Replace Fan on Pavilion

Question

I realise this is probably a general "fault" with most laptops but why the hell don't manufacturers build their machines with cooling fans that are accessible as all hard drives seem to be. Moving parts are obviously the most likely to wear or fail over time and, as far as I can see, there are only two types in a laptop, the HDD and the cooling fan(s).
Replacing a HDD can usually be done in an hour or two (eg. On a Pavilion G6 it requires the removal of two screws and careful replacement) but to replace a cooling fan one is looking at a good ten or twelve hours (eg. On a Pavilion G6 about the only part that does not have to be physically removed and put back is the screen, I lost count of the number of screws).
With repair shops charging as much as £80 per hour it is cheaper to purchase a brand new machine than pay to have a £20 part replaced. I suspect that this is a general ploy by all manufacturers ensuring that their customers replace their machines after warranty expires rather that attempt to repair a machine that is working perfectly but only needs a 4oz part replaced to get another couple of use from it.

Answer 1

You can replace just the fan but it is a bit difficult. You have to undo some copper clips and make sure the new fan is airtight with metal tape. The heatsink/fan unit is just a couple bucks more than just the fan and way less labor because even to replace the fan you have to remove the fan/heatsink assembly. Also, it does not make sense to do this unless you are also going to break the processor/heatsink seal and use this chance to clean it up and apply new thermal compound.