Dusty internal PC components.

[Servant of Eru]

Well, apparently due to the way Chieftec decided to make the case fan mounts in my rig, the air filters I bought to go on the intake fans will not fit. Therefore I'm going to have to figure out a new way to go about cleaning the dusty yuckiness out of my PC when it comes time.

I've heard of several different ways, varying from liquid air, to pastry brushes, to the detachable nozzel on a vaccum cleaner. I'm just trying to figure out what most people use, and what would be the safest way, posing the least risk to my system.

The only con I can think of for liquid air, is I heard that the stuff comes out at freezing cold temperatures....so I'm thinking that if I held it too close, then it could damage the components. I also thought it out, and it comes to mind that with a pastry brush or feather duster, it would be very easy to create a static imbalance on or around the components...and supposedly static electricity is very detrimental to PC components. The safest one to my way of thinking would be the vacuum cleaner....although it probably wouldn't get it as clean as the others mentioned.

I'm gonna post a poll, but I also want comments from people who know what they're talking about, as I'm sure most the people on this board do.

[EDIT]Goofball me messed up, and forgot to click the check box even though I put in the number of choices, so there will be no poll....un/fortunately that just means everyone who wants to give some input will have to post. [/EDIT]

 

[Skivvywaver]

Well, I use nitrogen. See I work as an AC mechanic, and dry nitrogen is an inert but very high pressure gas. It'll clean your machine, and since I always have a bottle of it around I use it. That way I don't have to buy air and the customer pays for the nitrogen.
One word of warning for anyone who would try this, (not many as not too many people happen to have a 30 lb bottle of nitrogen around) is to set your regulator down to about 100 psi or you'll clean the motherboard out and onto the floor in pieces.

 

[Derrick]

If you don't have some nitrogen, gear yourself up with a small air compressor that will run a variety of tools ,and you can use it to blow out the computer as well

 

[JohnWill]

If you use a compressor, you should really use a dryer on the air line, or you'll be introducing moisture with that compressor.

 

[raybro]

I use the canned air like this. As one uses it to blow out the dust, you can feel the can begin to cool off. I keep at least 2 cans available and when one gets cold, I use the other. 2 cans is usually sufficiant to clean out the case. What you want to be careful of, is to keep the can upright. Turning it on it's side or (horrors) inverting it will cause it to discharge the liquid. Bad news The dangers of doing so is if the component or surface you get the liquid on gets cold enough, it can cause condensation of moisture out of the air. Except for this factor, the liquid itself is harmless.

Generally speaking, one does not want to blow forced air from any source on any one spot for any significant period of time. Rather, it is prefereable to use it in a sweeping motion. I've been doing it this way for years without difficulty.

 

[Rockn]

Canned air. Never had a problem and if you do it on a regular basis the dirt will not build up. The pastry brush is also a good idea to loosen anything that may have become caked on. People that smoke tend to have the tars from the smoke stick to the dust and really clog stuff up. You don't have to worry about how cold the spray is if you turn your PC off while cleaning it. Don't use anything metal inside of the case while cleaning with the power on.

 

[Derrick]

I agree johnwill always use a dryer, I use one because I'm sick of buying air in a can for like 13 bucks canadian. Pays for itself.

 

[Rockn]

It's a really messed up world when you have to pay for air...LOL I have seen canned air that you can recharge yourself.

 

[JohnWill]

I use the canned air like this. As one uses it to blow out the dust, you can feel the can begin to cool off. I keep at least 2 cans available and when one gets cold, I use the other. 2 cans is usually sufficiant to clean out the case.

TWO CANS???

I use the same can of air for 10-20 systems before I have to reach for another one!

 

[dustyjay]

Do not use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust from your computer. This ingle appliance generates probably more Static electricity at the tip of the nozzle than anything you could imagine. If it were to end up close enough to a component on our system, Zap fried! Use the canned air. and remember in relatively low humidity regions the problem of Static electricity is worse. Also make sure that when you reach inside your computer that you touch a spt of bare metal (such as the metal case of the psu with a spot of bare skin before touching anything else. It is best to maintain some sort of this contact anytime you are inside your computer.

 

[virtualgeorg]

I heard on a radio show the other day about a business that cleans computers using some sort of anti static vacuum?? Just did a quick search and didn't see any though.

 

[raybro]

TWO CANS???

I use the same can of air for 10-20 systems before I have to reach for another one!

Hi johwill.. Guess I wan't clear... I don't use up a can of air, I just switch cans when one gets cold after using it for while. The colder it gets, the lower the pressure output goes. When the can warms back up the pressure comes back up. Physics, ya know.

Ray