12 replies to this topic

[craigathus]

Just wondering how many people on a regular basis, open their PC's and blow out or vacuum out any dust?
My machine is almost 2 years old, and I'm thinking that I should give it a clean out.

[Caldor]

I do this on my main workstation but dont bother for other stuff like my Untangle UTM gateway server.

What I do is get a air duster can (compressed air in a can) and spray out the crud. Im careful to put a screwdriver into the fans so I dont wreak the bearings in them - the fan blade is locked while doing this.

I find it keeps the cooling system in top shape and with modern cpus and gpus theres alot of heat being dealt with.

[CeeCee]

My computer is about 3 and a half years old, and have used compressed air once. I did it about half year ago. I'm thinking to do it again soon, since there's still air in that bottle i bought. Before i got compressed air, i used vacuum cleaner, mainly to get dust off from the CPU heatsink. My computer does not get very dusty. It got "build-in" air filter on the front of the case. I clean it from time to time.

[Talldog9]

I clean mine with compressed air all the time. Afterwards, I freeze stuff.

[Glenn]

I have to clean my machines every 6 months ... cat hair gets into everything.

Vacuum cleaners are safest but be careful you don't suck up a loose part.

"Canned air" is usually not air. Difluoroethane is the most common but is highly combustible and can form an explosive air/fuel mix so, if you have to use it, make sure you ventilate the area well before powering up any devices. Tetrafluoroethane or CO2 are much safer but harder to find. In an enclosed space, they can all be hazardous by displacing breathing air.

[Caldor]

Specifically I use Fellowes air duster which the is non flammable.

[Andavari]

This Dell system I've had since '03 just doesn't get all that dusty on the insides and I've only used compressed canned air on it once and didn't see much of anything blowing around after doing so. I used to back in the Win98 days dust inside of my PC chassis once every year using that compressed canned air. I've never used a vacuum on the inside of a PC chassis though do to the risk of statically shocking the components and/or damaging them by accidentally whacking something with the vacuum nozzle.

The outside and vents on this '03 Dell is another matter altogether as it gets very dusty, and I don't mind vacuuming the outside and vents, come to think of it I'd better vacuum the wireless keyboard too before it malfunctions.

[hotdoge3]

Clean 2 to 4 times Air vent in 30 day in side a year as I have a cat in side I take off CPU fan and clean refit clean with a vacunm & Air Conpresser at 100 PSI .

[craigathus]

Hi guys , I recently watched this video Clean Your Computer and I am a little wary of cans of compressed "air" due to the chemical propellants used.
At "work" PC's are cleaned with pressurized air from a air-compressor about every 6 months (very dusty environment)

[Andavari]

craigathus, on Jan 21 2008, 04:26 AM, said:

I am a little wary of cans of compressed "air" due to the chemical propellants used.

Reminiscing from years past when I once dusted out the inside of my old Win98 PC some of those chemical propellants sprayed all over some of the components on the inside, however it didn't break anything. I was very leary of using canned compressed air on my PC after that which is probably why I've only did the inside of my '03 Dell just once.

[rridgely]

From what I've seen if you leave your computer on 24/7 like I do, they dont get dusty.
There's no way for me to know for sure if thats why but I haven't cleaned my computers ever.

[JAGO]

rridgely, on Jan 22 2008, 03:44 PM, said:

From what I've seen if you leave your computer on 24/7 like I do, they dont get dusty.
There's no way for me to know for sure if thats why but I haven't cleaned my computers ever.

Nah, they definitely get dusty . I have a couple cats and I can't keep up...

[CeeCee]

Just used canned air a second time. There wasn't much dust, but hopely it's still a little cleaner now.