Compressed air doesn't cut it anymore..what else?

[Nintendesert]

I've never had an issue with a compressor and any water moisture, the system should be off anyways and any fine vapor like that would evaporate away before you turn it on again.

Compressed air really doesn't cut it after using a real compressor. That $60 dollar one will probably save you money in the long run on buying more cans of air. I'm going to have to pick one up.

 

[heymrdj]

I got a little Campell Hausefield at Walmart for like 49 bucks. Lots of attachments, and plenty of umph for blowing out even heavily clogged computers.

 

[atran5e]

Leaf blower worked fine, just cleaned my 800D a few days ago.

 

[Fhistleb]

Windex and some paper towels. Just add some elbow grease

 

[BoomerD]

I take my computer outside and use the vacuum with the hose reversed so it blows instead of sucks.

It does a pretty decent job, but I also have a long-bristled artist paint brush that I can use to dislodge dust from fins and fan blades.
I live on the edge of farm country here in NorCal...it's the dustiest damned place I've ever lived. I have to de-dust my computer every month...at the end of a month, it looks like this:

Fortunately, the mesh of that HAF case seems to catch MOST of the bigger stuff, and there's actually not much dust inside...but what gets inside does stick to fan blades and cooling fins.

Before someone says it...the house gets vacuumed at least once per week...during the summer, at least twice per week.

 

[Puppies04]

Have you considered buying a case with dust filters and making sure you have positive pressure inside the case (this stops dust being drawn in through any small holes) i.e make sure your intake fan(s) shift slightly more than your exhaust fans. This will limit the amount of time you need to spend de-dusting. Maybe once a month clean the filters and twice a year give the inside a check over

 

[Meghan54]

Using an actual air compressor is not a good idea because there is moisture inside the tank. You may not see it when it comes out but it is there.

Guess you've never heard of a water/moisture trap for a compressor, eh?

 

[goobernoodles]

I use my 90 gallon air compressor at my business for this purpose. I bring my machine up every 3-6 months for a clean-out.

You can get smaller air compressors from Home Depot or Lowes, but expect to drop $200 on them. Kinda overkill for your purpose unless you like to build things and want to buy a nail/braid gun at the same time.

Yeah, I use a compressor as well. Works like a charm.

 

[Athadeus]

I have a 25 gallon Craftsman professional air compressor that I use for tons of stuff. Power tools, inflating tires, cleaning lots of things, charging the Justice Machine (massive potato cannon)...

 

[Insomniator]

Do the cheap compressors pack as much power as the little cans of air? I mean yea the cans don't last long but you use em in short bursts and they blow everything out of the case. I bought a little blower on some tech gadget site and it was a joke, 1/20th the power of the cans.

 

[Paperlantern]

I will second the harbor freight compressor. You cant compare to a real compressor for cleaning computers. Cans are okay but after about 30 seconds of quick short bursts they start to lose thier air velocity. With an air compressor, this wont happen, and it doesnt cost $10 per computer you clean.

 

[Athadeus]

Do the cheap compressors pack as much power as the little cans of air? I mean yea the cans don't last long but you use em in short bursts and they blow everything out of the case. I bought a little blower on some tech gadget site and it was a joke, 1/20th the power of the cans.

Yeah there are junk ones, but any real compressor that has an MSRP of $100+ and at least 60psi should be far more powerful than those cans.

 

[boondocks]

I think those cans of compressed air are a freaking joke.
A decent compressor used with common sense and some cleaner/paper towels on the fan blades for heavy smokers does wonders. (yeah, I smoke, so sue me)
...and why do people think computers never see moisture? I mean, c'mon.

 

[DirkGently1]

Have you considered buying a case with dust filters and making sure you have positive pressure inside the case (this stops dust being drawn in through any small holes) i.e make sure your intake fan(s) shift slightly more than your exhaust fans. This will limit the amount of time you need to spend de-dusting. Maybe once a month clean the filters and twice a year give the inside a check over

This works for me. Although some dust inevitably still finds it's way through it's a huge improvement on other set-ups i've had.

I'd urge people using compressors to be careful, as i've seen pics of a graphics card fan and shroud blown to bits on xtremesystems before, when too much PSI was used! I completely agree that cans of air are pitiful and pretty worthless on the whole though.