Community Newsletter: Q&A: 1/06/06 How to evict those dust bunnies living in your PC

Other advice from our members

by Lee Koo (ADMIN)  - 1/5/06 4:27 PM

In reply to: 1/06/06 How to evict those dust bunnies living in your PC by Lee Koo (ADMIN) 

Answer:

Hello, I am not a professional but a hobbyist and I have built from scratch, about 5-6 gaming machines and dust/heat is a major concern.

One way to address the dust build up issue is to simply get the computer off the floor and up onto the desk where it will be more ventilated.

For future modifications to keep dust down you can purchase foam/sponge filter material or actual computer fan/filter devices that are very inexpensive and can be installed on your computer fans or in the pre-cut fan locations in your case, where you may not currently have a fan. This is very simple and low cost...simply 4 screws into the existing holes and the airway is now filtered.

For a case that is already dusty internally, the first thing I do is remove both sides of the case while the computer is on a table or workbench. I then use a can of compressed air ("gas duster"), which are readily available at Staples, WalMart, etc. It is for this specific purpose. Simply attach the included straw that comes with the can and blow the air on all the "stuff" inside the case toward one of the open sides. If you clearly have "dust bunnies" inside the case, don't be afraid to gently reach in and remove them. The main thing to avoid is disconnecting any cables, as touching the internal cards and such is not a big deal.

There are small, inexpensive computer vacuums available where you find the cans of compressed air, I've not tried them personally but I've heard that they are pretty good as well.

So to recap, you can add actual filters to your existing case fans or vacant fan locations, and you can blow out or vacuum out the dust. Finally you can look to optimize the location of your system to reduce dust build up. Hope this has helped you.

Submitted by: Sean P. of Temecula, CA

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Answer:

For years now I have delighted in building my own PCs, and always enjoyed the process of selecting the best parts at the right price and putting it all together. And not just myself either, I have built a couple of machines for my wife, innumerable systems and servers at the office, and a few miscellaneous machines for other uses. On two of the systems I went so far as to built some intake filters to help keep the innards clean, but I must confess that once the machines are built, they are very rarely ever opened again.

On the occasions that I have opened a box there is not a great deal inside that really needs cleaning, and this despite constant use and a machine that is maybe rarely, if ever, turned off. Dust build-up is invariable around the fan intake and this I clean up with the vacuum machine, waving the suction tube with its brush on across the fan intake to remove the whiskers and fuzz that accumulates.

I do this fairly regularly, like every few months or when I notice dust balls floating around under the desks and tables where these machines live, but I have never bothered to clean the innards; it is simply just not necessary. I also share my house with my wife and two cats, and in the past the feline population has reached four and we have had a couple of ferrets and a skunk thrown in to the mix, although the skunk was de-stunk which I guess goes without saying. The result of all this fuzz was a considerable number of fur-balls floating around which did end up catching on the fan intake grills, but the three-month fuzz-vacuuming was sufficient even in this worst of cases.

Most PCs are supposed to be designed using the concept where the internal pressure is higher than the external, in other words the fans pump air in to the box and let it escape through appropriately positioned grills cut in the case rendering the inside of the PC under pressure. This allows air to be directed and provides for better cooling control. The fan intakes are easily identified in these cases and therefore easily cleaned. I have seem some computers however where the fans blow air out of the box and in this case air is drawn into the box through the grills but also through floppy disc devices, CDs and other holes and inlets that exist in the devices and parts of the computer; and in these cases I have seen dust buildup around the doors and inlets which I assume also puts dust around read/write heads and DVD/CD lenses. Not good. This is less prevalent an occurrence in the pressured PCs and it must be admitted that a small build up of dust tends to act as a filter, accumulating more build-up and helping to keep the innards clean.

I have been working around computers for many decades now and I have never seen a failure caused by lack of dust removal. The most common failure I have seen is caused by fan failure. High-end machines monitor their temperature and fan status, even many PCs have temperature management on the motherboard, but these features often are simply insufficient a warning for the average home PC. What I recommend is every few months vacuuming the fan intakes, removing dust around the machine and checking to see if the fan is blowing air merrily into the PC. Place a sheet of paper over the intake and it should stick there under the fan’s air pressure showing all is well. Also listen and see if you can hear a squeaking or groaning from the fan, another indication that it is passing on to the great dumpster in the sky. In my experience fans die slowly and usually can be caught before too much heat build-up occurs. Fans are cheap and easy to replace, any computer store should be able to do it quickly and inexpensively.

Finally, do not worry about the proximity of a vacuum cleaner to the computer. I have heard people worry about electric motors and magnetic fields affecting the computer’s delicate parts. The magnets inside hard disk devices used for head positioning are incredibly powerful and in my experience there is little other than banging around the parts that will damage a computer. Take care to simply vacuum away the fluff and make sure the fans are functioning and I think the computer will end up being replaced one day simply because it is too old and cannot run the latest software that you want it to.

Submitted by: Lawrence H.

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Answer:

I've been in the electronics industry for a while now. I'm an LCD monitor repair technician for Dell and I've an associates in electronics science. I can tell you that the dust inside a computer will in no way cause overheating. All the components on the circuit boards are oversized to compensate for them being covered in dust. Oversizing the components allows for greater heat dissipation. Electronic circuit boards naturally attract dust -- the designers know this and have compensated for it.

Submitted by: Gary W.

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Answer:

I have been using my air compressor, set at 50psi to clean all my computers, as well as friends machines, for over 15 years. I have NEVER ran into anything but favorable results. I remove the memory and the processor to make sure I get all the dust. I blow out the floppy's, zip's, DVD's and CD's. In short, I blow out everything with 50 pounds of pressure, and will continue to do so. It just works so well, I have no reason to stop cleaning my pc(s) in this manner.

