Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Lyme on September 16, 2017, 10:56:04 AM
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Just a reminder that if it's been a while, clean your PC! I just cracked open my 9 month old gaming pc and I was shocked to see how much dust and debris has built open. I'll never go this long between cleanings again.
Question about cleaning...If I used compressed air I need to tape all the fans so they don't rotate, correct?
I'm also thinking of ditching my two forward intake fans. The dust sceeens were absolutely filthy and I'm wondering if they introduce more problems then they solve.
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Yes always tie the fans down. Free-wheeling with compressed air can hurt the bearings. Also if you use an air compressor instead of those "canned air" cans, be sure to use filters. Moisture can be expelled in the air stream and that NEVER mixes well with electronics.
The fan design in most cases are setup for a reason. Turning off fans may not be a good idea. Making the screens easier to access so they can be cleaned more often might be a better answer.
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Yes always tie the fans down. Free-wheeling with compressed air can hurt the bearings. Also if you use an air compressor instead of those "canned air" cans, be sure to use filters. Moisture can be expelled in the air stream and that NEVER mixes well with electronics.
The fan design in most cases are setup for a reason. Turning off fans may not be a good idea. Making the screens easier to access so they can be cleaned more often might be a better answer.
Fugitive, these were not stock fans, I added them aftermarket.
Should I just use compressed air? Should I wipe down the inside with any solution? Obviously i'm talking frame only.
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Personally I use a small flux brush (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Electric-Flux-Brush-KH589/202939867?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25T-Tools%7c&gclid=CjwKCAjwl_PNBRBcEiwA4pplRYwERzMd2xJE5t3EvC4yGnLj8z241MbMnGscx8jTuk5xHewv3S9dqBoCYqoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKiExoCYqtYCFQRTwQodkCYKEw) to brush everything down, then I use a can of air (http://www.homedepot.com/p/CRC-8-oz-Compressed-Gas-Dust-and-Lint-Remover-05185-6/100206489) to blow out the stuff I loosened up. Short bursts work well. Dont hold the can on its side or upside down as the "liquid" it is stored in the can as can come out. It is super cold and could damage parts.
Done often enough it isn't hard and doesn't take a lot of time.
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Aside of hurting the bearings there's another issue in letting fans rotate by an external airflow: They turn into wind turbines, pushing electricity the wrong way. That's way more dangerous to your electrical components than some moisture. Heck, what is the first thing to do if you drop your cell phone into the sea? Flush it with tap water! Moisture isn't dangerous if it A) doesn't contain corrosive or conductive elements such as salt or other minerals and B) if you dry it soon enough. Water is somewhat of a solvent, too, if let to sit for weeks.
Skuzzy, I've been thinking about the air compressor can from Amazon which was talked about some years ago. Did you ever get one and if you did, was it worth anything?
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Swiffer mop heads are great for getting into areas inside the case you cannot reach. I've been using them for a long time and I was always a little concerned about static, but that has not been a problem. Usually, I use it in high dust areas and across fan blades on a 30-day schedule, but I avoid areas like the motherboard or any circuit area. The backside of monitors also attract dust for some reason, and these things will get rid of that problem very quickly.
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Ya know that's all your dead skin right.
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Ya know that's all your dead skin right.
Yes. I save it in a mason jar.
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I cleaned my pc and found 4 perk points
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I use this (https://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-ED500P-500-Watt-Electric/dp/B001U899HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1505649733&sr=8-1&keywords=DataVac+Electric+Duster+500P) air blower to clean my computers and the ones at the office. Works great. Cannot say enough good things about it.
Used to use my leaf blower.
Yes, tape down the fans. For the stubborn dust (if you smoke around your computer you will have this problem) you can use a solder brush to shake it loose.
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How much?!
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Roughly £100. I think I saw at least one British vendor while looking for an European voltage version and an European seller.
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I will tell my butler :old:
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I use this (https://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-ED500P-500-Watt-Electric/dp/B001U899HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1505649733&sr=8-1&keywords=DataVac+Electric+Duster+500P) air blower to clean my computers and the ones at the office. Works great. Cannot say enough good things about it.
Used to use my leaf blower.
Yes, tape down the fans. For the stubborn dust (if you smoke around your computer you will have this problem) you can use a solder brush to shake it loose.
I use a small shop vac. The smallest HomeDepot sells (stinger). I just set the hose in the exhaust end and I can direct the air wherever I want from pretty much any angle I want.
I've also use the micro nozzel reducers to suck stuff out that wont blow out.
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I honestly stopped using air compressors and the like to clear out PCs ages ago. It takes all that stuff and redistributes it all over the rest of your room... where... yep. It'll just get sucked back in and deposited again eventually. A dust buster with a narrow-tip attachment had served me well for a number of years until the battery stopped holding a charge. I would suggest something like that. To stop the blades from spinning I would just pin them with the eraser end of a pencil and keep moving on.
Also, don't forget to check behind fans that mount on top of heatsinks. If there's stuff beneath the fan it's beneficial to remove the screws and suck the stuff out directly rather than hoping you get it all through the fan blades.
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I use swiffer duster for outer pc surfaces and compressed air for inside surfaces, taking the pc outside so the dust ends up blowing in the wind. I stick a solder aid or my finger in fan blades to prevent rotation because I usually need to re-position fan blades several times to get all fan blade surfaces clean.
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I used a vacuum cleaner before, now I have a small hobby compressor (meant for painting plastic models) and an unused small paint gun as trigger. So far I have spun every fan available at full speed during the cleaning process. Vacuum cleaner made them really whine, I guess that has to stop now in light of this new information. :lol
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I used a vacuum cleaner before, now I have a small hobby compressor (meant for painting plastic models) and an unused small paint gun as trigger. So far I have spun every fan available at full speed during the cleaning process. Vacuum cleaner made them really whine, I guess that has to stop now in light of this new information. :lol
Depending on the motherboard design, you might be able to get away with it if zener diodes were implemented on the power feed to the fan.
Without knowing if they are, it is a gamble to run the fans with air. Of course, it is also possible for the fans to have zener diodes installed in them as well.
Easy way find out is to take a volt meter and connect it to the leads of the fan then run the fan. Set the volt meter to 5V range.
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I use our mid size 2 1/2 HP - 250 psi Air Compressor which has a water/moisture separator on it.... I'll blast the nozzle 6 to 8 times real good before I point my air nozzle that has an adaptor attached to the outlet with a 18 inch long 3/16ths I.D. tube ... The tube is very flexible and able to reach all nooks and crannies..
I always take our computers(cases) outside and use a workbench
secure all fans to where fan blades can't move
Disconnect main (large) PSU to MB cable (incase PSU fan comes loose and spins
Disconnect / unplug intake & exhaust fans from MB for same reason
Use an assortment of different size/shapes of brushes
Always clean filters by blowing air through them blowing the air through the back side (filtered side) of the filter....this keeps from messing up the filter and not further impacting the dust/dirt into the filter...
Occasionally I will completely remove my graphics card and clean the fans and heatsink of it...makes it a whole lot easier to clean and inspect
Same goes for the Corsair CAFA 120mmX2 CPU heatsink/fans cooler (these are behemoth in size)
Spend as much attention and care cleaning your computer as you do if you were building a new PC
Hope this helps
TC