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#1
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. He had one in his shop. I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. You cannot get away from the noise of most any kind of compressor. We run an internet business with many computers, I also have a wood shop with a compressor. To blow out a computer, we either carry it into the workshop and use the compressor there, it also allows the dirt, fluff and whatever that blows out to land in the sawdust. To work on a computer in the office, I connect a couple of 50 foot hoses to the compressor to clear out the computer. The noise stays in the workshop. You will have to vacuum up all the crud that blows out so that it doesn't just get sucked back into the computer. |
#2
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was
clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. He had one in his shop. I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. |
#3
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
In article m, "Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote:
I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. Do you own a leafblower? It works very well on badly-encrusted computers. Normally its easier than using an air compressor, as there's no waiting time for the tank to fill. Art |
#4
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. He had one in his shop. I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Could you not use a small, noisy compressor after folks have departed for the day? Or give them a few quid to enjoy an extended lunch on a sunny afternoon and then do the job whilst they are not present? Hey, take your time guys. It's a beautiful day, go and enjoy yourselves, I'll look after the shop whilst your gone. Bit of kudos for you to boot. When using compressed air it is worth jamming all fans (PSU/CPU/Case etc) as the high rotational speeds can knacker (sorry, an olde English term) these fans. I know this to my cost. HTH Nick. England. |
#5
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. Snip Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. I hope you take the computer out side to do this, not in the office blowing all the stuff in the air to be drawn back into other computers. A tank vacuum works. Put hose on output of tank. Large volume of air but low enough pressure so as not to cause damage. WW |
#6
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in
b.com: *snip* I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. I have an air brush compressor, and while it doesn't put out much air it is quiet and would probably keep the computers clean enough if used on a regular basis. If the systems collect that much dust, though, would some sort of filter be worthwhile? You'd probably have to add another fan or two, but changing the filter on a regular basis might be easier than lugging a compressor around. One more idea... Put a regulator on a compressed air tank. Set it for something reasonable (20-30 psi?) and pressurize the tank to 90-100 psi. You can fill the tank in the shop and take it where needed. Puckdropper -- Make it to fit, don't make it fit. |
#7
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes:
I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. A computer vacuum is nice, particularly for the keyboard. scott |
#8
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
"Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. -- Free bad advice available here. To reply, eat the taco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/ |
#9
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Lee Michaels wrote:
I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I think the can of compressed air is the standard solution, but I'm allergic to it. I paid about $43 for a hand held 110v substitute which works very well, but it louder than a hair dryer. I'm quite delighted with the electric solution. I will find a link if anyone is interested in the product. Bill |
#10
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Steve Turner wrote:
On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. There's a point at which you'll start blowing components off the boards. I'm not sure where that point is and am not sure I'd want to find out the hard way. |
#11
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/2012 3:12 PM, Bill wrote:
Steve Turner wrote: Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. There's a point at which you'll start blowing components off the boards. I'm not sure where that point is and am not sure I'd want to find out the hard way. There's always a first time for everything, but like Steve, I've been using air from the shop air compressor to blow out computers since the late eighties with not one problem ... only I used a spare tank that held 120 psi to start with. -- www.eWoodShop.com Last update: 4/15/2010 KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious) http://gplus.to/eWoodShop |
#12
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
I use my compressor all the time. I clean my computers about every 6 mos.
