PSA: Clean Dust from Filters, Fans, and Radiators

SixDs

I'm with Doc on the "scheduled cleanout" routine. I clean all the PCs twice a year (spring and fall). That is usually sufficient to ensure that there is no overheating due to dust buildup. My tools of choice include Q-tips, cosmetic brushes, a small air compressor and plastic soda straws. The straws address the spinning fans issue - I just wedge them in the blades and I can blast away. As for the moisture issue, with canned compressed air (which I gave up using because it was too expensive), the trick is to keep the can upright and do not shake it - it is not paint! Some claim that my little compressor can spray condensed moisture as well, but I generally do the work outside and usually not in the rain. I always do my cleaning with the computer completely disconnected from everything and with all the panels removed, including popping open the front bezel. By the time I am done there is little risk that I am going to short something, but I do allow some time to make certain - its not as though the compressor is spraying water like a spritzer. I also use short bursts, rather than a continuous stream and am careful to ensure that I only use as much pressure as necessary to get the job done - they are adjustable. Mine is a little unit with a two pound tank - in between computer cleanings it will also inflate the tires on your vehicle when necessary.

davidwski_16294691f0

SixDs said:

I'm with Doc on the "scheduled cleanout" routine. I clean all the PCs twice a year (spring and fall). That is usually sufficient to ensure that there is no overheating due to dust buildup. My tools of choice include Q-tips, cosmetic brushes, a small air compressor and plastic soda straws. The straws address the spinning fans issue - I just wedge them in the blades and I can blast away. As for the moisture issue, with canned compressed air (which I gave up using because it was too expensive), the trick is to keep the can upright and do not shake it - it is not paint! Some claim that my little compressor can spray condensed moisture as well, but I generally do the work outside and usually not in the rain. I always do my cleaning with the computer completely disconnected from everything and with all the panels removed, including popping open the front bezel. By the time I am done there is little risk that I am going to short something, but I do allow some time to make certain - its not as though the compressor is spraying water like a spritzer. I also use short bursts, rather than a continuous stream and am careful to ensure that I only use as much pressure as necessary to get the job done - they are adjustable. Mine is a little unit with a two pound tank - in between computer cleanings it will also inflate the tires on your vehicle when necessary.

You should take those "claims" of moisture seriously.  Your efforts to mitigate that will probably work in a real world setting but the underlying issue is real.

When a compressor tank refills, it pulls in air at the ambient humidity (20% humidity is still 20%), which means it's pulling in water vapor, which condenses over time inside the tank.  The older the tank, the larger the issue becomes.  When you spray, the moving air picks up the condensed water vapor and blows it out the nozzle as well as the air.  

Here's the bigger danger to electronics from a using compressor unless you use a dehumidifier in-line with the air hoses.  Unless the resevoir tank is stainless steel, the condensed water inside the tank will slowly oxidize the tank walls and leech out molecules of iron.  When sprayed out the hose, these iron molecules contained in the moisture content deposit themselves on all surfaces as the moisture evaporates.

These molecules will probably not cause a direct electrical short, but over time they can build up and help cause premature failures of the electrical components.

 

kenshaw011267

davidwski_16294691f0 said:

SixDs said:

I'm with Doc on the "scheduled cleanout" routine. I clean all the PCs twice a year (spring and fall). That is usually sufficient to ensure that there is no overheating due to dust buildup. My tools of choice include Q-tips, cosmetic brushes, a small air compressor and plastic soda straws. The straws address the spinning fans issue - I just wedge them in the blades and I can blast away. As for the moisture issue, with canned compressed air (which I gave up using because it was too expensive), the trick is to keep the can upright and do not shake it - it is not paint! Some claim that my little compressor can spray condensed moisture as well, but I generally do the work outside and usually not in the rain. I always do my cleaning with the computer completely disconnected from everything and with all the panels removed, including popping open the front bezel. By the time I am done there is little risk that I am going to short something, but I do allow some time to make certain - its not as though the compressor is spraying water like a spritzer. I also use short bursts, rather than a continuous stream and am careful to ensure that I only use as much pressure as necessary to get the job done - they are adjustable. Mine is a little unit with a two pound tank - in between computer cleanings it will also inflate the tires on your vehicle when necessary.

You should take those "claims" of moisture seriously.  Your efforts to mitigate that will probably work in a real world setting but the underlying issue is real.

When a compressor tank refills, it pulls in air at the ambient humidity (20% humidity is still 20%), which means it's pulling in water vapor, which condenses over time inside the tank.  The older the tank, the larger the issue becomes.  When you spray, the moving air picks up the condensed water vapor and blows it out the nozzle as well as the air.  

Here's the bigger danger to electronics from a using compressor unless you use a dehumidifier in-line with the air hoses.  Unless the resevoir tank is stainless steel, the condensed water inside the tank will slowly oxidize the tank walls and leech out molecules of iron.  When sprayed out the hose, these iron molecules contained in the moisture content deposit themselves on all surfaces as the moisture evaporates.

These molecules will probably not cause a direct electrical short, but over time they can build up and help cause premature failures of the electrical components.

First those are dangers of using a compressor meant for other uses for electronics. Canned air is meant for cleaning electronics. I've used it for years anmd never had a single problem. I even use them at my job, I'm IT manager at a datcenter. We dust filter the whole room but dust still gets into the racks. I have over 200 42U cabinets. I'd need someone, maybe even more than 1, to clean servers without blowing the dust out. I've never had any failure, and as far as I'm aware neither did any of the people previously in my job, attributable to moisture (shorts). The life span of all of the hardware is tracked to the last second. Our MTBF is exactly in line with the rest of the industry.

