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Did your iMac got dust in the screen or you know someone with this issue?

  • Yes

    Votes: 103 42.7%
  • No

    Votes: 57 23.7%
  • I didn't even know this is an issue

    Votes: 81 33.6%

  • Total voters
    241

mindquest

macrumors 6502a
Oct 25, 2009
536
107
Last week I brought my iMac 21.5" 4K 2017 from home to my office in the textile factory I work. Since it is a textile factory there is quite a lot of dust and on top of that, the office I work in has many plants(more than 15 different flowers and stuff) and I guess at night when the ventilation is not working, the air get very humid. This morning I noticed two black spots on both lower corners of the screen. So the problem seems still to be here with newer models.

Are you still under warranty?
 

avxkim

macrumors regular
Nov 5, 2017
156
24
Kazakhstan
Sorry to hear people are still experiencing this dust issue. It is just not good enough Apple and I hope they will launch a repair program because people should not be paying for a screen replacement when it is a design flaw. This is an issue since 2012 FFS!

My 2019 iMac has been on for 24/7 since May 2019, no dust so far. I doubt Apple have fixed the issue though... I have got AC+

I keep my office clean and tidy, dust free is impossible... Anyone having this issue on their 2019 iMac?
I do. After 10 months of use, i got dust on the left bottom corner. I wonder if 2020 imacs got the same issue, lol
 

geo.

macrumors newbie
Apr 1, 2019
14
3
I do. After 10 months of use, i got dust on the left bottom corner. I wonder if 2020 imacs got the same issue, lol
I got a 2019 iMac and after 1 year presented dust. So I guess it’s a hardware design problem with current lineup of iMac.
 

ProTruckDriver

macrumors 6502
Jul 28, 2016
283
340
Virginia
I do. After 10 months of use, i got dust on the left bottom corner. I wonder if 2020 imacs got the same issue, lol
I got a 2019 iMac and after 1 year presented dust. So I guess it’s a hardware design problem with current lineup of iMac.
I don't know but I wouldn't buy another 27 inch Mac, New or Used. It looks like Apple doesn't care about this problem since it's gone on so long. (Knock on wood) My blackish smudge marks have not come back since the screen has been replace at the Apple Store.
 

avxkim

macrumors regular
Nov 5, 2017
156
24
Kazakhstan
I don't know but I wouldn't buy another 27 inch Mac, New or Used. It looks like Apple doesn't care about this problem since it's gone on so long. (Knock on wood) My blackish smudge marks have not come back since the screen has been replace at the Apple Store.
So you think it might be a faulty screen assembly? It's just weird i had 2017 5k iMac, used it over 14 months and it was just fine, maybe i was cleaning my table with a wet rag more often back in 3 years, might be related...
 

dcmaccam

macrumors 6502
Sep 14, 2017
274
51
West Coast of Scotland
I believe it way be something to do with airflow getting into the LCD panel assembly and depositing dust. Air comes in the bottom of the iMac and out through the top. My old 2007 24” iMac which has a removable glass developed a large gray mark on the lefthand side. It was smaller at the bottom curving and getting larger towards the top. It was more visible when the screen was off. I thought it was inside the lcd. When i took the machine apart to install an SSD in noticed that it was on the back of the glass. It would not brush off and it looked baked on. It took a serious bit of cleaning to get it off. Now the screen looks like new.

So back to the new iMacs which don’t have removable glass. It may be possible that some kind of airflow is getting into the LCD sandwich causing this issue.

I also had a high end 4k 55” tv that developed a similar issue after 3.5 years use and was deemed unrepairable. The retailer gave me a replacement set (different model).

I now have a 2019 iMac so will keep a lookout for this. I have not had any issue on my 2011 iMac which also has a removable screen.
 

avxkim

macrumors regular
Nov 5, 2017
156
24
Kazakhstan
I believe it way be something to do with airflow getting into the LCD panel assembly and depositing dust. Air comes in the bottom of the iMac and out through the top. My old 2007 24” iMac which has a removable glass developed a large gray mark on the lefthand side. It was smaller at the bottom curving and getting larger towards the top. It was more visible when the screen was off. I thought it was inside the lcd. When i took the machine apart to install an SSD in noticed that it was on the back of the glass. It would not brush off and it looked baked on. It took a serious bit of cleaning to get it off. Now the screen looks like new.

