Completely Clueless but hoping for some help with a Lorex DVR

LaurieO

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Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me. I just lost my father and my mother is now alone at her house. Several years ago, I installed a Lorex security camera system at her house but the DVR is overheating, alarming and shutting down. Because she's alone, I really need to get this system working. Both of the DVR internal fans have stopped working, I'm hoping that I can just install new fans to get it functioning again but I can't seem to find out what replacement fans to buy. The model is a Lorex 16 channel LHV101600.

I've contacted Lorex just asking what type of fan is in the unit but they tell me that my system is out of warranty and they advise against replacing the fans.

Any help or referral to the correct forum would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
 

SouthernYankee

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The DVR has coax connectors. This is an older system. You can get a replacement DVR .j

You also should be able to find replacement fans in a big box electric storage. On the internet. Most fans have a standard size, voltage, rpm.
 

LaurieO

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Thank you for the reply. Problem is, I'm on the east coast and she's on the west coast....she wouldn't even know where to begin with installing a new DVR. The DVR seems to be working because I can see all of the cameras on the FLIR, it just gets so hot. I don't know the voltage, etc to purchase a replacement fan, I don't even know how it's connected (prongs, pins) so it's a crapshoot unless someone might know exactly which one would fit then I can have a friend go over and replace the fans.
 

TonyR

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I don't know the voltage, etc to purchase a replacement fan, I don't even know how it's connected (prongs, pins) so it's a crapshoot unless someone might know exactly which one would fit then I can have a friend go over and replace the fans.
Why not have that friend go over, kill power to the DVR, take the cover off, measure the fan with a metric ruler (if possible), look for a label with brand & part number, how connected, etc....maybe even take a few CLEAR photos of the fan label (showing brand, part #, voltage) and of the plug where it's connected to the board.

Tell him to measure straight across the fan with the ruler going side to side, through the middle and touch center of fan (diameter); they are sold by diameter and most often in millimeters. Popular sizes are 30, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 120 and larger...I doubt the fan is any larger than 60mm. Voltages are generally 12VDC or 5VDC.

Also measure the thickness of the fan. If it's too thick it won't fit or the cover won't go back on.

Good luck! :p
 

LaurieO

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Thank you....I'll get him to do that if he can. It sure seems like this should be something easy to find through a google search with the model but Lorex must look down their information -- and they surely don't want to give it to me over email. Kind of odd.....??

I just hate not being able to view her cameras remotely....it's all I can do being so far away to ensure that she's safe. :(
 

TonyR

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You're welcome.

Some fans come with connectors (2, 3 or 4 pin), some just a pigtail with the stranded wires tinned. If the connector is wrong or non-existent, he can cut the wires and re-use the existing connector. I usually use solder and shrink tubing but perhaps he could use butt splices, window splices (inline crimp) or even 3M-type "jellybean" splice connectors.

Since it's a DC fan he will need to observe polarity: red (+) to red and black (-) to black.

Also he should note fan rotation direction prior to removal OR note the little rotation arrow cast in the plastic on one of the 4 sides of the fan. Most often the arrow will show airflow direction, sometimes rotation direction. In any event, the fan most likely should exhaust (pull air OUT) of the case.
 

mat200

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Thank you....I'll get him to do that if he can. It sure seems like this should be something easy to find through a google search with the model but Lorex must look down their information -- and they surely don't want to give it to me over email. Kind of odd.....??

I just hate not being able to view her cameras remotely....it's all I can do being so far away to ensure that she's safe. :(
Hi @LaurieO

Normally the typical customer support rep will not have access to repair manuals, and due to various reasons ( liability issues often ) you do not want them to be giving out information on hardware repairs because often people or manuals are incorrect and mistakes are made.

The user manual is available, however often parts and repair manuals are harder to find.
https://www.lorextechnology.com/downloads/security-dvr/LHV1000/LHV1000_SERIES_MANUAL_EN_R2.pdf
 

LaurieO

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Wow! You guys are waaaaaay smarter than me or my friend....polarity, connectors, pins, soder and shrink tubing. YIKES!!! I was just hoping for a plug and play scenario!!

Mat, the Lorex folks I was emailing with is the technical group but I'm struggling to pull any info out of them on this fan.
 

mat200

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Wow! You guys are waaaaaay smarter than me or my friend....polarity, connectors, pins, soder and shrink tubing. YIKES!!! I was just hoping for a plug and play scenario!!

Mat, the Lorex folks I was emailing with is the technical group but I'm struggling to pull any info out of them on this fan.
Hi Laurie,

Larger companies can be challenging to get to the person who has the right answers and feels allowed to share those. Too often as companies grow the information gets "silo'ed" and isolated - and employees are more often punished than rewarded.

If your friend is not comfortable with replacing the parts, just have him / her take it to a local computer repair shop and ask them to replace the fan(s).
 

fenderman

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Honestly, that might be the best idea. Didn't even think of that, thank you!!!!
It will cost more for a shop to replace the fan than simply swapping in a new DVR. And after all that, the nit still may not work.
 

mat200

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It will cost more for a shop to replace the fan than simply swapping in a new DVR. And after all that, the nit still may not work.
Depends on the shop - if you avoid the mega shops like Best Buy and Frys and go with the smaller individually run shops you can find many which will do it rather affordably ( well, at least in the metro area I am in )
 

TonyR

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+1^^.
I would have charged probably $10 for each fan plus $30 labor, less if they brought it to me and I didn't have to go pick it up and return it (back when I had my biz 'til 2013), probably not over $60 total.
 

TonyR

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Wow! You guys are waaaaaay smarter than me or my friend....polarity, connectors, pins, soder and shrink tubing.
It's really not that difficult. Getting the correct fan is more of a challenge. To me, your biggest issue is trying to get someone else to do it and not being sure of their ability or level of expertise.
 

LaurieO

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The first step I took to diagnosis the overheating was to check the fan. The blades weren't spinning. Tried to manually move the blades noted that they don't seem to move freely....in fact, one of the blades broke off.

This was all during a whirlwind trip across country to deal with the sudden passing of my father. I had so much to do for my Mom that I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the DVR....had I known it was going to be so difficult to find the replacement fan, I would have spent more time taking pics of the connectors, etc. I honestly thought I'd be able to get the part number from Lorex relatively easy.

I did blow out the insides with compressed air, it was rather dusty but the fans still didn't move.
 

LaurieO

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In my notes, I see that I wrote down the model number of the DVR which is the Lorex LHV101600 then I wrote Fan: 141201

Does that fan number mean anything?
 
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