BTW that has not prolonged my power supplies. They still go. Yours may well have been from heat and dust, but they tend to fail regularly. My laptop gets cleaned too. I take the rear cover off and blow it out. On 4/3/2012 4:12 PM, Bill wrote: Steve Turner wrote: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. There's a point at which you'll start blowing components off the boards. I'm not sure where that point is and am not sure I'd want to find out the hard way. |
#13
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/2012 1:19 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. He had one in his shop. I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Take the computer to the compressor. |
#14
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Bill wrote:
Lee Michaels wrote: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I think the can of compressed air is the standard solution, but I'm allergic to it. I paid about $43 for a hand held 110v substitute which works very well, but it louder than a hair dryer. I'm quite delighted with the electric solution. I will find a link if anyone is interested in the product. Bill Here's the item. It seems to have a lot of satisfied customers: http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-E...3485722&sr=8-4 It comes with the attachment set, so don't order it separately. It doesn't seem like office workers could complain too much about something so non-obtrusive looking that only took 30 seconds. |
#15
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Tue, 3 Apr 2012 14:17:38 -0400, "EXT"
wrote: "Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message eb.com... I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. He had one in his shop. I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. You cannot get away from the noise of most any kind of compressor. We run an internet business with many computers, I also have a wood shop with a compressor. To blow out a computer, we either carry it into the workshop and use the compressor there, it also allows the dirt, fluff and whatever that blows out to land in the sawdust. To work on a computer in the office, I connect a couple of 50 foot hoses to the compressor to clear out the computer. The noise stays in the workshop. You will have to vacuum up all the crud that blows out so that it doesn't just get sucked back into the computer. Use an "air pig" or a bottle of nitrogen from your local liquid air/welding supply |
#16
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:12:50 -0400, Bill wrote:
Steve Turner wrote: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. There's a point at which you'll start blowing components off the boards. I'm not sure where that point is and am not sure I'd want to find out the hard way. 40 PSI isn't anywhere close. I like an "excellerator" blow gun - it has a venturi and a small amount of high velocity air moves a WHOLE LOT of not quite so high velocity air - doing an excellent job. |
#17
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/12 2:54 PM, Steve Turner wrote:
On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. That's how I found my keys. :-) -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#18
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/2012 4:15 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 4/3/12 2:54 PM, Steve Turner wrote: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. That's how I found my keys. :-) +1 -- www.eWoodShop.com Last update: 4/15/2010 KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious) http://gplus.to/eWoodShop |
#19
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" wrote I had a computer go down last week. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I have one of these for use in the shop. http://www.senco.com/CompressorDetails.aspx?k=PC1010 I find it handy to use for several blow...............uh.........purposes. For use on a computer I set the regulator at 35-40 PSI. And I use this blow gun: http://www.grizzly.com/products/H8229/images/ Max |
#20
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Steve Turner writes:
On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've worked in the industry for 30 years, building everything from mainframes to supercomputers. The only time we ever used an air compressor was to power the loadable heads on a Burroughs 5N head-per-track disk drive built in the 1970's (and of course on the manufacturing floor to power various tools, such as torque wrenches, drills and various place-and-route machines in the wire-wrap era). My last company had over 400 dual-socket 1U/2U servers, and about 100 workstation systems (high-end, dual-head) - canned compressed air was sufficient for those as well, albeit only required once every couple of years. scott |
#21
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Tue, 3 Apr 2012 14:19:28 -0400, "Lee Michaels"
I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Since I live in an apartment, quietness was my top priority. Not wanting to spend an exorbitant amount of money on something exotic like a compressor that might be used by a dentist, I had a look at a Samona (Rok) 10925, a Rolair JC10, a Senco PC1010. I also looked at a Bostitch CAP1512 on a friend's recommendation, but it was too loud for my tastes. They are all fairly quiet compressors in the order presented. I finally settled on the Senco PC1010 because it was the smallest and the lightest (20 lbs.) The rest were at least twice that weight. I wanted/needed a compressor for filling tires and for two nail guns that I have. The heaviest nail gun is a Porter Cable 15g gun. You would NOT use this compressor for a framing gun. For your purposes, I'm guessing the Senco would work, but if I were you, I'd just use a can of compressed air. If you think that you'd be using too many cans of compressed air and it would be too costly, then you might consider buying one of the refillable tanks of compressed air such as the one in the link below. http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Energy-Co.../dp/B0008G2W8O Tanks like these can also be found at Paintball stores. |
