Cleaning Your PS3?

[crques]

Anyone else tried vacuuming your PS3 vents, as Sony suggests, when cleaning your PS3? I've had my PS3 for about a year and a half now and I've noticed that the fan seems to be kicking in much quicker than it used to (about 3 minutes into play) and that it gets louder after about 5 minutes. I thought maybe some dust was on the fan blades causing them to do this. I took a mini hand-held vacuum and using the small attachment, I vaccuumed around the vent for a couple of seconds. It didn't seem to help and the fans are still doing the same thing, maybe even louder now. The system seems to work fine and I've only had 2 game freezes since I've had it so I don't think it's affecting gameplay. It's just louder than it's ever been before and the PS3 seems to make popping and cracking noises occasionally during gameplay, which it has been doing for a few months now. Any other suggestions for cleaning or what might be causing the fan problem? By the way, I have a 60gb and it sets on a monitor stand in the floor, very well ventilated. Thanks.

[crques]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

Anyone........someone?

[Scott]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I haven't cleaned mine, but I've only had mine for like 4 months.

[BIG CAROLINA]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

Anyone else tried vacuuming your PS3 vents, as Sony suggests, when cleaning your PS3? I've had my PS3 for about a year and a half now and I've noticed that the fan seems to be kicking in much quicker than it used to (about 3 minutes into play) and that it gets louder after about 5 minutes. I thought maybe some dust was on the fan blades causing them to do this. I took a mini hand-held vacuum and using the small attachment, I vaccuumed around the vent for a couple of seconds. It didn't seem to help and the fans are still doing the same thing, maybe even louder now. The system seems to work fine and I've only had 2 game freezes since I've had it so I don't think it's affecting gameplay. It's just louder than it's ever been before and the PS3 seems to make popping and cracking noises occasionally during gameplay, which it has been doing for a few months now. Any other suggestions for cleaning or what might be causing the fan problem? By the way, I have a 60gb and it sets on a monitor stand in the floor, very well ventilated. Thanks.

I actually keep mine covered up when not playing and I use a swifter when I am done playing. I also use a mini vac for the vents also(I know kinda nutz LOL).

[crques]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I actually keep mine covered up when not playing and I use a swifter when I am done playing. I also use a mini vac for the vents also(I know kinda nutz LOL).

That's not nuts at all. These things cost too much money not to be taking care of them. I've kept a dust cover on mine since I got the thing and always keep it covered when I'm not playing. I can't figure out the fan noise in mine though and why it's gotten louder and kicked in quicker. I guess since the system's still working it's not that big of a deal but I still wonder why it started doing that. Could it be due to the weather outside becoming warming, increasing room temperature causing the system to be hotter? Just guessing here.

[sportdan30]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I have the 40gb PS3, and run the system maintenance to clean the fans once every few weeks. It's definitely noticeable in terms of how quiet it makes the console. But, I guess that option is not available on the 60gb PS3.

[The Chef]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I have the 40gb PS3, and run the system maintenance to clean the fans once every few weeks. It's definitely noticeable in terms of how quiet it makes the console. But, I guess that option is not available on the 60gb PS3.

What system maintenance are you talking about exactly?

[ASB37]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

What system maintenance are you talking about exactly?

I believe he's talking about this

[The Chef]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I remember seeing that but couldnt remember how to do it, seems legit. Has anyone here done it and found that their PS3 runs quieter? Mine isnt loud at all right now but would like to know my options if it gets to that point at all.

[Village Idiot]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I have a 60 and so can't do the fan-thing. Wish I could. Yeah I vacuumed the vents before, but it didn't seem to do much of anything. How friggin' filthy would a PS3 have to be in order for a vacuum to clean it? Yeah, if the vents are visibly clogged with crap it might help, but my vents looked pretty clean to begin with, so rubbing a vacuum across them seemed to me like a waste of time.

[crques]

Re: Cleaning Your PS3?

I have a 60 and so can't do the fan-thing. Wish I could. Yeah I vacuumed the vents before, but it didn't seem to do much of anything. How friggin' filthy would a PS3 have to be in order for a vacuum to clean it? Yeah, if the vents are visibly clogged with crap it might help, but my vents looked pretty clean to begin with, so rubbing a vacuum across them seemed to me like a waste of time.

That's kind of what I thought too. The first time I did it, I had the PS3 turned off but I forgot to unplug it. I don't think it messed anything up though. The 2nd time I vacuumed the vents, I made sure to unplug the system. Anyway, neither time seemed to do much for the fan. I really don't think it was that dirty to start with since I keep mine covered when I'm not playing it. It's just weird that all of a sudden my fans have started to kick in to that louder mode almost as soon as I start playing anything. It used to take at least 25-30 minutes for that to happen before. Like I said in my earlier post, the system still seems to be working fine. Other than the fan being loud and going into the higher speed quickly, I've not noticed anything else going on with it. I'm just trying to figure out what's causing it now and if it possibly might be a sign something's getting ready to go wrong with it. It has me paranoid now every time I turn it on and hear the fan get louder. It's still nowhere near the 360 noise though.