Compressed Air Cans

WaterfallSandSun

These things are pretty expensive for what they do, and they usually last at most 2 or 3 solid uses (dusting the insides of the desktop computer case, laptops, keyboards, etc. There has to be an alternative to using these things. I think I saw a T.V. commercial once for something that you pump (air) with your hands, but I never looked it up and forgot what it was called.

Anyways, alternatives?

Typhoid Manny

you could buy a small electric air compressor. they run low-end around fifty bucks, but you don't have to keep replacing them like cans of air.

plus if you go that route, you now have a way to top off the air in your car tires whenever you want

nescientist

You can just use a narrow attachment from your vacuum and suck, rather than blow, the dust out of your stuff. Or a shop-vac's exhaust would do, come to think of it, though you'd want to make sure you weren't blowing anything unsavory into your computer. Compressors are awesome though. If you can spare the $50 that's probably the way to go.

Spoiler'd because it's not actually an answer to your question, but a comment on your seeming to only get 2 or 3 uses out of cans of air:

If you're finding that they go that fast, make sure you're using short bursts and waiting for the can to warm back up between them. As the propellant cools, it ends up depleting way faster. The longer you hold the trigger, the colder the propellant gets, and the less use it is to you (blows slower while also wasting more and potentially even putting condensation on your computers insides, which would be a bad thing). Of course, short bursts never seem sufficient to dislodge the caked nastiness from my heatsink, so I rarely follow my own advice here. After such inevitable long sprays, when I feel the can start to chill, I sometimes stick it under my armpit. I have no idea whether that actually accomplishes anything except make me and anyone nearby uncomfortable, but the theory seems sound.

EDIT: Static electricity is not your computer's friend. I've gotten away with it, and will probably continue to do so, but the balance of what I've read on the internet recommends against involving vacuums with computers.

DiannaoChong

Do not stick a vacuum hose inside of an electronic device like a computer case. Thats a great way to fry something (seen it happen in college). I dont know if they touched the hose to a part, or if it dragged something static inducing like a dust bunny around, or created static itself, but it definitely fried it.

MushroomStick

DiannaoChong wrote: »

Do not stick a vacuum hose inside of an electronic device like a computer case. Thats a great way to fry something (seen it happen in college). I dont know if they touched the hose to a part, or if it dragged something static inducing like a dust bunny around, or created static itself, but it definitely fried it.

Protip: Turn the computer off before you vacuum it.

benholio

http://amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-ED500-500-Watt-Electric/dp/B001J4ZOAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343016675&sr=8-1&keywords=computer+vacuum

Electric Duster

The air compressor that TM mentioned is a good idea too. It has a lot of uses. Tires, rafts, air mattresses, paint guns....all kinds of fun stuff.

Essee

As someone who just used an air compressor to clean a computer for the first time about two weeks ago... it is awesome. You don't have to wait for the can to warm up before spraying again, the nozzle of the hose is smaller than a can so you can sneak it into places better, and you don't need to worry about moisture from the stuff in the can 'cause there's no liquid in there. The air compressor I used is normally used somehow in our family friend's furniture refinishing and such, I guess, so it wasn't really a small one I don't think. I think he's only ever used that method for all his computers, at any rate. Seems to be working fine for him as well!

Goofball

If you go the compressor route make sure you get an in-line filter and oil/water separator (preferably an all-in-one dryer unit but they are quite expensive...). They are commonly used in-line before a paint sprayer but work well for cleaning electronics as well. If you don't use them you're spraying a nice mist of small rust particles, water, compressor oil and all sorts of other nastiness all over your electronics.

wonderpug

WaterfallSandSun wrote:

Anyways, alternatives?

Blow through one of those little hollow plastic coffee stirrers.

Arang

Compressors are also usually pretty bulky and noisy, if those are concerns. Definitely more of a garage item than something you'd keep in an apartment, unless they're making some newfangled kind these days.

I too have heard, but cannot personally back up the vacuum frying parts story. Computer parts are generally very sensitive to static (that's why they come in their little bags and you use the strap when you assemble it), and vacuums generate a lot of static. They also make vacuums specifically for use inside computers, but those could be a scam. Could be.

Finally, I've also heard that blowing into the case is a bad idea because the air you breathe out is much moister than normal. Maybe you have some kind of desert mouth, though.

To sum up, get a compressor if you have space and money for it, it can be used for tons of other useful stuff too.

Typhoid Manny

MushroomStick wrote: »

DiannaoChong wrote: »

Do not stick a vacuum hose inside of an electronic device like a computer case. Thats a great way to fry something (seen it happen in college). I dont know if they touched the hose to a part, or if it dragged something static inducing like a dust bunny around, or created static itself, but it definitely fried it.

Protip: Turn the computer off before you vacuum it.

this still won't necessarily be safe. if the charge is strong enough over a large enough area (and it doesn't even need to be especially strong or large) it can still cause shorts and fry sensitive components.

nescientist

Yeah some googling around (after initial astonishment) tells me I've been playing with fire re: vacuums for years. Most places recommend never ever even thinking of putting the vacuum near your computer. I've known not to actually touch the parts, but apparently just bringing the nozzle near can fuck stuff up. I've been lucky, or my local humidity permits it. Other possible saving grace is that the closest the vacuum ever gets to any actual electronics is several inches away thanks to my over-sized heatsink (where the dust lives).

Anyway do not take my earlier advice. Static bad.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Look at that, I went and solved all your problems.

AtomBomb

Arang wrote: »

They also make vacuums specifically for use inside computers, but those could be a scam. Could be.

These do exist. I had a job repairing copiers in the 90's, and they issued me a fancy vacuum to clean them out. I think how it worked is that the hose, attachments, and everything else were conductive, so they didn't build up a static charge. It also had a fancy filter thing since you're dealing with a lot of fine particles with toner and such. I'm sure it was expensive. It also wasn't reversible, so you couldn't make it blow, only suck. However, being a copier repairman both blows and sucks, so there's that.