#22
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 4/3/2012 4:32 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
Steve writes: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've worked in the industry for 30 years, building everything from mainframes to supercomputers. The only time we ever used an air compressor was to power the loadable heads on a Burroughs 5N head-per-track disk drive built in the 1970's (and of course on the manufacturing floor to power various tools, such as torque wrenches, drills and various place-and-route machines in the wire-wrap era). My last company had over 400 dual-socket 1U/2U servers, and about 100 workstation systems (high-end, dual-head) - canned compressed air was sufficient for those as well, albeit only required once every couple of years. scott That's nice. It doesn't change what I said (which you snipped) about having attempted (on many occasions) to fully clean out a computer with canned air, having it do an incomplete job, then getting just as much or more dust out of the system with an air compressor blow gun. Incidentally, I've been in the industry almost as long as you have, five years of which were spent as an IBM CE where the only tools we had in the field to clean out a machine were canned air and a vacuum cleaner. We could *always* do a better job of cleaning out the machines if we were able to take them from the customer's site back to the office where we had an air compressor. -- Free bad advice available here. To reply, eat the taco. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/ |
#23
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Lee Michaels wrote:
I had a computer go down last week. Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. Just my suggestions - been a while since I worked on systems but.... Multiple monitors and heavy apps shouldn't effect the power supply to much since it will still only draw what it is built to draw. Being underpowered (as I recall ) will not damage the system but will cause malfunctioning from components not getting enough power. I think the key here is the clogged power supply. If it can't cool itself then it will be toast pretty fast. Just the same with all other components - the heat is going to be the biggest problem. All the components produce heat a layer of dust is like a blanket to help hold it in. I think cleaning every 6 to 12 months should be fine. Hard apps and more monitors do not mean more dust sucking up into the computer. I don't know how your computers are placed but on the floor are a bad idea they will collect dust much faster. Better to have them in a cabinet. Are the office staff normally allowed to open the computers up? -- Michael Joel For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. - Romans 1:20-21 (NASB) parksfamily2 ------ ---- --- gmail ----- ----- com replace dashes with correct symbols |
#24
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Steve Turner writes:
On 4/3/2012 4:32 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: My last company had over 400 dual-socket 1U/2U servers, and about 100 workstation systems (high-end, dual-head) - canned compressed air was sufficient for those as well, albeit only required once every couple of years. scott That's nice. It doesn't change what I said (which you snipped) about having attempted (on many occasions) to fully clean out a computer with canned air, having it do an incomplete job, then getting just as much or more dust out of the system with an air compressor blow gun. Sorry I snipped it; a small amount of residual dust is harmless. The only place you want to make sure you have no thick dustbunnies is on the power supply heat-sinks, the processor heatsink, fan blades and any ventilation openings. The rest of the system operates at temperatures that aren't affected by a small amount of dust. It doesn't need to be operating room clean. Rephrase, the lack of operating room cleanliness doesn't have an effect on MTBF. Incidentally, I've been in the industry almost as long as you have, five years of which were spent as an IBM CE where the only tools we had in the field to clean out a machine were canned air and a vacuum cleaner. We could *always* do a better job of cleaning out the machines if we were able to take them from the customer's site back to the office where we had an air compressor. The IBM big-iron (S/360, S/370, 3080, through Z-series) have filters that prevent dust migration into the system in the first place. As did the Burroughs systems. Using a computer vacuum is better anyway, as compressed air by itself just returns the dust to the evironment, from whence it will reestablish itself in the computer. scott |
#25
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On 04/03/2012 05:26 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
