Radion maintenance

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anyone done maintenance on the Ecotech Radions before? I have the G3's - getting a bit noisy. Fans in desparate need of a clean-up. Is there an easy way of doing this OR do I have to disassemble the unit?
Units already passed their warranty period. Definitely very cautious - these things cost an arm and a leg!
 
You can try a can of compressed air and blow all the dust from the fans and then maybe a bit of Q20 for lubrication. Maybe that makes a difference
 
Yip usually a good blow out with a compressor dose the trick. You can also dislodge the nasty stuff with a old tooth brush as well.
 
already tried the blow trick - not entirely successful. will probably need to disassemble and clean properly with toothbrush or something.

Thanks RiaanP - awesome thread!
 
Tooth brush and a drop of oil should have you sorted. Otherwise my fans are quiet noisy when they running at a 100% power. Turn them down to 85% and you hardly ever hear them.


Unless your tank is deeper than 60cm and your light are higher than 30cm off the water should make no difference to your growth. My Monti started growing towards the bottom on 100% power even with 6 weeks acclimatisation.
 
Definitely a case of dirt collection over time - normally don't hear them - sure it's affecting performance as well. Believe it's time to clean them properly.

Just wanted to know if there's an easy way doing this - will follow RiaanP's procedure and see how it goes. Thanks for all the input.
 
Not sure if the Gen3 also use that little ribbon to connect to the buttons.

If so
Just be very careful lifting the top plate. Lift it a bit and pull that ribbon out.

If different, then please take a pic and update that fan replacement thread.

Under the top cover is the actual heat sink fins that also can become dirty, need to brush that clean while you got the unit open. As can be seen here on the Gen 2 I got. (Also check the fragile ribbon cable)
07topplateremoved_zpsd0754830.jpg



You do not need to actually take the fan out. Should be able at this point to clean it. Unless you want to replace the fan while at it. If you reached this point, can just as well do it.
 
Yip they still have the ribbon but if you half careful you can open them up enough to give them a decent clean.
 
might be a good idea to order spare fans as backup just in case - these things pack up normally when you least expect it. Don't want that happening over a weekend with the supplier having to put your stuff on backorder for a few weeks.......

RiaanP do you think "upgrading" the fan is recommened? I see there are 1.1W, 1.8W & 2.3W versions available - all with same dimensions - just increased throughput.
 
increase throughput and you got increased fan noise.

Check the noise level on the replacement fans, plus their airflow rating. If you can get better flow for the same noise, then why not.
 
Did u manage to clean up your fans or replace them as yet. If so how hard was it?
 
Its not that hard. Just takes time. Only issue is that stupid fragile ribbon. If I can get my fingers in there, so should most of you. Even with limited soldering skills, I where able to do it. Get a comfortable table with good overhead lights and you will be able to apply your DIY skills.
 
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Hahaha. Managed to ipen it out. Gen 3 is very easy as you don't need to remove that circuit board. Switches are mounted onto the main case. So both front and back panels just unscrews. Problem is i now need replacement fans. Just gonna see what original costs. As i need 3.

image.jpeg
 
Original is about a R1000.
Google F-8015H12BII and you should be able to get the specs on the original fans. Ask your local electronic shop what other fans they got with the same specs.
 
Original is about a R1000.
Google F-8015H12BII and you should be able to get the specs on the original fans. Ask your local electronic shop what other fans they got with the same specs.

Many Thanks. R1000.00 is crazy. Hopefully i can get the cheaper version.
 
got around doing the maintenance yesterday - what a breeze - thanks to Riaan's post. Takes less than a minute to access the fan (to either clean properly OR replace). Don't really see the need to take everything apart. Removing the front panel allows you access and remove the fan. Fan has standard clip-in socket - easy to remove and re-install. Not sure if the fan was actually glued to the enclosure as it didn't take much effort to take out. With the fan out, you can clean fan cavity and adjacent heatsink fins - blower took care of the rest. Will be doing this way more often.
Might be a good idea to do at least once a year.
 
Don't really see the need to take everything apart. Removing the front panel allows you access and remove the fan.

Are the screws holding the fans on the G3 moved to be accessible from the leds side? On the G2, the fan screws are under the top plate of the light. Need to remove bottom and top plate to get the fan out.
 
yes - accessible from the 'outside'. you need to remove the 4 x corner PLUS the 4 x fans screws to remove te bottom (LED side) plate.
 
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