Question Seeking to buy an appropriate air compressor for PC case cleaning

[Turtle.Man]

I figure that instead of continually sinking money into DustOff and similar products, it would be smart to invest in a small air compressor. My initial search for such a device was a bit overwhelming: there seems to be literally hundreds of different manufacturers and technical specs. I'm hoping that someone here can point me in the right direction: I'm mainly concerned about buying a reputable brand and I'm unsure about the quantity of "pressure" that is required to do a good job of dusting out a PC. I should probably mention that I'm a water cooler, so I need something that can easily blast out the dust that builds up between the radiator fins. I hope that this is enough information to work with, but let me know if there are other concerns that I should be aware of. Thanks in advance.

 

[OlyAR15]

Go to your local Home Depot and get a small shop vac like a Ridgid. It can both suck and blow, depending on where you hook up the hose. Or get something like a Vac 'n Blo or one of their dedicated dusters from a company like Metrovac. I have one that I use for my car. Very useful as both a vacuum cleaner as well as a blower for drying my car. It will, of course work fine for blowing out dust in the computer.

 

[In2Photos]

Generally speaking most compressors will be able to reach similar pressures (>120 psi), the difference is in the volume of air storage and the type of compressor. The smallest air compressors (often called pancake) store roughly 5 gallons of air. That's plenty for blowing out PC parts, but not good enough for running something like a sander for lengthy periods of time. I have a 30 gallon compressor in my garage. I use it for all sorts of things, but rarely for PC cleaning. It takes too long to get the unit out and hooked up, then fill the tank for the few seconds it takes to blow out the PC. Instead I have started using a small handheld rechargeable vac with a brush attachment. They also make a version that is a blower instead of a vac. For $20-$30 on Amazon they are quick and easy to use and take up very little room when stored.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Surprised nobody mentioned the DataVac. I have one, though my model is older. I think the current model is the ED-500. Only issue I have with it is that it overheats pretty quickly, so it's best to use it in limited bursts to let it cool off if you have big jobs. Kind of a headache, but it does save you on canned air.

 

[OlyAR15]

Surprised nobody mentioned the DataVac. I have one, though my model is older. I think the current model is the ED-500. Only issue I have with it is that it overheats pretty quickly, so it's best to use it in limited bursts to let it cool off if you have big jobs. Kind of a headache, but it does save you on canned air.

The DataVac is made by Metrovac, which I referred to in my post. They make a range of vacuum cleaners, many with both blow and suck capabilities:

Or get something like a Vac 'n Blo or one of their dedicated dusters from a company like Metrovac

 

[DrMrLordX]

Well okay. The DataVac is one of the products they aim at PC users, which is why I brought it up specifically.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I just use the wife's battery pack leaf blower she has for cleaning up around her potting bench and such.

 

[Steltek]

If you decide to use a regular compressor (mainly because you can use them for other things like nail guns), I'd get an oil less model and also pick up air nozzle and a water filter kits for it. Also, one thing to be careful of when using one is that they can spin case fans so fast that they WILL explode if suddenly stopped (which can do all sorts of damage if it happens inside a populated case, not to mention what they can do to you).

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I just use my air mattress inflator to blow dust out.

 

[mindless1]

Maybe something like a HF Fortress or California Air, the smallest models offered. They are pretty quiet compared to the typical old school, oil-less compressors.

You'd want something larger if you want to drive (most) air tools, but they are plenty for dusting out things, or even inflating a few tires from time to time is much better than using the typical purpose-specific tire inflators on the market.

New “Ultra-Quiet” Harbor Freight Fortress Air Compressor

Harbor Freight has come out with a new Fortress “ultra quiet” 2 gallon air compressor.

toolguyd.com