Toxicpanda
Member
So my friend asked to use some of my compressed air to clean his pc, I told him the normal don't shake it and what not..... Next day he tells me he has a white stain on his chassis door. Advice?
Horrific stain on chassis door.
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ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
I've come across this before, in fact I've damaged plastic components doing this. It is essential to use low pressure compressed air for cleaning computers. If you get hold of a high pressure can of air it is cooled to below freezing point as it comes out of the nozzle (that's how a fridge cooling plate works of course) and the extremely low temperature air has likely damaged the plastic. I wrecked a satellite phone on the boat doing this. I was attempting to clean the connector in the bottom of the phone where it fits into the docking station. The high pressure super-cooled air made the plastic extremely brittle and it disintegrated as I plugged it back into the dock. The result was a new phone.
I rather fear that the mark on your fiends case is not a stain it's permanently damaged plastic....
I rather fear that the mark on your fiends case is not a stain it's permanently damaged plastic....
Ditto. Plus some of those cans when inverted propel a freezing liquid when inverted which can add to the damage.
I presume he/she just wants to know how to tell the difference between the higher pressure ones and the lower pressure onesAnd why do you want to know the exact pressure?
Toxicpanda
Member
I'd have to check, thanks for all the response. Tried alcoholic wipes and no luck so I think its R.I.P side panel! Never had the issue before but he shuck the can and then started using it. Also it was this one Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230895439007 don't know if that helps.
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
Two ways....
One, read the label. If it doesn't say something like low pressure, or specifically for cleaning computers, I'd pass on it. If you buy one that you're not sure of then spray it onto a metal key (or anything metallic) and then immediately feel the temperature of the key where you sprayed. That will tell you how cold it gets. It it's more than just a little cool I'd not use it on anything electronic nor near plastic.
Two, you can get cans that you pressurise yourself with a little pump handle on the side. If you see one of those then get it.
On the boat I have an air horn (for giving fog signals) that you pressurise with a bicycle pump. I actually use that to clean my laptop and PC. I just remove the nozzle from the horn (it's LOUD) pressurise it with the pump and then use that to blow away the dust.....
It's unwise to blow yourself to clear the dust, and not least because you don't want to be inhaling that stuff, but also because air from your lungs is moist, often containing water droplets, and moist air is the last thing you want inside a PC. Anything that will give a gentle blast of air will do, even a regular car tyre foot pump would do.
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