Suck or blow? What's better for dust?

The guy at the local PC hardware store told me it's better to use a small hand-held leaf blower to blow dust out of your PC case than a hand-held vacuum cleaner. Why is this? I understand that fans might be damaged if they "spin too fast", but surely this is a problem with both vacuuming and blowing dust away... I imagine both machines would generate a small amount of static to be discharged carefully, so I can't see how one would be "safer" than the other?

gillespieza

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 311

Leaf blower is better than the can for speed and efficiency. People think it's weird, but really, it's just a large volume of air. – Jonathan – 2016-01-08T21:53:16.443

6A leaf blower? This is a joke, right? Ever heard of pressurized air? It comes as a handy spray can. And this works better to get dust out because a vacuum cleaner will usually not pick up the dust "sticking" to the surface because it is not strong enough. Also, these spray cans have small tubes that can reach every corner. – Sven – 2011-04-14T08:48:16.173

2Yes, I've heard of pressurised air. I'm just asking about what my local PC shop guy told me. Besides, pressurised air is quite expensive in South Africa – gillespieza – 2011-04-14T09:02:35.413

Answers

You can use both. Before ditching my desktop collection, I used to clean them using a six-gallon air compressor and a vacuum. Compressed air is much better at dislodging dust. As Nanne said, though, don't get your fans spinning too fast or you'll be generating current to be sent to your mobo. I usually use a finger to hold the fan in place while blasting it with air.

Anyway, unless you have a space away from where the computers normally live to clean their insides, you'll want to use a vacuum to suck up all the dust dislodged by the compressed air. Otherwise you're just going to end up with a bunch of dust in the air which the computers will pull right back into the chassis after you've powered them back on. I use short blasts of air to give the vacuum time to get the dust.

Without a vacuum, though, just use compressed air in a different, non-computer room.

Edit about the vacuum: You don't want to get it close enough to zap electronics; as others have mentioned those nozzles (plastic especially) can generate charge enough to zap things. You just want to capture the dust kicked up by the compressed air, not clean the components directly. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out.

Cakemox

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 381

2So if you generate current to be sent to your mother board while it is powered off; what harm will that do? – JD Isaacks – 2011-04-14T13:19:09.547

13+1 for explaining why spinning up the fans could potentially damage the mobo. – eckza – 2011-04-14T13:32:40.770

9@John Isaacks: The fans spin by applying voltage to create movement. The opposite is also true: applying movement to the fan blades will create voltage, like a little generator. The motherboard is not really designed for that, so it's best to avoid it. – Cakemox – 2011-04-14T14:13:28.287

2Does anyone have any first or second-hand experience with a spinning fan killing a mobo? Because I gotta say, that's the most entertaining part for me. – Joe – 2011-04-14T15:01:31.200

11@Joe: It's always fallen under the "better safe than sorry" category for me, but now I'm curious, too. Gotta dig up the multimeter for some MythBusters: Exceptionally Nerdy Edition. – Cakemox – 2011-04-14T15:09:14.410

"my desktop collection" are you only use laptops? Why is that relevant? I often see laptops where the fan always runs full speed, because dust is making them overheat. A sharp blow in the exhaust port produces a cloud of dust and the fan speed drops. – Jay Bazuzi – 2011-04-14T15:36:37.827

I guess it's relevant because I was cleaning desktops often. I'll mention I had two cats, too, since that's also relevant to cleaning desktops. I've retired the six-gallon compressor in favor of cans of compressed air since moving to laptops; it doesn't take nearly as much work to dust out the laptop vents. – Cakemox – 2011-04-14T16:29:23.140

Nice answer, but I'd add something about the dangers of vacuuming. The static built up can cause very real damage to sensitive components. – Django Reinhardt – 2011-04-14T17:21:54.167

I'd say it depends on what way the fan is spinning. Electricity has a flow direction (technical direction: from + to - or ground). The mobo is designed to give the fan power through + and get it back through -. Running the fan manually in the different direction causes electricity to flow the other way around, thus damaging the board if the voltage is bigger than the diodes can handle. – Mike – 2011-04-15T12:50:49.483

1You can buy electronics-specific vacuums from 3M; we have two of them, they've worked awesome (for years). The plastics are grounded (they have copper strips running from the tip to the actual ground on the AC plug), and the filters are tight enough to be safe to vacuum laser toner (finer than HEPA). Google "3M Electronics Vacuum" if you want one. :) – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2011-04-26T13:31:35.887

Do not suck. A vaccuum cleaner will produce a static charge, with all bad effects. Buy a can of pressurized air, and blow the dust out. Indeed, take care not to start turning your fans to hard, but that problem would also be there when sucking.

Nanne

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 569

5This is a serious problem, made worse by the fact that static accumulates on the nozzle, and because it's sucking it's actively pulling itself towards the vulnerable components. In addition, a blown column of air is more coherent than a sucked volume, which makes it more effective per unit volume of air moved. – regularfry – 2011-04-14T14:37:05.577

1If you are using a vaccuum for this in a workbench scenario, you could always add a wire to the nozzle and attach it to earth ground, effectively removing the risk. Your electronics workbench does have an earth ground on it right? I'd hope so or this entire topic is worthless. – Kevin Peno – 2011-04-14T16:57:17.350

That would not work for plastic nozzles ofcourse? – Nanne – 2011-04-14T18:23:58.560

