CPU Fan - dusty and dirty

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As far as what I interpeted, and the reason that it could do more harm the good:

1.) PC and water shouldn't be near each other.

2.) People using a damp brush may get moisture in a spot, and not have enough patience and short out the MB, or component. It can leave a residue that can still conduct to short something out on power up.

3.) Now, if it was okay to do (use water on cleaning), then I'd just take my PC to the car wash, screw the vacuum cleaner.
 
I entirely disagree with your number 1. I spilled a 64 oz. glass of water on an old PII400 system, everything but the PS got drenched. The system set off some terrible buzzer alarm (not really sure what that was). I turned off the machine immediately and then completely dried out the computer for 3 days. It booted right up and hasn't stopped since and that was 5 years ago.

I also had my car stolen and my dell laptop was in it (in stand by no less), the chick flipped it in a ditch and the laptop was UNDERWATER for 1 hour. I dried it out, got a new battery and it still works, over a year ago.

And remember this was all contaminated water to a degree, not distilled, so electricity would be able to travel through it to a bit thus busting your point 2.
 
Without question use a vacuum cleaner. Compressed air just blows the dust around???? duh.

Use a vacuum with a plastic hose/tip and one of those brush tips on it and mesh it into the fan/heatsink. It will suck that sucker clean as a whistle with no mess or work. I vacuum out all the parts and internals in my computer every few months. You CAN'T get static electricity from a plastic vacuum hose end. Um, remember science class?

I'd unplug the puter though first to prevent unseating ram or something.

I've been doing this for years. I even vacuum the outside holes of the case in front/back. All the inputs get a littel clogged and need sucking out.
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Uh oh, my vacuum's hose extender is aluminium. My vacuum is kick ass: http://buy.overstock.com/images/products/L424902.jpg
 
I entirely disagree with your number 1. I spilled a 64 oz. glass of water on an old PII400 system, everything but the PS got drenched. The system set off some terrible buzzer alarm (not really sure what that was). I turned off the machine immediately and then completely dried out the computer for 3 days. It booted right up and hasn't stopped since and that was 5 years ago.

I also had my car stolen and my dell laptop was in it (in stand by no less), the chick flipped it in a ditch and the laptop was UNDERWATER for 1 hour. I dried it out, got a new battery and it still works, over a year ago.

And remember this was all contaminated water to a degree, not distilled, so electricity would be able to travel through it to a bit thus busting your point 2.
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Errrr.. I worked for a company as a IT PC Tech. I had to call in new laptops from people spill ANYTHING liquid on them, even explaining to them not to have any drinks near their laptop.

So I have a different point of view on that.

Only desktop I knew that had problems from water... was the person spilled water on his keyboard, which got fried.

Wanted to explain that ordeal... the guy said he could not log on to his NT system. So I go over there, sit in his chair... and my pant leg got damp. Touched the num-lock key, caps-lock key and no led lights came on. The I started pushing on the lower keys, and water was just splashing out. Oh I was pissed, he didn't even tell me he spilt water on it.

And I find it really hard to spill water or anything on a MB while it is in a case. Guess in your case, your lucky it didn't get on something vital on the MB.
 
hay I had tea fall on my Intel 3.4 ee l3 2mb cache laptop waited 2 days and turn it on and it works fine.

I use a compresser with a water filter and I drain the water from it each time I use it. due to the fact I run a miroblaster.

So alot of time I ground the laptop and desktop and blow the dust out of them.

See I have to have very dry sand when I etch glass. so I have filters on the compresser. just before it enters the miroblaster but I can put a compresser gun on it so it just blows air no water. so Low pressure and blow out the machines.

I done this with computers, Laptop, power supplys and AC. As long as they are grounded.
 
Dam Wusy u have over 27,000 Posts



yay !!



Uh oh, my vacuum's hose extender is aluminium. My vacuum is kick ass: http://buy.overstock.com/images/products/L424902.jpg
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that is one sick Vac

i want one I got mine off of http://www.amazon.com search: Dyson, though there aren't any of my vacuum left in sock, there are plenty of other models. Here is Dyson's website: http://www.Dyson.com This thing is the best vacuum I've ever had, doesn't lose suction and will pick up tons of dust. Though a tad on the expensive side (they range from 300 to 640 dollars 8O ), I think it was worth it.
 
hay I had tea fall on my Intel 3.4 ee l3 2mb cache laptop waited 2 days and turn it on and it works fine.

