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View Full Version : Dust: a cautionary tale



Cuddles McKitten
April 27th, 2010, 12:12 AM
My girlfriend told me that her computer has been virtually unusable for about half a year. After noticing a trojan on her WinXP (and by removing it, activating its contingency plan to ruin the partitions), I suggested that she just nuke her hard drive and start over (installing Ubuntu of course). After installing Ubuntu, her computer still took about ten minutes to boot up completely.

Since I was not only longer in Windows land, and had just reformatted the hard drive, I knew that any typical maintenance wouldn't be needed. Scan disk? Nope! Defragmenting? Never. Virus scan? Ha!

I went with a long shot and asked her when she last cleaned out her tower. She said that in five years of leaving it on 24/7, she'd never opened it. I slowly pulled away the cover to see what ancient artifacts I could find. The CPU's heat sink was CAKED with dust almost a centimeter (~1/3") thick. After pulling that out and showing her, I took said tower outside and blew into it with all my might. Not only did my entire face, but the upper half of my shirt quickly were covered with dust. While I was alternating brushing and blowing to clear out the other dust bunnies (which had bred as quickly as real bunnies), my girlfriend worked at clearing the spider webs (literally) from her tower's cover.

After patiently clearing out the inside this way -- instead of going for the shovel as I probably should have --, her computer now runs normally.

TL;DR: Remember kids, blocking off the heat sink near your fan with dust is not a good idea.

DougieFresh4U
April 27th, 2010, 12:26 AM
Funny how you bring this up!
A few days ago, I aquired a 'used' machine. I decided to take it to my sisters today and take back the machine I had built for my self. She walked in and saw a pile of 'dust'lint'dog/kittie hair' on the floor and and asked what it was. I told it came out of the bottom of the machine. When I got it home and opened it up, WOW, was I shocked. Therefore, I went through the process of cleaning fans and vents.
I will have to remind her to clean her machine every other month.
Funny how you brought topic up. :P

steveneddy
April 27th, 2010, 01:11 AM
I went to Fry's years ago and purchased all of the attachments that fit out vacuum cleaner at home for periodic cleaning of desktop and laptop machines.

I use my lappie out on the road so once every two months I take it home and thoroughly vacuum all of the dust and dirt out of it, inside and out.

I have a PIII machine that still runs well and I clean it whenever it is necessary.

phrostbyte
April 27th, 2010, 01:17 AM
I have no clue how my PC gets so dusty, but I have to clean it out like once a month. The fans/vents get especially dusty.

piousp
April 27th, 2010, 01:25 AM
My PC can get really dusty too. Right now i'm cleaning it once every 2 or 3 months.
But your story reminds me of the time when i opened a pc from the office... oh boy, it was a nightmare :-&

steveneddy
April 27th, 2010, 01:40 AM
I actually put an automotive air filter on my PC to filter incoming dust, sealed all of the holes in the case, and it runs much cooler now.

nowin4me
April 27th, 2010, 01:53 AM
I actually put an automotive air filter on my PC to filter incoming dust, sealed all of the holes in the case, and it runs much cooler now.

Where did you get your "automotive air filter's" from? And is that there real name?

Viva
April 27th, 2010, 05:18 AM
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1461771 :(

jrusso2
April 27th, 2010, 07:05 AM
You really should not clean inside a PC with a brush.

Smart Viking
April 27th, 2010, 07:29 AM
My computer doesn't get dusty at all for some reason, it might be because i have the side doors open 50% of the time i use it maybe. :)

peterj
April 27th, 2010, 02:06 PM
I have never 'cleaned' my computer per se. Although I opened it over the weekend to put in a new PCI card and I did have to literally push the dust/dog hair (2 huskys who sleep beside comp) to get the pci card in. I did think to myself that it can't be good for the machine but since I'd never heard anybody mention cleaning their computer I didn't worry about it.

I think I'm going to go home and clean it now... to the creator of this thread, know that you have ruined my tuesday afternoon!

madhi19
April 27th, 2010, 03:35 PM
lolll Dust the great hardware killer! If somebody figure out a way to ventilate a rig efficiently and filter that crap up he or she would make a fortune!

blueturtl
April 27th, 2010, 03:45 PM
My dad loves to leave the windows open. Even during winter. He likes it cool in his place. Last time we upgraded his rig I found the most peculiar thing: aside from the expected dust cover on everything there was also a thick layer of dead insects at the bottom of the case. Apparently the computer is the warmest place in the living room, so all the bugs would crawl inside the case and later die there. #-o

whiskeylover
April 27th, 2010, 03:49 PM
My dad loves to leave the windows open. Even during winter. He likes it cool in his place. Last time we upgraded his rig I found the most peculiar thing: aside from the expected dust cover on everything there was also a thick layer of dead insects at the bottom of the case. Apparently the computer is the warmest place in the living room, so all the bugs would crawl inside the case and later die there. #-o

I'm glad you "debugged" it.

