What can I use to lubricate sticky fans in my PC and air-purifier?

[Math Is Hard]

I've got a sluggish fan in my PC, and we're also having a problem with a sticky fan in our air-purifier at work. I know WD-40 is a no-no, and the best suggestion I have come up with is "sewing machine oil" to lubricate these parts. For some reason I am having a hard time finding sewing machine oil. Any other suggestions?

 

[-Job-]

Buy a new one...

 

[Math Is Hard]

I may do that for the PC, but the fan for the air-purifier fan is going to be more difficult to replace. Blowing it out with compressed air helped, but it is still making a lot of noise.

 

[-Job-]

I guess the fan must be hitting the frame. If that is the case then it sounds fixable and might go away eventually after the fan wears out whatever it is hitting on or vice versa. This reminds me of when i was a kid and my bycicle's right pedal kept hitting against the bycicle's frame, it would make a lot noise, but i kept on riding it even though the pedal would stop when it hit the frame so i had to really put some effort with my right foot on the way down so that it go past the frame. Eventually it wore out about 1cm of the frame after which point it worked perfectly. There's your solution right there.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I guess the fan must be hitting the frame. If that is the case then it sounds fixable and might go away eventually after the fan wears out whatever it is hitting on or vice versa. This reminds me of when i was a kid and my bycicle's right pedal kept hitting against the bycicle's frame, it would make a lot noise, but i kept on riding it even though the pedal would stop when it hit the frame so i had to really put some effort with my right foot on the way down so that it go past the frame. Eventually it wore out about 1cm of the frame after which point it worked perfectly. There's your solution right there.

So, I'll just wait it out. I am not sure it is hitting the frame, though. I will take a closer look.

OK, so this afternoon I am going to pick up some 3-IN-ONE oil, which http://www.dansdata.com/fanmaint.htm" says is acceptable. He mentions that the "blue label mineral-based version" of the product is preferable, but I am not sure which one he means. Is he talking about one of the 3-IN-ONE Professional products?
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/3in1pro.html

 

[slopedsideways]

Wow, that is great, I didn't know you could oil a computer fan, though it does make sense.

By the way, by letting the fan hit the frame and wear down, don't you run the chance of gettin it out of balance. That will probably end up being just as noisy as when it was hitting the frame.

 

[-Job-]

I wasn't really being serious about letting it wear down . If it's hitting the frame i would try to position/shape the fan so that it does not, buy a new one, or get one from an old computer.

 

[pallidin]

If you haven't been to this site before, perhaps it can help:

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/print/?TYPE=story&AT=2135514-39020436t-20000009c