I use a compresser with a water filter and I drain the water from it each time I use it. due to the fact I run a miroblaster.

So alot of time I ground the laptop and desktop and blow the dust out of them.

See I have to have very dry sand when I etch glass. so I have filters on the compresser. just before it enters the miroblaster but I can put a compresser gun on it so it just blows air. so Low pressure and blow out the machines.

I done this with computers, Laptop, power supplys and AC. As long as they are grounded.
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Errr, I was working with people (employees) who need to get their work done. You think they are going to wait 2 days to let it dry? Come on.

That is fine if it is your laptop... and that if you feel as though spilling tea on it is no big deal. Athough you knew it needed time to dry out. Other wise you wouldn't have a working laptop. :wink:

And if you want to dampen your vaccum brush (no one is going to stop you) and clean your system... thats fine. But I'm not going to advise it to anyone.
 
I didn't say dampen the vacuum brush.

I've done a lot of work with electronics, under a lot of different conditions, everything from PC's to million dollar computer systems. and I have to say I really really doubt any residue from a dampened brush is going to cause a short to damage a device. But, there is always the possibility of anything.

But, if it's a natural fiber brush (which is what I said) then chances are typical humidity levels [unless you live in a desert] will at least reduce static, even without dampening it.
 
I replied to you only to ask why you said using a damp brush would do more harm than good.
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Errr... we need to work on our communications abit better, don't ya think?

I read that natural fiber brush are designed to produce no static, so damping it is still pointless to me.

But hey, I'll take your word on it that you have experience/worked on cleaning electronics.
 
I replied to you only to ask why you said using a damp brush would do more harm than good.
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Errr... we need to work on our communications abit better, don't ya think?

I read that natural fiber brush are designed to produce no static, so damping it is still pointless to me.

But hey, I'll take your word on it that you have experience/worked on cleaning electronics. Don't we all?
 
My original statement was that if I were to recommend using any brush at all, it would be a natural fiber brush, dampened...meaning not wet, but damp. If I recall, I was responding to someone saying they used a paint brush, so I said a natural fiber brush. I never said to dampen the Vacuum brush, and I later said I wouldn't recommend using the vacuum utilsil brush. If there was a misunderstanding about that, then I'll take responsibility for it, but I never said to use a dampened vacuum cleaner brush.

As for anything that will generate static, well, anything will generate static. Human bodies, made of mostly water, generate static while walking accross non-conductive floors. Lightning occurs because air of different temps and pressure slams together. Air, and water, slamming against either other and suddenly we get bolts of lightning diving down from the sky. Very strange.

Oh, and BTW. I don't expect anyone to take my word for anything. This is an internet forum, so anyone on here can be and often will be full of crap. Don't take my word for anything. But, at least 2 people told me that vacuums could not possibly generate static, when they can. They said it as if it were fact, based on what, I don't know. But it wasn't based on any facts I'm aware of.
 
Well, I'm sorry for the confustion on my part, since you asked me that question, when I was talking mainly about dampening vacuum cleaner brush attachments to begin with.

I did however understood natural fiber brush attachments, which aren't cheap, not everyone would have such an attachment in a regluar house hold vacuum cleaner. I don't recall any of the vacuums made for PC's using natural brush attachments.

Though now it dawns on me that your talking about paint brush type, which wasn't clear when I was reading through most of the posts. And after I did look up natrual fiber brushes to be non-static, it just didn't make sense to me to dampen it.

Anyhoo... final thought:

By dampening the brush, I don't think it could clean or brush away dust as good as a dry one, depending on how wide of an area of the MB you maybe cleaning/dusting. Athough dust would stick to it better.

I do have one other question. Does anyone know how many volts are discharged from using a vacuum cleaner, by using a brush?
 
I suppose the voltage generated by a vacuum would depend on the different circumstances it's being used in, like humidity, amount of air it sucks in and how much dirt it's sucking it, etc.

After considering the idea of a damp brush, if the brush isn't grounded then it will still generate static to some degree, so I'd have to go back to my original thought that using any brush at all to contact the components is probably a bad idea and should be avoided if possible.
 
