HOT computer

[funnytechie]

Hi guys,
I wanna ask you a question, I got a problem with my CPU fans which are always full of dust and I have to open it to clean it up every week. If I don't don't, the fans don't work well enough and the heat inside increase a lot. It's really annoying... How do you manage to keep it clean? Do you clean it up every week as well?

 

[rsbennett00]

Sounds like you need either:

a) dust filters on your intake fans
b) more intake fans if you have a negative pressure problem
c) clean your room!

 

[BUTCH1]

Try posting in CPUs/overclocking or Cases&Cooling, OT is a place for chit-chat.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Keep it cold with solution? :awe:

OP, what environment is your PC in? Clean it up if possible, or move the computer or something. Really I can't imagine your fans getting choked with dust to the point of it ruining cooling in just a week's time unless you're in a ridiculously dirty environment, in which case I hope you're wearing a filter or something for yourself as I can't imagine breathing that in all the time is great for you.

Or you're just being a clean freak and not realizing your computer is getting hot because it's putting out heat from use (as in it's not heating up more than normal, you're just noticing it when you check the fans). In this case the dust isn't having a serious detriment to your computer keeping cool.

 

[AmdEmAll]

Dip the entire computer in mineral oil.. problem solved.

 

[bandi]

Cleaning once a week is a tad bit too much don't you think ?? I had a similar problem with dust and to save me the hassle of cleaning every other month I got myself a decent room air purifier and just placed it beside the PC case and just to check I opened it up last week and there was barely any dust. Just make sure you can afford to switch on the air purifier 24/7 (air purifiers are effective only as long as they are switched on and operating). The one I use barely consumes 4 Watts so I keep it switched on even when PC is off and I'm outside my home. Instead of using compressed air and dismantling my PC every now and then all I need to do is vacuum the air purifier filter once a month.

I use this Clair BF2025 (http://go-clair.com/) . You can try this option. In the long run it will save you time and will be more cost effective solution.

 

[Cerb]

If you're having to clean the PC once a week, you need to worry about the air quality as a health issue. That's insane.

That Clair is actually nice for nasty junk in the air like lingering cigarette smoke, toner, and general fragranced nastiness in offices, and doubles as a half-way decent solder fume extractor, but it's not going to do well enough for mass influx of dust/dander. Wrong kind of filter (free-flowing electrostatic), and too much to remove.

 

[MongGrel]

Dip the entire computer in mineral oil.. problem solved.

 

[Brainonska511]

Cleaning it every week? Jeez. Do you live in a dust farm?

I'd add dust filters to the inlets, lift the computer off the floor, even if it's just a few inches, and start vacuuming on a more regular basis.

 

[bandi]

If you're having to clean the PC once a week, you need to worry about the air quality as a health issue. That's insane.

That Clair is actually nice for nasty junk in the air like lingering cigarette smoke, toner, and general fragranced nastiness in offices, and doubles as a half-way decent solder fume extractor, but it's not going to do well enough for mass influx of dust/dander. Wrong kind of filter (free-flowing electrostatic), and too much to remove.

I'd like to bring to your notice that Clair model I have is not an odor eliminator its a premium air purifier. I got it only after I researched the facts online and checked the filter technology. It uses both electrostatic charge on the filter fiber as well as a fan to draw in air. They have the patent for the e2f filter and European test certificates certifying its proven effective for trapping particles as small as 0.1 micron. I have a cat at home and live amidst a lot of dust and wasn't sure if this device would suffice but there is noticeable difference.

I have shared the picture of the filter here. This is when I took it out for cleaning yesterday. You can see cat fur and dust trapped in the filter fiber.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I had dust issues with my PC too, I moved mine in the basement where oddly, there is less dust. Also converted to rack mount. Something about tower cases with fans in all directions makes them attract dust more I find. The front to back flow of rackmount seems to be less dust prone. The cases I got also have a single large front filter.

Simplest option is to probably just get some dust filters for each intake, then vacuum them regularly.

 

[Cerb]

I'd like to bring to your notice that Clair model I have is not an odor eliminator its a premium air purifier. I got it only after I researched the facts online and checked the filter technology. It uses both electrostatic charge on the filter fiber as well as a fan to draw in air. They have the patent for the e2f filter and European test certificates certifying its proven effective for trapping particles as small as 0.1 micron. I have a cat at home and live amidst a lot of dust and wasn't sure if this device would suffice but there is noticeable difference.

