I see how much these computer dusters cost per can. I think it is a waste of metal cans, and a waste of money. Vacuums don’t really do the job well enough, even when fitted with tiny "computer" attachments. (sometimes the pressure just blows them apart)
I’ve been thinking of buying a smaller ( 3 gal or less) air compressor.. I don’t do much nailing, but I could inflate tires, and use it to clean pcs and other things.
Has anyone tried this before? Obviously any debris could scratch the etched boards, or come back at me. For simpler stuff, like removing the neighbor’s cat hair from a power supply, or getting Doctor X’s lunch out of his keyboard, what are the pros and cons? Any tips or tricks to make this safer? Should I just stick with canned air in bulk cases?
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I repair computers and use an air compressor all the time. But be careful, air compressors are way more powerful then caned air. I have seen people actually blow parts off of the motherboard and over spin fans to the point where they are broken.
I used to work for a company that used a compressor for cleaning out PC cases. They work well but you have to consider the cost. Considering we could be blowing out 10-15 cases a day they were worth the money. Now if you are only blowing out a case or keyboard every so often the cost may not be worth it, not to mention the hassle of moving it, plugging it in and storing it.
I too thought about a compressor for my home, (I have seven PCs and two laptops,) but decided that I don’t open the cases up but about once a year for cleaning it wasn’t worth the hassle or price.
I use a Campbell-Hausfeld (shop size) all the time.
Of course turn down the regulator to under 50 psi first.
Nozzle design can influence the air pattern; test outside on a board sprinkled with dust/powder to get an idea of your exact pattern of impact.
Start nozzle some distance away from the objective first: then move slowly to it in a fanning motion. Especially on keyboards…marginal anchoring can lead to detachment.
Some laptops have heat sinks with very thin fins at the grill. Always examine before you blast away.
Avoid speaker grills…paper or thin foil are used there which perforate easily (and a pain to fix or replace).
Take ALL covers off lappers first: CPU, RAM, etc., and blow air in both directions (i.e. into the exhaust grill, and into the now open covers).
Fan blades tend to get ‘snags’ of junk on their leading edges (a jagged margin resulting from fabrication molding). Manual removal prior to comp. air is best.