How can I get a 12v fan to run off of a USB port? Alternately, how can I make my laptop not overheat and die? [more inside]
posted by Chionophilia on Jul 9, 2009 - 10 answers

How do I clean my fan? Seriously, I read the manual that came with it, and the manual is lying. [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah on Jun 12, 2009 - 8 answers

Is it okay to use a window fan during a thunderstorm? [more inside]
posted by MesoFilter on Jun 11, 2009 - 7 answers

I've got a Socket 479 CPU with a fan that is making a lot of noise. Will a Socket 478 CPU fan/heatsink work on a Socket 479 CPU? [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Jan 10, 2009 - 7 answers

Homebrew PC is making a lot of noise — advice on how I should fix this? [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Dec 29, 2008 - 17 answers

How do you write a fan letter pretending to be Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana? [more inside]
posted by LiquidKarma on Nov 21, 2008 - 26 answers

Where can I find a new fan for my Fujitsu T4215 laptop? [more inside]
posted by JDHarper on Nov 8, 2008 - 3 answers

Do over-the-oven microwaves with exhaust inherently suck? (no pun intended) [more inside]
posted by jclovebrew on Nov 3, 2008 - 14 answers

Help me find a replacement fan for my VGA heatsink. The base of the fan is mounted onto the copper plate with 3 screws (in the shape of a 'Y') instead of the typical rectangular shape with 4 screws. This is an after-market heatsink for the 9800pro so I couldn't find any place that still sells it. The size of the fan is approx 2.12in which is about 53mm which is not typical either.
posted by parttimeninja on Oct 28, 2008 - 8 answers

How can I watch hockey on TV more "actively"? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on Oct 14, 2008 - 11 answers

Help me design a tall skinny flat window box fan! [more inside]
posted by Aquaman on Oct 2, 2008 - 7 answers

Mets Fans! My accountant just saved me $10,000 with the IRS. I would very much like to thank him in a way he can accept with a small gift. He's a huge Mets fan, is there a book or something I can send to show my appreciation? I'm not a sports fan at all and I won't be taking him out to dinner or some event (my husband might object, heh.)
posted by eatdonuts on Oct 2, 2008 - 22 answers

TechFilter: Help me find a replacement fan for my Arctic Cooling heatsink. [more inside]
posted by judge.mentok.the.mindtaker on Sep 3, 2008 - 1 answer

In-medium tributes: Can you think of instances where fans/players have died and been memorialized in some way in a show or game (if you can think of other forms where this has happened go right ahead)? Examples would be Leyla Harrison (X-Files) or Dak "Caylee" Krause (World of Warcraft).
posted by calistasm on Jul 26, 2008 - 10 answers

Best Cubs gift for my boss under $100 [more inside]
posted by I_Love_Bananas on Jul 23, 2008 - 8 answers

Regular Floor Fan Filter: My wife swears that it's best to use a fan to "suck the hot air out of the room" first before turning the fan around to draw in the cooler evening air. I say the only hot air in the room is...well, help us figure this out! [more inside]
posted by Spyder's Game on Jul 15, 2008 - 27 answers

Is there a term for the type of person that tends to becomes an obsessive fan of a particular book, movie, TV show, etc.? Sometimes obscure, sometimes not so obscure? [more inside]
posted by Quidam on Jul 7, 2008 - 30 answers

How do I know what kind/size of fan/heatsink will fit in my computer? [more inside]
posted by number9dream on Jun 26, 2008 - 10 answers

How do I test a Hunter attic fan controller? I want to be thorough before I climb in the attic. [more inside]
posted by notsnot on May 20, 2008 - 6 answers

Why does my 13" MacBook's fan start running full speed when watching online video from sites such as youtube? Is there anything I can do about it?
posted by alitorbati on May 15, 2008 - 11 answers

We just bought a house, and the bathroom fan currently vents into the attic. I know this isn't good, and I have done a bunch of googling, but I still have questions. Like: who should do the work -- a roofer, a handyman, someone else? Is it better to vent through the roof or through the wall, as our handyman suggests? Any other things I should know?
posted by trillian on May 14, 2008 - 10 answers

Has fan response ever saved a TV show? [more inside]
posted by forallmankind on May 5, 2008 - 26 answers

recommend the most powerful fan you know! [more inside]
posted by thinkingwoman on Apr 6, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I make a piece of test equipment quieter? [more inside]
posted by vansly on Apr 3, 2008 - 3 answers

Why is the fan on my Toshiba laptop almost continually blowing? The computer doesn't seem particularly hot, and the constant on/off noise is annoying. Anybody know how to fix this?
posted by Ollie on Jan 26, 2008 - 19 answers

I have a hot laptop. In fact, it's so hot that I can't even touch it. Is this normal? Or has the fan given up? [more inside]
posted by jonathanbell on Nov 29, 2007 - 11 answers

I have a 2.33 Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro 15 inch laptop. Recently, I have noticed that both fans on it constantly run at the maximum 6000 rpm's. The noise is driving me nuts, and the battery seems to run out much sooner. My question is in two parts: (1) would anything in the system logs help explain why this is happening? and (2) how can I make it stop? [more inside]
posted by crazyray on Oct 21, 2007 - 8 answers