Here is a [sort of cheesy, but interesting] site I found about static.

http://www.amasci.com/emotor/stmiscon.html#one

STORM CLOUDS ARE ELECTRIFIED BY FRICTION? No.
Some books claim that the separated charges in thunderstorms come about because the clouds rub against each other, or because the falling rain rubs against the air. This is not correct. In fact, the true explanation for storm electrification is unknown. There are several possible explanations, but none of them has yet been accepted by scientists, and all the theories have problems.

Here's one current theory:
In a mixture of rain and half-melted hail, the ice and water become oppositely electrified through contact. The large hail then falls faster than the small raindrops and spray. Two large regions appear in the cloud, a lower one that's made of hail, and an upper one that's made of rain. These regions contain opposite imbalances of electric charge.
So, what caused the clouds to become electrified? Contact between dissimilar materials, followed by wide separation of those materials.
 
Wonders where I seid dampen brush. I use a compresser which blows air. I had some guy today say his wireless mouse was not working with his Laptop due to the fact he drop it in his drink (Yes I know funny). I ask if he had spare Mouse and he seid Yes I told him to use that. Then I told him to use the vents on his laptop give or take 4 inches away from the laptop and use it to dry it out. I also told him to clean the lens of the mouse. One hour later light started kicking on the mouse. and 2 hours it was working 100%

1 Odd trick can work. Useing your laptop as a low power blow dryer.
 
We had a few lighting bolts Hit our house but It due to the fact we have a Yaggie directionel beam 3 storys high For a CB/Ham Radio. I Like to wait untel the smuck next door starts playing his Muisc too loud or tv. Then turn it on and go Your Muisc is crap.

A few days Later He Like My system some times sounds really good then I hear voices in it saying my muisc crap. Dang it was funny. I just told him Dont know what wrong.
 
Wonders where I seid dampen brush.
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I said that as I ment for anyone to read, in general, since I was talking mainly about dampen brush used on a vacuum cleaner.

Funny... I pretty much freaked out my neighbors when I had a ham radio coverted to CB. I was pretty much bleeding over radios, tvs, and answering machines. It was a Galaxy Saturn Turbo, which I ended selling to a friend when I lost interest in it, and my neighbors really started to be annoyed. 😳

Still have a 30 ft tower in the backyard... can't remember the name of the antenna I used with it... owell.
 
I dont use mine much other then to annoying neighbors. Like the guy who lives next door and get drunk then he will come out and turns on his motor bike and reaves it for 10 Min. I wait untel He watching tv. Then repeat your always a drunk. I seen this guy walk to the store and he cant keep on the side walk
 
Ahhh.. I see.

Man, since it was a long time ago, I was trying hard not to annoy our neighbors. Now that I think about it, my antenna was mounted on the side of the house on a chimmney.

After we got the 30FT tower in place, I think the complaining stopped. I used to like to take to friends over the CB awhile back.
 
I don't see the problem in using the vacuum cleaner; you don't actually have to come near any sensitive stuff to clean the heatsink of the cpu. And you certainly don't have to touch it... (I've done that for years and never fried something. These components aren't that sensitive to static as they used to be some years ago; oyu realise when you do soldering on SMD's for instance)
 
I agree that you don't have to touch anything and I think that is the best way to do it, not touching I mean. I do think that one should not use the vacuum brush and/or contact the componets in any way, but if you use a vacuum on the hs/fans or use canned air to kick up the dust and then catch it with the vacuum that's about the best you can do. Like I said though, I just take my machines outside and blow them out.

I agree that there are more protective devices in the components nowadays to help protect them from static. It's not that the devices are less sensitive, they aren't and in fact they may be more sensitive, but they have some protective devices built in to the IO circuits to help. Just as an aside though, if you do it long enough and damage the protective device, then the next thing to go will be something further in.
 
I agree that you don't have to touch anything and I think that is the best way to do it, not touching I mean. I do think that one should not use the vacuum brush and/or contact the componets in any way, but if you use a vacuum on the hs/fans or use canned air to kick up the dust and then catch it with the vacuum that's about the best you can do. Like I said though, I just take my machines outside and blow them out.
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Thats what I do.
 
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