Can I use A Can Of Compressed Air To Clean

[cragfin]

Can I use A Can Of Compressed Air To Clean Out My PC (Talking about my graphics card, cpu, motherboard & PCI slots)?

I ask this question because I have read people saying that it is okay while others say don't use it.

Also if yes what is the proper way to use the can?

Should I unplug all cables & unplug system from wall?

Or Should I leave the system plugged into the wall & switched off?

 

[DSF]

Using compressed air is fine. I don't know if it matters whether or not it's unplugged.

Make sure that you are holding the can upright. If you lean it too far or turn it upside down it will spray a liquid. (Propellant I guess?)

Also, if you just spray the dust out into the room it will eventually get sucked right back into the PC. You need to vacuum it up when you're done or somesuch.

 

[Roguestar]

Unplug it, use compressed air, plug back in.

 

[AmberClad]

I normally won't do it if the computer is plugged in. If you hold the can at an angle, sometimes the spray will liquefy when it comes out. The foamy liquid disappears very quickly, but I don't want it all over my motherboard or video card while the computer is on. It's probably harmless and non-conductive, but I'd rather not risk it.

 

[degibson]

You can, and should, use compressed air. Layers of dust are like blankets -- it keeps everything warm and thats not a good thing. Just be sure not to spray liquid air on your hardware, don't break anything, and do it while the machine is unplugged, just in case.

 

[programmer]

Spray towards a running vacuum to suck up the dust.

 

[corkyg]

All of the above combined with "programmer." Blowing dust doesn-t really clean it up - it simply moves it intio the air and it settles somewhere.

I always prefer to remove the dust rather than push it around. I use these micro tools attached to a regular vacuum cleaner. They are also non-static and safe, but always work with the computer powered down.

Tools

 

[Modelworks]

I just take apart the system and clean everything with an old toothbrush and dish towels.
It truly removes the dust that way rather than blowing it around.

 

[chinaman1472]

I usually just take my tower outside and do a very thorough blow using compressed air.

 

[Diademed]

You have to be careful with anything that moves the dust around.... all that force is going to move the dust somewhere, and there's as good a chance it'll go somewhere you'll never get it out, and where you don't want it, than anyplace external to your components.

 

[PolymerTim]

Just to clarify, most compressed "air" cans actually contain fluorinated hydrocarbons like 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane. At room temperature and pressure, this is a gas that is relatively inert and safe to humans (as long as you are still getting oxygen). At moderate pressures (inside the can) the gas becomes a liquid. The "foamy" stuff you see is actually a combination of boiling hydrocarbon and frost (from moisture condensed and frozen out of the air). The hydrocarbon is non-conducting, as is the pure water/frost although it (the water) may not stay that way after it condendses on a surface. The reason it gets cold is simple physical chemistry. Expanding gases get cold. For instance, you can make dry ice from compressed CO2 this way. /science lesson.

I use compressed air all the time in my computer. Yes, it only moves dust around, but thats why you can control the direction of the spray. I get most of the dust out and don't worry about the residue unless you live in a humid environment and the dust cakes up. I've also sprayed the liquid (can upside down) onto running components before with no ill effects. It probably added some thermal stress, but nothing that caused any problems. I had a GPU I thought was overheating and had no way to monitor the temperature, so I used this method to keep it cool while stress testing. Crude but effective.

When I dust, I don't even remove most of the components. I figure, in most cases, if the air can't get to it, it probably doesn't have any dust. And with that little 6 inch extension tube, you can get just about anywhere, even inside your PSU. I just unplug, move computer to patio/balcony and spray away.