So back to the new iMacs which don’t have removable glass. It may be possible that some kind of airflow is getting into the LCD sandwich causing this issue.

I also had a high end 4k 55” tv that developed a similar issue after 3.5 years use and was deemed unrepairable. The retailer gave me a replacement set (different model).

I now have a 2019 iMac so will keep a lookout for this. I have not had any issue on my 2011 iMac which also has a removable screen.
When you bought your 2019 iMac? It took 10 months for me.
 

vddobrev

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2016
962
833
Haskovo, Bulgaria
Do you think it's worth getting my iMac Pro repaired for this issue or will it just come back?
I had a 2015 27” iMac 5K that developed this issue within warranty and the screen was replaced. Within 8 months the dust started to re-appear, and I sold it while it was barely noticeable. It was just when iMac Pro came out, and I needed a new Mac. I went with Mac Pro 2013 because of my bitter experience with iMac.

Sorry to see that there are iMac Pros with this issue, which is unacceptable.
 
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phobos

macrumors 6502
Feb 25, 2008
256
117
Do you think it's worth getting my iMac Pro repaired for this issue or will it just come back?
Aside from the fact that it will probably come back it's also incredibly cost prohibitive.

Since they basically change the whole display the cost was close to a 1000 euros. Approx 1200 dollars...

I personally didn't go through with the repair.
 

freshj

macrumors member
Oct 25, 2007
65
9
I'm still under apple care so apple said they would replace the display for free. There must be either a common problem with the display part, or the design of the iMac chassis or cooling system. I would really love to know what is the root cause of the issue.

My computer's are in a dust-free studio, but is there anything in particular I should do going forward to help prevent this issue? Should I run a Hoover nossle along the bottom and/or rear vents periodically?

I expect this issue to reappear in future, by then I will be out of warranty and will not be paying for a repair, so I'll have to live with apple's design flaw.

It just seems so weird that this issue is well documented across many models of iMac over the years, but the root cause does not seem clear.
 

costica1234

macrumors regular
May 21, 2013
203
150
I always use a pillow cover after shutting down my iMac and run the vacuum cleaner once a month on the BOTTOM vents ONLY. Besides, I use a damp cloth almost every other time I power up the machine to keep my desk as free of dust as possible.

I applied this "recipe" ever since I received my 2020 iMac last September and I am yet to see any clouding or unwanted spots on my screen. There is only some super slight vignetting effect in the lower corners of the screen, but I noticed this ever since I received the iMac and it didn't get worse nor it disappeared. It doesn't bother me at all as the vignetting is incredibly faint and one needs a bright background to be able to see it.

Attaching some pics to show how my iMac looks like with the pillow cover. Note that I am taking advantage of the hole at the back to position the cover in such a way that the lower vents are completely covered.
 

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Nguyen Duc Hieu

macrumors 68040
Jul 5, 2020
3,020
1,006
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
I always use a pillow cover after shutting down my iMac and run the vacuum cleaner once a month on the BOTTOM vents ONLY. Besides, I use a damp cloth almost every other time I power up the machine to keep my desk as free of dust as possible.

I applied this "recipe" ever since I received my 2020 iMac last September and I am yet to see any clouding or unwanted spots on my screen. There is only some super slight vignetting effect in the lower corners of the screen, but I noticed this ever since I received the iMac and it didn't get worse nor it disappeared. It doesn't bother me at all as the vignetting is incredibly faint and one needs a bright background to be able to see it.

Attaching some pics to show how my iMac looks like with the pillow cover. Note that I am taking advantage of the hole at the back to position the cover in such a way that the lower vents are completely covered.

That is terribly ugly.
There are premade products with the same function. Or you can just ask you friend who can sew to make one for you.
 
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costica1234

macrumors regular
May 21, 2013
203
150
That is terribly ugly.
There are premade products with the same function. Or you can just ask you friend who can sew to make one for you.
Yep, I know it's super ugly, but the pillow cover does the job and it was... free :). I've seen a slick iMac cover for like $30 here in Romania, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. Might consider it down the road, though.

Yeah, please don't show that to Jony Ive :)
Effective, though
Thank goodness I don't have his number ??.
 
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