Do you want to find out why Is my MacBook Air making a fan noise? We know MacBook for being relatively silent, even when working on relatively demanding tasks. For that reason, you can tell that there’s a problem with your computer when the noise from the fans becomes audible.
The MacBook Air is a low-power computer that’s not designed to work with fans being very audible. Recent versions of the computer are being released with no fans, attesting to the fact that they should work optimally without the extra cooling hardware.
If your MacBook Air is making a lot of fans’ noise, consider troubleshooting and solving whatever the problem might be. Since that could get very technical, here is a guide to help you troubleshoot the source of your MacBook’s fan noise and how to get it fixed.
Why Is My MacBook Air Making a Fan Noise?
Imagine working on a silent computer, getting work done while enjoying the silence that your little powerful computer offers. Suddenly, the fans spin up loudly, creating a kind of indescribably annoying noise that pierces through your ears.
If you’re reading through this article, I’ll assume that you’re facing this problem and you’re seeking a solution. Before going through the list of solutions, however, it’s crucial to learn why this problem occurs with some MacBook Air laptops.
Here are some reasons your MacBook Air might make fan noise.
- 1. You’re running intensive apps.
In most cases, the reason your MacBook Air makes fan noise is your running apps that are too intensive for the laptop’s processor. As explained earlier, the Air is the MacBook version for enthusiasts, and it’s not designed for professional work.
If your computer is required for most of your work, you’ll need a beefier computer than the MacBook Air. That’s usually the only solution if you only notice the increasing fan noise when you run multiple intensive apps on your MacBook Air.
- 2. You’re using the computer in a warm room.
While your room temperature should have little to do with your MacBook’s fans, the computer can get hot if you’re in a relatively hot room. If you’re using your computer in a warm room without air conditioning during the summer, there’s a good chance that it’s going to overheat and start the fans.
Before powering up your MacBook Air, ensure that the room temperature is between 10 and 35 degrees. If it’s anything higher than that, expect to deal with running fans and system failure because of overheating.
- 3. Your air vents are blocked.
Even if you’re in a properly ventilated room, your MacBook Air might still get ridiculously hot if your air vents are blocked. The air vents are the only way for hot air to leave your device, and they’re easy to obstruct. When you obstruct them, the hot air remains inside the device, making your MacBook Air hotter.
On most MacBook Airs, the air vents are situated beside the upper part of the chassis, near the USB ports. If you have a pillow or anything else blocking that, consider removing it to allow your laptop to get rid of the annoying fan noise.
How to Stop My MacBook Air from Making Fan Noise
Fan noise might be the most annoying part of using a MacBook Air, but you don’t have to live with it. There are precautions and recommendations you can follow to prevent your computer from ever having to turn on the fan, let alone make any fan noise.
Here are some of the most effective ways to prevent your MacBook Air from making fan noise.
- 1. Cool your room
If your room appears to be excessively warm, the first step towards stopping the fan noise on your MacBook Air is cooling it down. As the preceding section proves, there’s a direct correlation between the temperature of your room and that of your computer.
Try turning on all the air conditioning to ensure that air is circulating the room properly. If there is anything that’s preventing you from bringing the temperature of your room below 35 degrees Celsius, consider turning off your MacBook Air until you fix that.
- 2. Kill any demanding tasks
As explained earlier, one of the most common reasons your computer may become so hot as to need a fan is because you’re running tasks that are too hard on the CPU. Sometimes, it may not be what you think; it’s essential to check Activity Monitor to discover what’s causing the fan noise.
Open Activity Monitor by searching for it in Spotlight and selecting the most appropriate option. As soon as you’re in the utility, select the CPU tab to sort the apps by their CPU usage and check which of them are at the top of the list.
In most cases, the culprit is the first app or process on the Activity Monitor. Close it and wait for a few seconds to see your fans become less audible until you can no longer hear them anymore.
- 3. Clean the fans
If it seems like the problem isn’t getting solved at all, you may address the wrong issue all along. Sometimes, debris may block your fans, preventing them from being able to cool down your Mac properly. You’ll have to open up your computer and clean it manually to prevent the fan noise in that scenario.
Opening up your MacBook Air for cleaning isn’t a big deal, as long as you have the required instruments. All you need is a Philips screwdriver to remove the back panel. If you’re not feeling very confident about the entire operation, it’s important to call a technician for help.
READ MORE: How To Fix MacBook Camera Not Working?
Conclusion
If your laptop’s fan kicks in while you’re doing something very intensive, it’s a good thing since it keeps the processor cool while you work on the computer. However, having your fans start up in random scenarios is a problem that needs troubleshooting.
In this article, I’ve explained the reasons your MacBook Air might make fan noise. Also, I outlined some of the working solutions, and I’m pretty sure one of them will work for you.