PC Maintenance. Removing Interior Dust Buildup.

[John Galt III]

Has anyone out there cleaned out the dust buildup near the fan?

I opened up my 12(?) year old IBM NetVista PC (I know, its old, but it works) and I see some dust accumulation on the fan blades and on the fins the fan blows air through, that cool the motherboard.

Some articles on the Net say to use a can of compressed air to blow away the dust from the fan and the fins, but what if the dust just gets stuck in between some other, more susceptible electronic connection?

The passages between the fins are still open, so air is getting through, but they have a layer of dust on them.



Thanks,

JG3

 

[walkinwood]

I use my vacuum cleaner and so far, it has't sucked anything out of the computer. Your computer, if it has a variable speed fan, will run much quieter after you clean out the dust. Also look for a fan on top of the processor - that accumulates dust too.

Be careful using the vacuum cleaner on your keyboard though - the chicklet keys get sucked out pretty easily.
c.

 

[easysurfer]

I used both a small computer vacuum and a blower (not compressed air, but a rechargeable blower I got a few years back). I've found the blower worked better. Not 100% on all the dust but better than vacuuming.

This is what I use (for about $10 several years back):

http://www.amazon.com/Turbo-Air-Compact-Blower-System/dp/B002OXMMY8

 

[Texas Proud]

I used air from my air compressor...

The fan went from being real loud to quiet...

 

[sengsational]

I routinely use a leaf blower. Looks like new!

I take the cover off, set the box and cover outside, and hit 'em from all angles.

 

[Tyro]

Many sources warn against using vacuums for cleaning, yet some places sell attachments intended specifically for cleaning computers.

We've used a combination of compressed air and the small computer vacuum attachments, depending on components, accessibility, and practicality.

I guess my suggestion would be to read up on the subject and proceed with caution and common sense.

cleaning computer guts - Google Search

Tyro

 

[ERD50]

Watch out for static electricity. I think some of the cautions with a vacuum are the nylon brushes and air currents can build up a lot of static. I would not attempt this during dry weather - esp if you are getting even small shocks after walking across a carpet.

Touch something grounded on the chassis as you go. Ground anything you are using as well as you can.

-ERD50

 

[ls99]

Just a couple of days ago opened the case on the Dell Precision 650 Xeon tower. Using a fine bristled brush stirred the dust and let the vacuum collect it. Last was done about 5 years ago.

 

[imoldernu]

My experience has been that desktops are much less fragile than you would think. I use Qtips and alcohol on fans that are really crudded up. Toothpicks on fins. The only part that I've had problems with is taking the heatsink off the processor chip. The silver paste is necessary for good contact. Normal care in changing drives, memory or cards is enough. Diagrams on wiring, if necessary. Usually, the hardest part is taking off the cover, since each manufacturer has their own idea about that.

Now... laptops are a very different story. Taking one apart to replace the Cmos battery, or any part other than the hard drive or the memory chips is not for the faint of heart. You need a good light, a magnetic screwdriver, good eyes, steady hands, and a lot of courage to take a laptop apart. Screen problem?... fugeddaboutit. If you've ever stripped a laptop, you understand why the cost is so much higher.
Just opening the case of a laptop can be exciting... never just screws... always snap in plastic tabs... That first snap, when one breaks, is a real downer.

I'd use an air can on a laptop but only on the keyboard, and only on parts that have a cover. Opening the case is a last resort.

YMMV...

 

[bUU]

The real danger from dust is not build-up on the fan but rather on the CPU. I think the best approach would be compressed air to get the dust airborne, and a vacuum nozzle set safely apart from the device trying to pull the dust away.

 

[Walt34]

I just use an air compressor with the regulator set to about 20 psi, outside of course.

 

[John Galt III]

Thanks for all the suggestions and experiences. What I finally did was just unplug it, wipe down the flat smooth surfaces (no electronics) with a damp paper towel, then put a newspaper in the bottom of the pc, then used a plastic drinking straw to blow the dust off the circuit boards, then blew the dust out of the fins above the heat sink, which was where the major dust problem was. Removed newspaper, deposited all the lint-like debris into trash can, and repeated the process a few more times.

Did all this inside, at the usual computer location, since there wasn't really a ton of dust, and I just vacuumed up the rug afterwards, and wiped off the computer table.

Started it up, and listened to the fan. The fan sounds about the same, maybe a little bit quieter.

 

[Tyro]

I just use an air compressor with the regulator set to about 20 psi, outside of course.

...You mean you're dispersing all that dust & dirt into the ENVIRONMENT‽‽‽‽‽

 

[ls99]

...You mean you're dispersing all that dust & dirt into the ENVIRONMENT‽‽‽‽‽

Is it not where it cam from?

Return to sender. Um, there is a song about that, isn't there.

 

[Redbugdave]

I also use the air compressor on the computers, fridge, freezers, dryer, TV's, dog, shoe insides, auto air filters, etc.