MaxIBoy
April 27th, 2010, 04:01 PM
I know you can buy filters especially for your intake vents. They are sized similarly to common sizes for fans (80 mm, 90 mm, 120 mm, etc.)

But in any case, your computer works like a vacuum cleaner-- pump air in, run it though a bunch of nooks and crannies to catch all the dust, pump filtered air out. And like a vacuum cleaner, you want to clean out the "filter" once in a while. Especially when that filter is already prone to overheating.

koleoptero
April 27th, 2010, 04:25 PM
Kitchen ventilator filters can work miracles. You can buy one really cheap and cut it to fit whatever holes your rig might have.

clonne4crw
April 28th, 2010, 09:57 PM
I just take and cut up those Swiffer dust cloths and tape them around the intake vents on my case. Works pretty well for me.

But yeah I've had to deal with a dust bunny from hell cleaning out my uncle's old Dell PII. There was about half an inch of dust build up in some places. I apparently inhaled enough dust that I got a sore throat that evening.

Objekt
April 28th, 2010, 10:21 PM
I live in dust bunny hell. Our climate is very dry, and the hard floors in my house seem to make the problem worse.

For cleaning your PC, dry air is a good idea, either from a compressor or cans. Your breath has lots of moisture in it. I don't know that anyone's ever managed to short out or rust a computer by blowing on its innards, but I don't want to find out the hard way.

The filters included with my computer case are fairly lousy, just 1/8" thick pieces of foam. All they really do is keep the intake fans from getting dusty. There are lots of other holes and cracks where dust gets in the case. I would like to apply something similar to the 4" thick, pleated filter that my house AC system uses, but there are too many leaks. So, I clean often with compressed air.

cascade9
April 28th, 2010, 10:32 PM
I tend to just use the old 'stocking filter' on the cases I own without filters (its a feature I look for every time on cases I buy).


I have no clue how my PC gets so dusty, but I have to clean it out like once a month. The fans/vents get especially dusty.

Do you really want to know? OK.....dont say I didnt warn you-

That 'dust' is bits of you (and whatever pets you have), mainly dead skin cells, and dead mites. Gross, eh?


Where did you get your "automotive air filter's" from? And is that there real name?

Auto parts stores? Its just an airfilter. Some of the filter companies have even figured this out now-

http://www.knfilters.com/news/news.aspx?ID=163

See a few over the years, ugly look normally, but very effective if you seal the case well.


My dad loves to leave the windows open. Even during winter. He likes it cool in his place. Last time we upgraded his rig I found the most peculiar thing: aside from the expected dust cover on everything there was also a thick layer of dead insects at the bottom of the case. Apparently the computer is the warmest place in the living room, so all the bugs would crawl inside the case and later die there. #-o

Seen that, a lot. Sub-tropical climate here. Best thing I've ever seen? Several dead geckoes.


You really should not clean inside a PC with a brush.

Probably not, but most people dont have 'cans of air' or a compressor hanging around.

CharlesA
April 28th, 2010, 10:49 PM
I've seen ones that you can buy that goes between the fan and the case, they are pretty good too.

See here: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10847/ffa-43/120mm_White_Steel_Mesh_Filter_Grill_FG-120-W.html?tl=g47

Irihapeti
April 28th, 2010, 11:18 PM
I'd say, if you're going to use a brush, make sure it's made with natural fibre, not synthetic. I have a watercolour brush that's made of goat hair (I think).

I found that a pair of wooden chopsticks were very handy for picking clumps of dust off fans etc. It amused some of my Asian friends when I told them.

CharlesA
April 28th, 2010, 11:23 PM
Horsehair brushes work great too.

Thsyrus
April 28th, 2010, 11:39 PM
I find a vacuum set to low power with the right nozzle does the trick :)


Nothing really beats an intake filter though.

steveneddy
May 2nd, 2010, 06:45 AM
Where did you get your "automotive air filter's" from? And is that there real name?

Um - from an automotive parts store.

I looked through the filter catalog - illustrated buyer's guide - and found a round one with an overall diameter of 5-6", overall length of about 9", closed at one end and a 3" connection on the other end that I hooked up to a new drier hose, the other end was connected to the PC with a 3" wall connection for a drier hose.

The drier hose made it possible to keep the PC hidden and the filter could be on the floor where the air is cooler. Once a month I would vacuum the filter off and ever few months I open the case and vacuum out what little dust there is.

Works great - stays cool and clean - and it still runs 10 years after I bought it new.

There is a fan in the PC case drawing air into the hose through the filter - the case is sealed with silicone sealer - clear - and the only air outlet is through the power supply.