I have shared the picture of the filter here. This is when I took it out for cleaning yesterday. You can see cat fur and dust trapped in the filter fiber.

You could have a fan and stretch hose and get cat fur. The filter's construction is interesting, and likely why it's patentable. The unit moves very little air, the filter will get used up quicker than a HEPA filter, and it will need constant cleaning before that happens. Its advantages are that it's rather quiet, small, and picks out very fine particulates and vapors. But, being quiet comes with a price, and that is that it won't exchange air very often, so won't catch as much dust as others will. If it's dust that is lingering inside the home, a vacuum cleaner that can have a HEPA filter on it would help. If it's all from outside, then something else.

 

[bandi]

You could have a fan and stretch hose and get cat fur. The filter's construction is interesting, and likely why it's patentable. The unit moves very little air, the filter will get used up quicker than a HEPA filter, and it will need constant cleaning before that happens. Its advantages are that it's rather quiet, small, and picks out very fine particulates and vapors. But, being quiet comes with a price, and that is that it won't exchange air very often, so won't catch as much dust as others will. If it's dust that is lingering inside the home, a vacuum cleaner that can have a HEPA filter on it would help. If it's all from outside, then something else.

Only if trapping pet dander was as easy as getting hold of a fan and stretch hose :biggrin: Pet owners like me know how much of an hassle it is.Pet dander can be one of the trickiest allergens to remove from the air because its not only lightweight, but cat dander in particular is one of the finest particle allergens which can only be removed by an effective air purifier.

Also since a vacuum cleaner cannot eliminate smoke and trap disease causing airborne virus like an air purifier there is no point in comparing the functionality of both the appliances because they are meant for totally different operation and far as filter cleaning is concerned its totally hassle free for me because I just need to vacuum the filter once a month and unlike HEPA filters which have to be washed periodically and need replacement every 4-5 months.The Clair filter needs replacement just once every 14-18 months.

 

[XavierMace]

All I see is yet another reason not to have a cat in the house.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

Hi guys,
I wanna ask you a question, I got a problem with my CPU fans which are always full of dust and I have to open it to clean it up every week. If I don't don't, the fans don't work well enough and the heat inside increase a lot. It's really annoying... How do you manage to keep it clean? Do you clean it up every week as well?

Move the case off the floor, as dust n such collects on the flooring. So the more fans you have the more it will act as a vacum sucking in fiber off of it. The higher up you go the less stuff will enter it, I put mine on my desk.

 

[Cerb]

All I see is yet another reason not to have a cat in the house.

Three of them, plus allergies and asthma, and one of the filters the above poster was recommending. If there's a lot of dust, mechanically trapping it in a large filter works well. Especially with a prefilter around them, to catch the big stuff, the filters of a HEPA unit can last quite awhile, with periodic vacuuming. Some whole-house electrostatic types are re-usable. Old ones certainly can get worn out, and I haven't tried a newer one, if they're any different. Disposable electrostatic filters used with tons of dust will clog up quickly, and become basically useless (where the layers that would build a charge are, is where all the fine particles went), making them more expensive over time.

 

[Z15CAM]

One word of advice is never but never keep your tower on the floor (Too Much Dust down there) Best at approx 3 ft above a floor.

 

[bigboxes]

One word of advice is never but never keep your tower on the floor (Too Much Dust down there) Best at approx 3 ft above a floor.

Whatever. :eyeroll: Yeah, don't bother cleaning out your pc because it's it's 3-feet off the floor. Duh.

I think I'll keep my pc on the floor where it's quiet and not taking up desk space.

 

[bandi]

Disposable electrostatic filters used with tons of dust will clog up quickly, and become basically useless (where the layers that would build a charge are, is where all the fine particles went), making them more expensive over time.

This isn't a disposable filter I was referring to. The e2f filter is similar to the HEPA air filters and with periodic vacuuming lasts more than a year whereas some HEPA air purifiers don't even last 4-5 months ()

 

[Yuriman]

One word of advice is never but never keep your tower on the floor (Too Much Dust down there) Best at approx 3 ft above a floor.

This helps, but it's definitely noisier.

I have pets and find I have to clean mine out every ~2 years, because I sweep and vacuum frequently (more than once per week).