Submitted by: Larry

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Answer:

Joaquin,
I have been taking a shop vac with computer cleaning attachments (available at Wal-Mart) since I cracked the case on my first PC in '93. I went back to school in '99 to become an Electronics and Computer Service Tech, because I felt I knew enough to be dangerous. I still take the shop vac to my computers, but now I have the sense to wear an antistatic band clipped to the unpainted part of my case, and not to wear any jewelry while inside the case.

Turn your computer off, and unplug it, if you do not have an antistatic wristband, you can take your shoes and socks off and stand on a bare floor. (Tile, wood, concrete, etc.) and hold the case while cleaning with the other hand. The above mentioned brushes are plastic and will not conduct electricity, so you don't have to worry about shorting between components and there isn't anything in there, as long as the computer is off, that will shock you. I pull my case fans out and clean both sides, but you can clean them in the case just fine.

Clean around your power supply real good but DON'T OPEN THE CASE TO THE POWER SUPPLY. I do open my power supply and pull the fan out and clean the dust off the components real good, but I only do that because I have been trained and I know which ones will kill you. Now depending on how dusty your home is or how many animals (human males are included in this) you have running in and out of your home, I clean my computers about every 4 months because I have 3 dogs and a significant other, who brings in more dirt than the dogs.

And finally, about a year ago, I was having trouble in my home with mold growing in the air conditioning ducts and on the registers. After cleaning them as far as I could reach, I covered the registers with a filter I got at Lowes designed to cover box fans and prevent them from blowing dust and mold. I saw a drastic reduction in the dust in my home, so I cut the filters in to small enough pieces and taped them over all of the air intake slots on my computer. I now have a small strip of Velcro glued on these spots, the filter sticks to the Velcro and makes changing the filter very easy. Note-Your power supple fan blows out so you don't need to cover this one. The filter material is so thin, it doesn't impede the flow of air through the computer, but it does a dandy job at stopping the dust and in my case the dog hair. I have monitored the temperature inside my case for almost a year now, because I was afraid the filters would impede the air flow, which is dangerous, as that is what keeps your components cool, and my case temperature is running lower and I have very little dust inside now. The filters are washable so about once a month, I pull them off and put a second clean set on and throw the dirty ones in the washing machine with my clothes and lay them on the washing machine to dry, which takes about 10 minutes.

I hope this helps you. My son who is also a tech, but hasn't had any formal training and thinks he know more than his mother is about to find out the hard way that dust will kill a computer faster than anything, except someone who thinks they know what they are doing, but doesn't really. Have fun with your computer, the first thing I did when I got my first computer as yank the case off and see what was inside. Your owners manual will show you now to open your case.

Submitted by: Exie K.

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I periodically clean out my computer and should do it more frequently. You will be amazed to find the vast amount of dust that accumulates inside your computer and near any openings into the computer. I follow the instructions my computer (Dell) gives in opening the computer. It is very easy. Don't be nervous. You must unplug your computer from the power and connectors to other devices to avoid any shock. They also recommend pushing the power button to discharge any electric current from your system. Once open, you have to make sure to touch metal periodically so to discharge any static electricity so not to short out any components inside (if in fact you touch anything inside).

I take my vacuum cleaner with a plastic nozzle and suck out the dust from the computer. I do not touch the nozzle to any surface, keeping it a safe distance away from the components. Don't forget to also take off the computer's faceplate so to suck the dust from the floppy drive, cd player, etc. Good Luck.

Submitted by: Jamie B.

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Answer:

If you've never cleaned your PC, you're really lucky to operate in a relatively dust-free environment. Get an air blower, from e.g.,
http://www.misco.co.uk/productinformation/~69093~/BELKIN%20BLASTER%20CANNED%20AIR%203.5%20OZ.htm then take as much of the casing off as possible, making sure everything is turned OFF! All you have to do then is point-and spray at all the little bits, fan blades, and memory modules you can see. You won't touch anything, or damage components, and then just replace the casing. More intensive cleaning can be done using "cotton buds", and solvents, but follow the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!".

AMD offer advice and guidelines on their help pages, but these can be hard to locate. Most CPU cooler-fan manufacturers give advice on cleaning, but the most important thing to watch out for is do NOT move any component! I use, personally, paint brushes, "cotton buds", ethyl alcohol, nail varnish remover(with conditioner), and Bowmans Safety Solvent, but then again. I built my own system.

Submitted by: Lain B.

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I always use a product called Air Duster, manufactured and by Fellowes. This product comes with a long, thin straw that you connect to an air hole just above the trigger on the top of the can. With the straw inserted, you can squeeze the trigger and a forceful burst of air is released from the can. With this product, I can open up my computer case and blow away the dust build up from all of my sensitive computer parts without fear of damaging anything. The product number listed on the can is 99790. I always buy this product from Wal-Mart. It is located in the electronics section. You can also see this product on the manufacture's website at http://www.fellowes.com/Fellowes/site/products/ProductDetails.aspx?Id=99791

Submitted by: Casey T. of Douglas, GA

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Answer:

I would suggest taking your PC to a PC specialist. They will charge you a fee of $50.00 to $100.00 and clean out the dust inside your PC and "tweak" up anything you feel is causing trouble. To "tweak" up things you feel are malfunctioning, you have to purchase the part(s) and have them install it. If the PC is in bad shape, I will recommend buying a new computer, and then transferring your data from your old computer to a portable hard drive, then copying everything to your new computer.

Submitted by: Bukhari K.