Steve writes: On 4/3/2012 4:32 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: My last company had over 400 dual-socket 1U/2U servers, and about 100 workstation systems (high-end, dual-head) - canned compressed air was sufficient for those as well, albeit only required once every couple of years. scott That's nice. It doesn't change what I said (which you snipped) about having attempted (on many occasions) to fully clean out a computer with canned air, having it do an incomplete job, then getting just as much or more dust out of the system with an air compressor blow gun. Sorry I snipped it; a small amount of residual dust is harmless. The only place you want to make sure you have no thick dustbunnies is on the power supply heat-sinks, the processor heatsink, fan blades and any ventilation openings. The rest of the system operates at temperatures that aren't affected by a small amount of dust. It doesn't need to be operating room clean. Rephrase, the lack of operating room cleanliness doesn't have an effect on MTBF. Incidentally, I've been in the industry almost as long as you have, five years of which were spent as an IBM CE where the only tools we had in the field to clean out a machine were canned air and a vacuum cleaner. We could *always* do a better job of cleaning out the machines if we were able to take them from the customer's site back to the office where we had an air compressor. The IBM big-iron (S/360, S/370, 3080, through Z-series) have filters that prevent dust migration into the system in the first place. As did the Burroughs systems. Using a computer vacuum is better anyway, as compressed air by itself just returns the dust to the evironment, from whence it will reestablish itself in the computer. scott It's a good thing my pea seas are not mainframes! It's out to the shop, blow the fur balls out with the compressor and than back to the computer room. No residual dust in the house. I've had more electronics failures from bulging/leaking electrolytic caps anyway. -- "Socialism is a philosophy of failure,the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery" -Winston Churchill |
#26
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Steve Turner" wrote in message ... On 4/3/2012 4:32 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: Steve writes: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've worked in the industry for 30 years, building everything from mainframes to supercomputers. The only time we ever used an air compressor was to power the loadable heads on a Burroughs 5N head-per-track disk drive built in the 1970's (and of course on the manufacturing floor to power various tools, such as torque wrenches, drills and various place-and-route machines in the wire-wrap era). My last company had over 400 dual-socket 1U/2U servers, and about 100 workstation systems (high-end, dual-head) - canned compressed air was sufficient for those as well, albeit only required once every couple of years. scott That's nice. It doesn't change what I said (which you snipped) about having attempted (on many occasions) to fully clean out a computer with canned air, having it do an incomplete job, then getting just as much or more dust out of the system with an air compressor blow gun. Incidentally, I've been in the industry almost as long as you have, five years of which were spent as an IBM CE where the only tools we had in the field to clean out a machine were canned air and a vacuum cleaner. We could *always* do a better job of cleaning out the machines if we were able to take them from the customer's site back to the office where we had an air compressor. ================================================== =========================== Of course you could. Those little cans of air are very little better than nothing. At work, we would take them out into the shop (machine shop) and use the shop air supply to blow them out. Shop air was at 120 psi so you didn't get any closer than about three feet. I do the same at home (90 psi). I was over to someone's house a while back working on their machine. It needed cleaning out. He handed me a can of air. I tried that and then told him that was little better than nothing. He had a leaf blower though so we did get it clean. |
#27
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Steve Turner" wrote in message ... On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. I use a blowgun on my compressor, too. I have a little pancake that I use for small house projects with the nailguns, etc. 30 psi is good. Canned air freezes things sometimes, and I'm not sure that's good. Steve |
#29
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Bill wrote:
Steve Turner wrote: On 4/3/2012 2:36 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net writes: I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. Indeed. If your computer is in an environment where blowing it out more than every 6 months is necessary, move the computer or clean up the environment. Compressor is way overkill. Disagree. I've used canned air several times on computers with marginal results, then took a 40 PSI blow gun from a compressor to the very same computer and blew out all kinds of residual crap that the canned air couldn't touch. There's a point at which you'll start blowing components off the boards. I'm not sure where that point is and am not sure I'd want to find out the hard way. I have no idea what that point would be, but I have shot 125+ pounds of air at all of my computers for years with not a single problem. If blowing components off is a possibility then you've got bigger problems with the computer you bought than the act of using compressed air to clean it. -- -Mike- |
#30
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Mike Marlow" wrote in
: I have no idea what that point would be, but I have shot 125+ pounds of air at all of my computers for years with not a single problem. If blowing components off is a possibility then you've got bigger problems with the computer you bought than the act of using compressed air to clean it. I've got some old circuit boards with surface mount components... maybe it's time for an experiment. Hm... a little googling found a mini-heated torch. It uses compressed air and heat to melt the solder on SMD components (and blow it away) so the parts can be salvaged. (or maybe the board.) Puckdropper -- Make it to fit, don't make it fit. |
#31
