OT: How to blow out a computer case

[Shelley A.]

What is a tried and true method to clean or blow out all the dust, particles
etc. from my computer case? Does anyone REALLY know?
I'm asking because I have lost two power supplys in the last six months.
When the technician I use showed each one of them to me, they were filled
with dust, dirt particles etc. and he said he sees it all the time.

I have thought of everything from a 1.5 hp air compressor (about $100) to a
wet/dry shop vac to an electric hair dryer. After doing a lot of reading on
the Web and elsewhere each one seems to have pros and cons. At this point I
don't even know if something that pulls air out of the case would be
preferable to something else that blows air into it. I am concerned about
damaging any components while trying to get rid of the dust, particles etc.

 

[Squire]

You can buy cans of compressed air to blow out the case and cooling fans.
This is dry air, so no need to worry about water particles shorting out any
circuits.

A normal air compressor should not be used because there are no filters to
absorb excess amounts of humidity, so they usually spit water droplets, even
though the tanks have drains built in.

 

[Shelley A.]

The cans of compressed air I found at Wal-Mart (Fellowes) do contain some
sort of liquid. The can says, "Before use, press actuator to clear can of
any liquid..." I am worried what this "liquid" could to corrode some
components.

 

[Unknown]

Are you ABSOLUTELY sure your tech isn't giving you a con job? Is he showing
you ANY dusty power supply?

 

[Sandman]

Safe and careful way to do this.. Shut OFF the PC and turn the OFF switch on
the back or uplug it from the power cord. With a crevice tool that most
vacuum cleaners come with, carefully run the tool across the wire cage of
the power supply (from the outside).. If you have other fans below the power
supply, do the same with them...
Open the case. Hopefully you have a can of that 'duster' stuff, 'canned
air'.. Blow dust off components inside the case and as you do so have the
vacuum nozzle at the edge of the case to pull the dislodged dust into the
vacuum. (otherwise, your just moving it around inside the case) Be careful
not to touch anything that might be delicate with the nozzle, that is the
reason for keeping it at the edge of the case instead of reaching inside
with it..
IF you happen to be a smoker; (I am) you will find a nasty build-upon
your fans front and back if you have case cooling fans, (I have 2 in front 2
in back).. If you want to do a real cleaning, take q-tips with a tiny amount
of alcohol and run it across each blade of each fan. This is gunk that won't
come off with a vacuum.
As to the Power supply; you can carefully blow air into it from the
inside IF you don't touch PCI cards etc as you stick your hand in there.
Unless you bought cheap power supplies, and they do exist, this should help.
I would do this every month; it's worth the trouble.. Most people never
bother to think that the machine 'breathes' the same room air you do...

 

[Unknown]

Losing two supplies in six months is about 30,000,000 to 1 odds.

 

[Mousey Mick]

1) If you MUST blow out your computer, take it outside to
do so, unless you want to breathe all that dust and junk
(mold, etc.) for the next few hours/days.

2) At the very least, get a better surge supressor for
your computer's power line. In spite of what you might
hear, dust usually kills the power supply's FAN, not the
power supply itself. The consequent over-heating kills the
power supply.

3) If you've lost two power supplies in 6 months, you have
a power problem that is OUTSIDE of the computer.

Good Luck !

 

[Guest]

You must also be VERY careful NOT to generate any static
electricity from the moving air. The use of a vacuum
cleaner or shopvac is NOT recommended at all. The cans
of "air" are just fine, provided you do what they say -
shoot into the air a couple of bursts to clear the can of
moisture. I have a feeling you're being conned by the
repairperson.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

The cans of compressed air I found at Wal-Mart (Fellowes) do contain
some sort of liquid. The can says, "Before use, press actuator to
clear can of any liquid..." I am worried what this "liquid" could to
corrode some components.

It won't.
Just don't spray at angles or with the can upside down.
However, even if you do, it will evaporate totally and cause little damage -
since you should turn your PC OFF when doing this.

 

[David Candy]

Your computer has had acid baths before you get it. Water doesn't hurt electronic components. However water can cause shorts by it's presense. So water is safe if there is no power applied. If I wash anything in my computer I always leave it for a week (for major components) to dry.

If you have earthed power where you live (because americans have very low voltage and I don't know if you need earths) then leaving the computer plugged in with the power turned off will stop static. If you are working on it holding the case will prevent static on you.

 

[Ron Martell]

Safe and careful way to do this.. Shut OFF the PC and turn the OFF switch on
the back or uplug it from the power cord. With a crevice tool that most
vacuum cleaners come with, carefully run the tool across the wire cage of
the power supply (from the outside).. If you have other fans below the power
supply, do the same with them...
Open the case. Hopefully you have a can of that 'duster' stuff, 'canned
air'.. Blow dust off components inside the case and as you do so have the
vacuum nozzle at the edge of the case to pull the dislodged dust into the
vacuum. (otherwise, your just moving it around inside the case) Be careful
not to touch anything that might be delicate with the nozzle, that is the
reason for keeping it at the edge of the case instead of reaching inside
with it..
IF you happen to be a smoker; (I am) you will find a nasty build-upon
your fans front and back if you have case cooling fans, (I have 2 in front 2
in back).. If you want to do a real cleaning, take q-tips with a tiny amount
of alcohol and run it across each blade of each fan. This is gunk that won't
come off with a vacuum.
As to the Power supply; you can carefully blow air into it from the
inside IF you don't touch PCI cards etc as you stick your hand in there.
Unless you bought cheap power supplies, and they do exist, this should help.
I would do this every month; it's worth the trouble.. Most people never
bother to think that the machine 'breathes' the same room air you do...

Not bad instructions.

A couple of additional points.

When you are blowing out the dust from inside the power supply (and it
will take much more than a shop vac to remove this stuff) use a small
stiff object to block the power supply fan blades from turning. High
pressure compressed air can really get the blades turning and this can
damage the motor.

Likewise with the cpu and video card cooling fans.

I use a small pocket screw driver to block the fan blades when I am
cleaning dust out of a computer.

The canned compressed air works okay but I have a small air compressor
in my shop that gives me 90 p.s.i air and that works very well.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Guest]

The liquid goes away quickly. its like pressurized air or
something. No i dont think it will corrode anything.