PSU REPLACEMENT - FAN - ON HP Z3100 and Z3200 Printers
Notes on Tools, Materials, and Procedures by Mark Lindquist

Power Supply Unit Fan Replacement
HP DesignJet  Z3100 - Z3200
 
Mark Lindquist 12/10/2014 - updated --1-10-2017
 

Fan replacement on the HP DesignJet  Z3100 - Z3200 PRINTER

By Mark Lindquist  |  August-December 2014-1/5/2017 © 2017 Lindquist Studios All Rights Reserved

PSU FAN Replacement Z3200 Printers

REPLACING THE HP Z3200 POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU) FAN

If you hear a loud noise coming from the left side of the printer as you face it, and it seems to whine or squeal, and it continues to get worse over time, it's probably the power supply fan. Amazing that such a small thing can make so much noise!

For some reason HP determined that inexpensive parts were adequate for this printer. A case in point is the power supply fan. When I took the power supply apart to get at the fan I was really surprised to find that it was essentially a $3.24 Computer fan with sleeve bearings. It is unfathomable to me is that a fan that is required to run 24 seven 325 would be so cheap.

If you want to know the exact fan that is used in the HP Z3200ps 24”, here it is:

The fan that was used in my HP Z3200 24" is a Sunon KD1208PTS1 13.GN 12V DC



http://datasheet.octopart.com/KD1208PTS1.13.GN-Sunon-Fans-datasheet-9566827.pdf

Here is a photo of the old fan moments after it was removed (check out the crud on it) you’ll see why blowing compressed air in there is just not going to get it.
The crud gets caked on!



Ultimately, HP doesn’t have any information about replacing the Power Supply Unit fan. It takes a ton of work and time to just replace the fan, (because of having to take the power supply unit apart) so I’m sure they only wanted their field technicians to replace the entire power supply and be done with it, due to the cost of labor and difficulty of tedious work in the field. There are companies who will trade you your entire PSU for theirs, which has had a new fan put in and is “refurbished”. The cost will be anywhere from $200 - $600. Google “HP Z3100 Power Supply Unit Replacement” and you’ll find more than you want to know.

In order to get at the fan it takes removing upwards of 40 screws from the power supply unit and a lot of futzing around just to expose the fan. Having actually pulled the power supply unit and opened it up and replaced the fan with a quality fan I can say that it is quite a job but not an unsurmountable one and with a little patience and perseverance it is certainly doable.

The fan is essentially a simple computer case fan and you can find any number of them online. If you want to take the easy way out, get an entire PSU with who knows what fan they put in there and how, and send yours off, never to be seen again. Just hope they sent you a “good one” back! If you don’t want to get into replacing the fan yourself - take the easy way out, send your PSU here.

I made the decision to replace my own fan so that I could clean the circuit boards and inspect everything, plus I have an innate curiosity about how things work. I figured I could take the power supply unit apart, replace the fan and put it back together in an hour. Wrong. It takes a couple to 3 hours, anyway, but I work slowly and carefully.

I got a waterproof fan because I figure they are made to withstand a lot more climate issues. Just get one that has ball bearings instead of sleeve bearings. I also got this fan because I knew I could easily splice the wires into the plug and wires of the old, existing fan. It was an easy fix - just nipped the old fan wires off about 5” past the plug and soldered everything together and used heat shrink tubing and a heat gun to go over the soldered areas.
Scenario80 12v - 80mm 12v BLDC Waterproof Fan IP57 - I got mine on Amazon, but they don’t seem to be available there anymore. NEW INFO on Replacement Fan - see below photo

NEW INFO ON ALTERNATIVE FAN REPLACEMENT FROM PAUL BROOKS:

80mm fan alternative made by ADDA:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/80mm-25mm-Case-Fan-12V-67CFM-PC-CPU-Computer-Cooling-2-Wire-Ball-Brgs-8025-304-/181048018807?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10


80mm 25mm New Case Fan 12V 67CFM PC CPU Computer Cooling 2pin Ball Brgs 304*

This 80mm x 25mm 12V fan, part number AD0812UB-A73GP, has 2 ball bearings for long life, a 3 pin/ 2 wire motherboard connector and 4 self tapping screws.

The specifications include;

Voltage, 12V
Voltage Range, 6 to 13.8V
Current, 0.400Amps
Speed, 4500RPM at rated voltage and zero pressure
Flow (Max), 67CFM
Pressure Rise (Max), 0.30inH2O
Noise, 48dBA

THANKS PAUL!

Here is a very effective and simple video on how to take the PSU out, once you have the printer cracked open:

Simple Screw Location Video

The existing fan is hidden deep in underneath in the back of the PSU. It gets really dirty and is impossible to get at without taking the PSU off the printer.

Be careful about taking a compressor hose to it to blow it out (DON’T) - you’ll blow all that crud all over the electronics inside that are unprotected.



Before you remove any wires, from the PSU (Power Supply Unit), be sure to take photos of where things go:



Take close-ups so you know where all the plugs go back in:



I even took closeups of the wires disconnected:



Once I got the PSU off the printer, and went after the screws, carefully labeling them (photos help) since there are different types of screws, I set up my soldering iron and tools to be able to work comfortably.



Additional Information:

Here is an excellent very short video about how to remove the specific screws to release the PSU from the printer:

Designjet T Electronics Module - YouTube

A short video on repairing the Power Supply Unit by Les Sheppard: (Thanks Jim Mandraci for the link)
 

By Mark Lindquist | August-December 2014-2017 © Lindquist Studios All Rights Reserved