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in
.com: "Mike Marlow" wrote in : I have no idea what that point would be, but I have shot 125+ pounds of air at all of my computers for years with not a single problem. If blowing components off is a possibility then you've got bigger problems with the computer you bought than the act of using compressed air to clean it. I've got some old circuit boards with surface mount components... maybe it's time for an experiment. Hm... a little googling found a mini-heated torch. It uses compressed air and heat to melt the solder on SMD components (and blow it away) so the parts can be salvaged. (or maybe the board.) Puckdropper A quick experiment showed no movement at all with the SMD components. Compressor was set to 90 PSI (I forgot the 125 psi part) and I had a blow gun with "pool floatie" nozzle on the end. Air was applied to the side and front of the component, and nothing blew off or even looked like it was moving. However, application of heat with a heat gun set to high (which will melt solder and remove components itself) and the compressor set to about 20 psi had excellent results removing components from the circuit board. A bunch of LEDs came off in less than a minute (through-hole) and the smd components came off even easier. Trouble was they'd blow away with the force of the compressor. In my opinion, an air compressor is not going to be sufficient to blow chips off a cold circuit board. However, socketed ICs, pin and header connections, shorting jumpers, and maybe even some switches may be negatively affected by the compressed air. If sufficiently high heat enters the equation, however, the force of the compressed air can easily blow the solder away from the component and cause it to fly off. You guys may have inadvertently sold me on another tool... I gotta see how much those hot air soldering pencils cost. Puckdropper -- Make it to fit, don't make it fit. |
#32
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
"Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... snip I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Taking the PC box to a compressor takes care of the noise /dust in a office issue. A portable air storage tank($20) takes care of the noise in a office issue and avoids needing extra lengths of hose when used around the house.....if you don't have a compressor to fill it, borrow some air from a friend who does. For little jobs it is also easier to carry around than even most small compressors When using a compressor or tank to clean your PC make sure you hold the fan blades still so you don't spin out the bearings....usually a screw driver works fine. Rod |
#33
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Apr 3, 1:19*pm, "Lee Michaels" leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast
dot net wrote: I had a computer go down last week. *Turns out that the power supply was clogged with dust and needed to be replaced. *It was probably under powered too, which added to its demise. *Talking to some friends, this has happened to two more people in the last 3 months. *All of them multi monitor machines running some big apps. *Regular computers did not seem to suffer from the same type of problem. The tech suggested regular cleaning of the interior of the case every two months. *Again, this is probably overkill for most machines, but we have three examples here of where we probably could have prevented the problems we had. *He suggested a small compressor for this purpose. *He had one in his shop. *I have no problem with getting a small compressor to make my computers happy. *It is just that my beloved and other folks working in the offices would have extreme objections to a noisy, pancake compressor starting up. I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. *I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. *But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. *I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). *Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. *But did not think they were powerful enough. *Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. *I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. *So that won't work. *Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. *Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Our quad core machine runs rather warm especially with its upgraded graphics card. I use canned air for the close in stuff and our house vacuum, with the long nozzle, for general cleaning. With heat sinks and internal perforated mounts (disk drive, etc) it pulls air from the back of objects instead of pushing dust in deeper. Just be careful and don't bump into board components. We don't do it quite as often as he recommended but I probably clean it out 3-4 times a year. The main machine, mentioned above, actually starts sounding a little different when it wants to be cleaned - a mild buzz when working harder with big graphics of video. RonB |
#34
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Rod & BJ Jacobson wrote:
"Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... snip I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Taking the PC box to a compressor takes care of the noise /dust in a office issue. A portable air storage tank($20) takes care of the noise in a office issue and avoids needing extra lengths of hose when used around the house.....if you don't have a compressor to fill it, borrow some air from a friend who does. For little jobs it is also easier to carry around than even most small compressors When using a compressor or tank to clean your PC make sure you hold the fan blades still so you don't spin out the bearings....usually a screw driver works fine. To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Rod |
#35
