Can a candle ruin my computer / electronics?

[satchmosays]

Hey guys,

Just the other day I went into the computer room and it just didn't smell right at all. So I went ahead and light a scented candle to make it nicer.

Well later I thought about it, and realized that the fumes and possible soot from the candle could harm my computer and electronics. However I'm not really sure if this could be true...

So here is my odd question.

Can lighting a candle for one hour damage my computer / electronics? It was light for about an hour and when I blew it out a small amount of smoke came out.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Proximon]

No, unless the heated air from the candle was being pulled directly into the case. If enough soot accumulated on the heatsinks to form a barrier to heat transfer, that might be an issue as well, but would be avoided by the regular cleaning you should be doing any way.

Every 6 months you should take a can of compressed air and blow the dust out of the interior of your case, but avoid any high fan RPM caused by the air stream. A pencil for instance can be used to keep a fan from spinning while you blast it with air.

 

[satchmosays]

Best answer selected by satchmosays.