Shooting compressed air INWARD?

Bill,

As someone a heck of a lot more knowledgable than I, what is your recommendation for getting the job safely done by us poor slobs that don't have a full workshop or compressor handy?

 

Poor slobs? Not hardly. But I do recommend every home owner get a compressor. They are great for flat tires, nail guns!!!!!!! (invaluable), painting, all sorts of things.

You can use of cans of dusting gas, but those costs can add up. And as I noted above, they do not contain safe-to-breath air. And you still have to take the necessary ESD precautions.

And regardless, you don't want to toss all that stuff into the room air again so it can be sucked back into the computer (or your sinuses and lungs).

When there is bad weather out and I cannot lug a system out for blasting, we use a shop vacuum. But EXTREME care is ESSENTIAL. Not just for ESD control, but to ensure we don't bang the nozzle into something and break it.

1. Unplug the computer from the wall,
2. Touch bare metal of the case interior to discharge any static in your body, and most importantly, to put you and the computer "at the same potential ",
3. Wrap your hand around the nozzle end and extend a pointed finger out past the nozzle,
4. Plant extended finger on to bare metal when reaching in with the nozzle to prevent the discharge and build-up of static,
5. Use a clean, soft, natural bristle (not synthetic) dusting or paint brush to gently persuade the dust towards the nozzle.
6. Keep that finger planted, and immediately replant it onto bare metal when re-positioning the nozzle,
7. Better yet, wait for it to stop raining.

 

Bill,

Great, thanks for all the tips.

 

You are welcome. Good luck.

 

TonyT,

Thanks, considering the value I place on our several computers, I'm going to buy a small compressor.

PS:

I see that Amazon has several inexpensive computer vacuum/comressors combos.

 

I am afraid I disagree strongly with this suggestion. For one,
Gas stations have HUGE compressed air needs. It is used for the car lifts, and all their heavy duty tools. Most gas stations use big, heavy duty, "fixed" (not on wheels) oil-type, not oil-less compressors. You should never use an oil type compressor on electronics. And as I noted before, condensation WILL form on the interior of the tank when the air inside, heated during the compression process, cools. This water collects at the bottom of the tank and mixes with other contaminants (notably oil, rust and dust), which then can be, and likely will be spewed all over your motherboard, into your PSU and elsewhere.

And that would be bad! Very bad.

You may not see this water, rust, oil and dust mix being spewed, but you can feel it - like a fine film of slimy stuff all over everything. And of course, water, even in "trace amounts ", and electricity don't mix. This is why, before you use any air compressor on electronics, you MUST ensure it is being properly maintained (periodic draining) AND that it is equipped with a suitable and properly maintained inline moisture and particulate filter.

Contaminated water will not hurt the insides of your car tires, but electronics? Don't take the chance!

I would urge you do NOT use gas station air compressors unless the attendants will let you inspect the air compressor first to make sure it,

1. Is an oil-less compressor,
2. Has recently been drained,
3. Has a good in-line moisture and particulate filter, and it is working properly.

If you cannot verify the gas station's air compressor (or any unfamiliar compressor) is properly suited for electronics cleaning, don't use it!

Think of the future. A small compressor will still clean your electronics fine, though you will likely be waiting for the tank to fill, then refill, then refill again while cleaning.

If you might put a fence around your yard using a nailing gun, you want a compressor that will let your nailing gun work, without pausing all the time for the tank to build up pressure. You need a large tank for that.

I like the upright models. Mine is similar to this one. Being upright it has a small footprint - taking up less space in my garage. Also, the condensation runs way down to the bottom and is therefore harder to be picked up, and spewed out the nozzle. The horizontal models like this one work, but they take up more floor space, and with the pool of contaminated water being closer to the compressor's air output, there's a greater chance (in my mind anyway) of the nasty stuff being sucked up and spewed out the air outlet.

 

Hence my comment,

 

Just to ramble a bit - certainly, if you have a neighborhood gas station, properly equipped with filtered compressed air, and they don't mind you lugging your systems there, and you don't mind lugging your systems there, then go for it. If you only have one or two systems, you don't smoke, have pets, or kids stirring up dust (to be sucked in), then tearing down your systems and lugging them over to a gas station may be worth it.

But if you have several systems and lugging your systems about town does not sound like fun, then I think it is easy to justify buying a compressor. They can be used for so many things besides keeping your computer clean - things to make use of your time more efficiently for MANY MANY years to come. So maybe they are an expensive investment to get started, but they an investment that can pay off big time, over and over again - at least if you enjoy the DIY thing.

You still have to tear down, and lug your systems outside. But loading and unloading the car, and bugging your local mechanic are out.

And the first time you can fill your flat tire so you can drive to the tire shop (instead of changing to the spare - if you have one, and it is good), you will thank yourself for buying it.

But a warning if you do transport a computer in a vehicle. Because something might happen, you should transport the tower (assuming tower) on its side, so the heavy cooler is sitting on top of a horizontal motherboard and not hanging off the side of a vertical board. This is especially true if you are using a big, heavy aftermarket cooler.

When hanging off the side of the motherboard, excessive stresses can be exerted on the motherboard when you go over that pot-hole that wasn't there yesterday. If you ever transport a computer, and it will not be in your possession at all times, pull the cooler to be safe. Then, clean the mating surfaces and apply a fresh new thin layer of TIM - thermal interface material.

 

... or you could buy one at Amazon like I just did:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IAOR/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i02

 

Not sure if one of those would create enough pressure to blast away the dust. If there's no smoke residue, or cat dander mixed in with it, you might be okay. But smoke and dander oils are sticky, and nasty is allowed to build up.

Let use know how it works. And if you use it vacuum mode, please heed my ESD precautions from above.

 

Bill,

We'll let you know. We have no smoke or pets around just sweat and a whiff of Bailey's Irish Cream.

 

Boy, has this Thread expanded from blowing air into a laptop!
You forgot about air humidity for the compressor. Cheers Neil.

 

Maybe - but at least it is still moving in and out.

Note it is not humidity you need to worry about, but moisture, as in tiny droplets of [dirty] water - you don't want that spewing out all over, and in your electronics.

I think that little pancake compressor will do the job just fine. I don't think it will support any air-chiseling with an air-chisel, but for light duty air blasting, it will work fine - with a suitable filter, of course. But sadly, like most air compressors, it does not come with an air filter, and there is not a lot of space for filters with these little compressors.

Here's a little tutorial on installing a filter on a little pancake compressor.