high pitched noise emitting from the Readynas Duo and it took me a while to track it down to the NAS. It is so high pitched my wife says she cant hear it and the kids havent moaned about it but it is driving me mad, my ears are still ringing an hour after i turn the NAS off (put my hands on my ears and i can hear it so its nothing in the room still!!). It has only just started this noise though.

Traced it to either the fan or some electronics in the NAS but on disconnection of the fan and powering the NAS up briefly (drives also removed to make sure they werent the noise source) it was silent so it must be the fan. Seems to make the same noise no matter the RPM of the fan.

So i'm going to try the Fractal Designs fan, there is an R2 version now which i dont think the other people in this thread were using?
R2 - http://fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=4&prod=75
Other - http://fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=4&prod=15

It has a higher CFM and a lower dB than the other one mentioned in this thread.

I will update the thread once i've got the fan and tried it out.
Message 122 of 127
StephenB
Guru

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

If you purchased the duo in July 2011, then it would still be under warranty, so that would be another option for you.
Message 123 of 127
duckson
Guide

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

I assumed it only had 1yr warranty, more fool me! :oops:

Probably easier for me to just change the fan as i've ordered it now plus one of the side panel screws wont come out, seems to have been tightened really hard from new...the others came out no bother. The head on it is knackered now, will have to drill it out but i can change the fan with just the panel on the fan connector side taken off i think (stuck screw is on the top right looking from the back of the NAS).
Message 124 of 127
anarchoi
Aspirant

Re: Replacing the fan in ReadyNAS Duo - possible?

How can Netgear tell if i replaced the fan ? When changing the fan, is there a sticker that i have to remove or something like that ?

My ReadyNAS is very noisy (i'm in a silent room) and the fan is very annoying. I'm in a temperature controlled room with green drives so the temperatures are always under 40'C.

I'm sure i can change the fans without overheating my unit but i'm worried about losing my warranty since i already had a ReadyNAS Ultra 4 fail for absolutly no reason and i had to RMA it. So if i change the fan, then my unit fail (not because of overheating) can i just change back the fan to the original and RMA the unit to netgear or is there a way they will notice it ?
Message 125 of 127
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