Blow Out Cleaning

[Steve Giannoni]

How often is this required for a typical system? Even after nearly a
year, there was relatively little dust ...

 

[Jan Alter]

How often is this required for a typical system? Even after nearly a
year, there was relatively little dust ...

Depends on how dusty a location the computer is kept.
One wants to avoid dust coatings on the electrical parts, since the dust
creates an insulation jacket that helps retain heat. When you see dust
forming on the fan leaves,cpu heatsink on the PS exhaust fan, those are
easily viewable areas to indicate it's time for a blow out.

 

[Sjouke Burry]

How often is this required for a typical system? Even after nearly a
year, there was relatively little dust ...

I done it about every 2 years, but it depends heavily on
the location of the computer.
If it is sitting (almost ) on the floor, and people walking
along closely, once or twice a year.
My supply unit was a bit dusty, and the cooling block on the
processor had more fluff on it between its ribs than I like.
I occasionally check with SPEEEDFAN(google) to see whether the
temperature is oke.....
From memory: temperature around 55 celcius.
Now: cpu censors:nr1 not working,nr2 is 47, nr3 42,HD0 41,HD1 47 .
The cleaning round seems to have worked, ~10 deg C improvement
For silicium chips, every 5-6 degr down,doubles lifetime.

 

[Joel]

There's no way you can expect a specific answer from such a general
question -- you'll only get senior citizen underwear: Depends.

I will add, though, that pets are a big factor. Their hair helps to
form a matrix for the dust to collection. I blast out my desktop, which
sits on the floor, every few months because of my jackass cats.

I agree that someone askes some silly question that most people can't come
up with a silly answer.

 

[Jan Alter]

I agree that someone askes some silly question that most people can't come
up with a silly answer.

Actually I don't consider the question silly at all. The poster may be naive
or inexperienced, but he's rightfully concerned.
Too often on newsgroups responders to questions are ready to jump down the
throats of neophytes to make them feel bad for asking for help that others
feel are obvious to the answer.

 

[Joel]

Actually I don't consider the question silly at all. The poster may be naive
or inexperienced, but he's rightfully concerned.
Too often on newsgroups responders to questions are ready to jump down the
throats of neophytes to make them feel bad for asking for help that others
feel are obvious to the answer.

In this case my answer would be something like. Cleaning/Blowing whenever
you feel like it (need to clean).

- If you have the system doing nothing (not turn on) then it may take around
a year or so to get dirty.

- If you run 24/7 then it will get dirty quicker than once awhile

- If it's running in clean room then it will stay clean much longer than
dirty room (with lot of dirt)

- Computer in room with opened windows nearby heavy street will get dirty
much quicker than closed window. And computer on floor of dirty room may
get dirty quicker than one on desk.

There is no perfect answer, so I would rather not ask.

 

[Joel]

As others have indicated, it depends on how dusty it gets.

My desktop at home needs cleaning out every 3 months or so! Still not sure
why it needs it quite so frequently. Yet my work pc and work servers, which
I have occasionally needed to open, have never been in need - although they
get a brief dust when I'm there.

I'd recommend you keep an eye on your system, or an ear to it - I can
recognise by the sound of the cpu fan whether my pc at home is in need of me
cleaning the dust out. (Although arguably if I can hear the difference then
I've probably left it a bit late.)

I agree with you on this one. Way back in 70's I used to work for a giant
manufacture making computer hard drive, floppy, and few other computer
parts. Giant computers were everywhere, they were much bigger and longer
than several office desks joined together (we used them as working desks),
larger and taller than locker (I would say they were around 10' tall). They
ran 24/7 (3 shifts) and they ran for many years and still looked as cleanest
as the first day .. cuz they were in Clean Room 101, we had to wear the
cleanroom garments suit covered all parts of the body except the eyes.