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Puckdropper wrote:
In my opinion, an air compressor is not going to be sufficient to blow chips off a cold circuit board. Yup - and that was the whole point in my reply to Bill's post. Not even a chance of that happening. Nothing to worry about. However, socketed ICs, pin and header connections, shorting jumpers, and maybe even some switches may be negatively affected by the compressed air. Not unless you intentionally try to direct the air stream in such a manner as to try to lift them, and even then - not likely. Socketed IC's are not likely to unseat with that air pressure, shorting jumpers - maybe since they can be weak connections. But - you simply don't blow under them to lift them. Not a complex solution. Switches - not too likely at all. Again - it all comes down to how you apply the air. If sufficiently high heat enters the equation, however, the force of the compressed air can easily blow the solder away from the component and cause it to fly off. Sufficiently high heat is the key. Solder requires a nominal 450 degree heat to melt. Not likely you're going to get that from any gun in combination with a blow gun. Think about it - you can cause enough heat disipation just by breathing on a soldering iron to prevent it from melting a solder joint. And now you're talking about mixing 80-120psi of air in with a marginal heat source? Not much chance of lifting any joints. You guys may have inadvertently sold me on another tool... I gotta see how much those hot air soldering pencils cost. Dude - remember what PT Barnum said... -- -Mike- |
#36
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Bill wrote:
To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Why Bill? He's just trying to keep the blades from turning. You are right - a finger could easily do it, but there is nothing wrong with using a screw driver either. Methinks he wants to keep his fingers from getting dirty... -- -Mike- |
#37
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 14:24:41 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
wrote: Bill wrote: To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Why Bill? He's just trying to keep the blades from turning. You are right - a finger could easily do it, but there is nothing wrong with using a screw driver either. Methinks he wants to keep his fingers from getting dirty... A soft plastic wand (for the princesses) or wooden popsicle stick would be a lot safer around electronics, boys and girls. -- Life is an escalator: You can move forward or backward; you can not remain still. -- Patricia Russell-McCloud |
#38
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 14:24:41 -0400, "Mike Marlow" wrote: Bill wrote: To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Why Bill? He's just trying to keep the blades from turning. You are right - a finger could easily do it, but there is nothing wrong with using a screw driver either. Methinks he wants to keep his fingers from getting dirty... A soft plastic wand (for the princesses) or wooden popsicle stick would be a lot safer around electronics, boys and girls. Well - hopefully it's powered off while cleaning it. -- -Mike- |
#39
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:05:42 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote: On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 14:24:41 -0400, "Mike Marlow" wrote: Bill wrote: To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Why Bill? He's just trying to keep the blades from turning. You are right - a finger could easily do it, but there is nothing wrong with using a screw driver either. Methinks he wants to keep his fingers from getting dirty... A soft plastic wand (for the princesses) or wooden popsicle stick would be a lot safer around electronics, boys and girls. Except you are doing this with the power DISCONNECTED. And HOPEFULLY before strting to blow the air. Sticking a screwdriver into a rapidly spinning PC fan WILL remove blades. |
#40
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Off Topic: Compressors and Computers
On Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:54:35 -0400, Bill wrote:
Rod & BJ Jacobson wrote: "Lee Michaels"leemichaels*nadaspam* at comcast dot net wrote in message b.com... snip I could probably get by with a can of compressed air. I have a small vacuum cleaner which will do an OK job cleaning. But I need some compressed air to get everything really clean. I need something small, quiet and not scary to tool phobic office workers (or wives). Any suggestions? I was thinking of the baby compressors that run artist's air brushes. But did not think they were powerful enough. Maybe even a fireplace bellows may work. I looked at a small compressor from Harbor Freight and was assured that it was very noisy. So that won't work. Maybe I am asking too much, inexpensive, quiet and effective. Any input from you guys would be appreciated. Taking the PC box to a compressor takes care of the noise /dust in a office issue. A portable air storage tank($20) takes care of the noise in a office issue and avoids needing extra lengths of hose when used around the house.....if you don't have a compressor to fill it, borrow some air from a friend who does. For little jobs it is also easier to carry around than even most small compressors When using a compressor or tank to clean your PC make sure you hold the fan blades still so you don't spin out the bearings....usually a screw driver works fine. To each his own, but that sound like a strangle place to put a screwdriver. How about just holding them with your finger (s)? Rod You are going to get your finger into the powersupply enough to stop the fan? You must have pretty skinny fingers, or extremely long nails. |
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