 

LeatherGryphon

Still, the complaint about "canned air" (it isn't air, it's some other gas) being expensive is right.  Not completely sure why but I'd be a lot happier if it were half the price.

And because the "gas" is a liquid in the can, it evaporates in the can when you release the valve when you spray.  The evaporation cools the liquid and vapor and in very short order the metal can gets very very cold.  And if you try spraying outside in the winter you have about 10 seconds before the liquid in the can gets so cold that it won't evaporate anymore until you take it back inside to warm up.  Physics in action! 

outrider42

I got this cool car vac from Costco which sadly they don't sell anymore. It can suck and blow, and its pretty good at doing both. Its one of my favorite gadgets because of its portability. Unlike most car vacs it uses AC power, and thanks to that is much more powerful than any 12V vac. This might make tougher to use for its intended purpose as a car vac since you need an outlet, but for my purposes it is perfect.

kenshaw011267

outrider42 said:

I got this cool car vac from Costco which sadly they don't sell anymore. It can suck and blow, and its pretty good at doing both. Its one of my favorite gadgets because of its portability. Unlike most car vacs it uses AC power, and thanks to that is much more powerful than any 12V vac. This might make tougher to use for its intended purpose as a car vac since you need an outlet, but for my purposes it is perfect.

I've seen small vacs advertised as being for dusting electronics but have no experience. My major concern would be the motor producing static which could get discharged into what you're trying to dust. 

WendyLuvsCatz

I use an Ozito compressor meant for inflating tyres and air mattresses

https://ozito.com.au/products/1100w-1-5hp-inflate-it-compressor-kit/

TheKD

Yeah, I work with air compressors for a living, they suck in a lot of moisture from the air, and spray it back out as well. The more humid the worse it is obviously. In the summertime, I sometimes have to refill the tank with air and drain it quite a few times before it stops spewing out water.

MelissaGT

This is what I use - https://smile.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-ED500P-500-Watt-Electric/dp/B001U899HQ?ref_=ast_bbp_dp&th=1&psc=1

Never had any problems...made for electronics, though the same manufacturer also makes pet hair dryers, which is where I first learned of them because my mother has them for her dogs and cats. The only issue is that you can't use it for an extended period because it gets hot...which if you're just blowing out one system, you really wouldn't come across that problem. 

WendyLuvsCatz

that electric duster looks cool

MelissaGT

WendyLuvsCatz said:

that electric duster looks cool

It's loud as hell and drives my dog nuts, lol. 

SixDs

Well, my little two-pounder has a drain spigot on the bottom of the tank, and I'm sure that the bigger industrial units must have them as well. When not in use I decompress the tank and open the spigot after each use. I've never had any water come out of it, ever. That is not to say that it isn't possible in extreme humidity, but I have never had a problem cleaning the same computers multiple times. I can't guarantee that they won't have moisture-laden air, but in principle the pressure inside the tank should force excess moisture out of the air and collect it in the bottom of the tank, rather than spraying it out the nozzle. At the very least, the moisture content of the air coming out of the nozzle will be less than the moisture content of the ambient air going in, which is also in contact with the entire insides of the computer. Once again, no guarantees, but I plan on continuing to use it. I think ESD is a bigger concern that warrants some care and caution no matter what maintenance is being performed - you'll never know what hit it. The hose on the compressor is quite long, so there is no need for the compressor itself to be anywhere near the computer, and the hose itself is non-conductive. The nozzle, on the other hand, is metal and I always take care to ensure that it never comes in contact with any part of the PC - not a big issue since there is no good reason to get up particularly close with it to begin with. Anything that won't come off/out easily should be addressed manually, if you really want to be fastidious.

outrider42

kenshaw011267 said:

outrider42 said:

I got this cool car vac from Costco which sadly they don't sell anymore. It can suck and blow, and its pretty good at doing both. Its one of my favorite gadgets because of its portability. Unlike most car vacs it uses AC power, and thanks to that is much more powerful than any 12V vac. This might make tougher to use for its intended purpose as a car vac since you need an outlet, but for my purposes it is perfect.

I've seen small vacs advertised as being for dusting electronics but have no experience. My major concern would be the motor producing static which could get discharged into what you're trying to dust. 

I've been using this vac for years with no issues. If it is a concern, just use the same rules you would apply to yourself: keep in contact with a chassis ground while vacuuming. You can't build a charge if you are properly grounded. My vac has some power but is not too unwieldy, so it is easy to do this. And of course, discharge the stuff to be cleaned before hand.

I've used mine on things besides just computers, like old plasma TVs that had capacitors all over the place and were as heavy as a CRT. Or old projection TVs and DLPs, those were serious dust magnets.

Taoz

kenshaw011267 said:

outrider42 said:

I got this cool car vac from Costco which sadly they don't sell anymore. It can suck and blow, and its pretty good at doing both. Its one of my favorite gadgets because of its portability. Unlike most car vacs it uses AC power, and thanks to that is much more powerful than any 12V vac. This might make tougher to use for its intended purpose as a car vac since you need an outlet, but for my purposes it is perfect.

I've seen small vacs advertised as being for dusting electronics but have no experience. My major concern would be the motor producing static which could get discharged into what you're trying to dust. 

This one should be safe:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6UE8T2/