Sounds crazy - but it works.

3rdalbum
May 2nd, 2010, 07:53 AM
I was inspecting someone's computer. I grabbed the underside of their graphics card and promptly thought 'why did the mabufacturer put fabric on this card'. When I took itt out I realised it is not fabric - it is dust clogging up the fan.

Rackstar
May 2nd, 2010, 10:53 AM
Just a little remark!

Vacuuming your computer is not a good idea! Or you should at least avoid the fans. Because vacuuming the fans, make the fans rotate at much higher speed than they are designed to, they are in fact in that stage power producers, and you can fry your motherboard.

koanhead
May 2nd, 2010, 11:29 AM
Just a little remark!

Vacuuming your computer is not a good idea! Or you should at least avoid the fans. Because vacuuming the fans, make the fans rotate at much higher speed than they are designed to, they are in fact in that stage power producers, and you can fry your motherboard.

Btw, this is true even if there is no power going to the fans (i.e. the computer is off) if they have permanent-magnet motors. If you are not sure, best to assume that they are.

chriswyatt
May 2nd, 2010, 12:46 PM
My parents' netbook kept overheating and shutting down due to the temperature being over the threshold. We sorted it out by getting an air canister and blowing it through the vents.

It's definitely something worth doing now and again, it'll probably help your PC live longer :).

Thsyrus
May 2nd, 2010, 01:25 PM
Just a little remark!

Vacuuming your computer is not a good idea! Or you should at least avoid the fans. Because vacuuming the fans, make the fans rotate at much higher speed than they are designed to, they are in fact in that stage power producers, and you can fry your motherboard.


Hence why I use the low power option. If your vacuum doesn't have low (and I mean low) option do not do it. Mine is just the right level to pick up loose dust without affecting anything else.

handy
May 2nd, 2010, 02:03 PM
I used to use a vacuum cleaner with a step down in tube size so I could use a piece of auto' fuel hose. This allowed me to get into most of the little nooks & crannies that were otherwise inaccessible.

These days I use an air compressor.

Either way I always take precautions that will stop any fans being driven by the fast moving air, apart from the possibility of generating any current you can easily over rev' the little things & damage them.

If you can't get your finger on a fan, carefully use a small screw driver or similar to stop the blades from spinning.

Wee_Guy
May 2nd, 2010, 03:53 PM
Not meaning to hijack the thread, but what happens if a really cheap generic PSU overheats? I replaced the fan in mine for the sake of silence, and now as there is less air going through it is there much chance of it dying on me? It's the only exhaust in an Athlon 7750 system (though I run it with the side panel off) but it doesn't get too hot most of the time.

gemmakaru
May 2nd, 2010, 03:58 PM
Interesting subject, I've cleaned a few peoples pcs myself. It's amazing how bad they can get.

clanky
May 2nd, 2010, 04:03 PM
and now as there is less air going through it is there much chance of it dying on me? It's the only exhaust in an Athlon 7750 system (though I run it with the side panel off) but it doesn't get too hot most of the time.

It depends on how hot it gets with the new fan, but yes, the hotter it gets the more likely it is to fail. Just make sure that having the side panel off doesn't let the airflow bypass something that needs it.

handy
May 3rd, 2010, 01:30 AM
Not meaning to hijack the thread, but what happens if a really cheap generic PSU overheats? I replaced the fan in mine for the sake of silence, and now as there is less air going through it is there much chance of it dying on me? It's the only exhaust in an Athlon 7750 system (though I run it with the side panel off) but it doesn't get too hot most of the time.

Many cases have the provision to install another fan at the front of the case which you place so that it sucks air into the case.

If you are concerned about the temperature you could place a fan there. You can buy fans that are quieter or you can buy an external fan speed controller (potentiometer) that will let you set the speed of the fan to suit your comfort.

koleoptero
May 3rd, 2010, 01:59 AM
There are worse things than dust to be afraid of too.

handy
May 3rd, 2010, 03:52 AM
There are worse things than dust to be afraid of too.

Poo, that would have been a stinker!!!

I had to service a machine once that lost its vga card. I opened up the machine & found mouse droppings around the place (nice warm little house with a card slots open on the back of the tower for mouse entry/exit). I removed the graphics card & could easily see that the mouse had urinated on the card underside (up side in a tower) of the card, so I took it outside & ran it under a tap, scrubbing it with a nail brush, let it dry out in the sun, reinstalled it & everything worked fine. :)

lykwydchykyn
May 3rd, 2010, 04:05 AM
Ugh, yeah; I do tech support for a county government, which includes the dept of animal control (i.e. -- the animal shelter). You want to talk about some nasty things being pulled out of the inside of a computer...

Makes me ill just remembering.