Why is my natural gas bill insane this month? [more inside]
posted by perpetualstroll on Oct 18, 2007 - 13 answers

Shut my computer up...what's the best way to stop making my computer's fans work so hard. [more inside]
posted by melissam on Aug 26, 2007 - 13 answers

So I just got the newest iMac today (the one that was announced last week). After 4 hours or so of use the fan has kicked on in a most noisy way and it won't shut down. Restarting does nothing. Take time to let it cool. Restart. Just more fan. So...anyone got a "here-n-now" fix or do I take it back to the store in the morning?
posted by sourwookie on Aug 15, 2007 - 15 answers

How can I get tickets to see a particular theater show in Tokyo? [more inside]
posted by xo on Jul 2, 2007 - 2 answers

[PCHardwareFilter] Socket AM2 or 775 motherboard in an Antec Aria case? [more inside]
posted by ChazB on Mar 26, 2007 - 1 answer

Last night, suddenly and without provocation, my MacBook started grinding and crackling something fierce, mid-Google Reader browse. I shut it down quickly, savored the adrenaline rush, and started it up again. It wound up with a loud whine that accelerated until... well, it slowly dropped to a low whir. And it continues to whir. But the computer runs (for now) as if there's nothing wrong. My guess is it's the fan. If so, though, what happened? It was so sudden. (And this is not the iMoo.) And does this require Apple service, or can I somehow fix this myself? Should I stop using the MacBook entirely in the meantime? Want to hear the racket?
posted by pzarquon on Mar 7, 2007 - 7 answers

How do I hang an asian fan on the wall? [more inside]
posted by Dennis Murphy on Mar 1, 2007 - 7 answers

Laptopfilter: I'm curious about how CPU usage, noise level, and being able to go to standby/hibernation and shut down properly are related. For a long time (over a year, I think) my HP laptop(running Windows XP) was at 100% CPU usage all the time, ran loudly, and wouldn't go to standby or hibernation or shut down all the way. There's a lot [more inside]
posted by sleeplessunderwater on Jan 31, 2007 - 11 answers

Am I crazy for thinking of living in Durham, NC without air conditioning? Considerations: I get really really hot, have a somewhat crazy internal thermometer, I have lots of books, and I don't want to be miserable. Problem: we found a super cute house and it doesn't have AC. What to do? [more inside]
posted by fionab on Nov 28, 2006 - 22 answers

Is my new Mac Mini broken? [more inside]
posted by david1230 on Nov 11, 2006 - 6 answers

Camputer case fans stopped working! I have two Vantec Stealth computer case fans which have been working perfectly for some time now. They were mounted inside two of my xBoxes (don't ask) and they worked very well for some time. Now they both don't work! [more inside]
posted by Napierzaza on Nov 4, 2006 - 11 answers

Why does my powerbook fan run all the time (when external monitor is connected)? [more inside]
posted by buybelen on Oct 27, 2006 - 4 answers

What are the characteristics of the best fansites? [more inside]
posted by BruceL on Aug 22, 2006 - 13 answers

My friend has moved into a flat, the building being probably 30 years old or so, and on top of the fairly old toilet cistern is a small electric fan unit. We simple cannot work out what it's meant for. [more inside]
posted by tomble on Aug 13, 2006 - 9 answers

The metal grate that keeps fingers, etc. out of the fans on the bottom of my Toshiba notebook had bent inward towards the computer. Help! [more inside]
posted by 4ster on Aug 3, 2006 - 4 answers

Are there recreational places with giant indoor fans that blow you up into the air and give you a simulated indoor experience of flying -- or did I just dream this idea? I can't remember...
posted by shivohum on Jul 27, 2006 - 12 answers

For a friend: How would a semi-mechaically-inclined person with their own tools find, remove, clean & lubricate -OR- find, clean & lubricate without removing, the vent/AC van which is under/behind the dash in a 93-95 Cadillac Eldorado ETC? [more inside]
posted by sandra_s on Jun 26, 2006 - 5 answers

3 people sharing a flat: How are contracts to 3 separate people enforced? (UK) [more inside]
posted by cillit bang on Jun 18, 2006 - 19 answers

What's the optimal way to combine a fan with an air conditioner? [more inside]
posted by Caviar on May 30, 2006 - 12 answers

My computer's on/off fan is driving me mad; and I don't need the power. How can I limit the available processor power so that I can run it silently? [more inside]
posted by jamescridland on May 29, 2006 - 13 answers

Why do all my table fans eventually stop working? [more inside]
posted by ashbury on May 3, 2006 - 7 answers

When someone is an extreme fan of a particular group or culture, is it "politically correct" to be so, and how do the people being so admired feel about their admirer? [more inside]
posted by Rubber Soul on Mar 29, 2006 - 29 answers

How do I quiet a noisy external drive fan? Or should I? [more inside]
posted by Gungho on Mar 20, 2006 - 6 answers