@Nanne: How wouldn't it? Without getting into the nitty details, static potential discharges to earth ground regardless of materials used to build potential. The only difference is how much potential is needed in order to facilitate discharge. If there isn't enough to go directly to earth, there isn't enough to discharge into components. ;) – Kevin Peno – 2011-04-14T19:14:58.143

1True, but if you "ground" (and I use the term loosely for non-conduction surfaces) a plastic nozzle on one side, the other side could just as well have some potential that gets discharged if you get close to that side. You would have to 'ground' the complete thing, practically making it iron all over, wouldn't you? If the nozzle is big enough it could still be a problem. I just don't see how you would ground a non-conduction nozzle... – Nanne – 2011-04-14T19:19:03.323

1@Nanne: It's tough to say without actually running some tests, though my gut tells me that it is likely that the risks are low. However, you could also easily fashion a conductive mesh sleeve around the nozzel I suppose to remove that risk. – Kevin Peno – 2011-04-14T20:14:41.550

A vacuum might be alright for slightly dusty computers but I use compressed air. Not those silly overpriced little cans, which do a poor job at the best of times, but from a proper air compressor. To protect the fans I hold the blades while blowing into or very near the fan.

Just one thing to be careful of when using compressed air, don't hold the nozzle too close to the computer. I keep it back about a foot or so. Get too close and you can unseat most components, including RAM and CPU.

John Gardeniers

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 407

1Down side of using an air compressor is they do not filter out water and debris that can be expelled from an air compressor, not good for electronics. – Moab – 2011-04-14T15:43:16.457

@Moab most modern air compresssors will have a air/water separator attached, or you can buy one and put it on

– Scott Chamberlain – 2011-04-14T17:00:50.330

@ Scott, I have looked at and purchased many compressors, consumer grade compressors don't typically come with a filter or moisture trap. Its Just a warning as air compressors spew water and contaminants out after they have been used for a while. – Moab – 2011-04-14T17:22:51.660

For computers it doesn't matter too much; there is a danger that you can force dust into places it wouldn't otherwise go, but other than that, not a big deal. Fans will go bad on their own time, whether you like it or not. Static isn't much of an issue. Just leave it plugged in, and it'll ground out harmlessly.

NEVER EVER EVER USE BLOW ON A PRINTER. ALWAYS SUCK. ALWAYS Old school impact printers can handle dust, but they're about the only ones. Inkjets are more tolerant, but print heads are pretty fragile, and it can screw them up pretty badly. If you blow dust around in a laser printer, you're likely to push some up into the optics. If you do that, they basically have to be replaced and your print quality goes straight to hell.

Satanicpuppy

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 6 169

Was he selling small hand-held leaf blowers?

I think this question is going to delve deeply into the realms of the subjective. Several points of physics come to mind as pros and cons for both sides, and a the net win might depend a lot on the individual vacuum or blower.

Personally, I think I'd go for the vacuum to clean out the case and any large deposits so they don't get blown around the room, then the blower to dislodge dust and get it out of all the internals thanks to it's much higher air volume and velocity. The second part I would still do with a vacuum handy to keep the work-space clean and filter it out of the air too.

Caleb

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 4 323

Well, there's the other thing - I need to clean about a dozen computers, and I'd really rather do it in place... so blowing dust around the office doesn't really appeal to me. And no, he wasn't selling any leaf blowers ;) – gillespieza – 2011-04-14T09:04:06.660

3Use the vacuum for the big stuff, then keep the vacuum running and close but use a can of air to dislodge the stuff the vacuum won't move on it's own. – Caleb – 2011-04-14T09:18:19.447

As vacuuming doesn't remove all clogged dust, I'm fond of a small preassure tank with an airbrush nozzle that can deliver both narrow and wide air flow. One can blow 3-4 computers with a single refill.

To tackle the floating dust, I either use a table-top vacuum or electrostatic feather duster, depending on the shape and size of the case. When cleaning a server rack that can be opened from both ends, have another person hold the duster on the opposite end. Don't take the duster too close to the case to avoid static charges!

Jawa

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 3 349

I mostly use a compressor and then blow it away with an airgun, this is the only way to get all dust loose (well, atleast at 10bars it does)...

When there are large dust gatherings a vacuum cleaner would also do...

As for the static... don't worry to much, just turn the machine and powersupply off BUT DON'T UNPLUG IT, this way the machine stays connected to the ground wire and is able to discharge if any static charges might occur, But honestly, the chance of a static charge forming so big it would actually damage components is minimal...

HTDutchy

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 698

Generally speaking, you want to blow because it's a lot easier to concentrate blowing force than vacuuming force. Besides, the risk of ESD is higher with vacuuming.

The OP and others have mentioned using something like a leaf blower to clear dust from a computer. Actually, American vacuum cleaner manufacturer MetroVac makes an electric blower designed specifically for blasting dust out of computer equipment. It's essentially a high-power vacuum motor in a can, configured to blow rather than to suck. Here's a video of it in action.

bwDraco

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 41 701

I use a vac to get most of the loose stuff out of the way. All that dust feels nasty when it gets on my skin. Just be careful not to whack the vac tools into the components. Air cans with nozzle straws are great for knocking the dust off heatsink fans though.

Toybuilder

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 151

My preference is definitely blowing, as it's simply much more effective. However, it's messy and pointless if you're indoors. If you're unable to take the machine outside to do your blowing, you're better off using a vacuum cleaner. You can buy static-neutral vacuum cleaners with useful attachments that are specifically designed for this type of indoor work.

boot13

Posted 2011-04-14T08:33:09.560

Reputation: 5 551