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Sooo Much Dust!!

D

DesignFusion

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 4, 2008
35
0
Hey guys, Ive have my MacPro since the last update and have never really given it a spring clean. I opened up the case the other day and was shocked to see how dusty it is inside. I don't no much about how sensitive the insides are so am seeking advise on how to safely clean it. Do I need any antistatic gloves or anything? What are the ideal or suitable tools i should use... I've read people use hoovers but they just seem very harsh!? bearing in mind the cost of the machine i want to be extremely careful!

Thanks in advance
 

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I thought I was the only one that used a air compressor :)

Works great and gets into areas a vac can't.
 
OMG! Take it out side with a few cans of Compressed air. Take all the components out and blow them off separately.

I take mine all apart every month or so.
 
Dr. Stealth said:
I use an air compressor for a monthly blow outs....

I've never seen on like yours though!

Do you live on a sheep farm ??? :D
Click to expand...

Haha no I dont live on a sheep farm, its just in my room but i barely ever switch it of normally just put it to sleep. I think its about time i change that though! Surely compressed air just moves it about? also dont you have to be careful as sometimes they throughout a little moisture?
 
DesignFusion said:
Haha no I dont live on a sheep farm, its just in my room but i barely ever switch it of normally just put it to sleep. I think its about time i change that though! Surely compressed air just moves it about? also dont you have to be careful as sometimes they throughout a little moisture?
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Air compressors work good. A little moisture at first, give it a spritz in the air first.
 
After cleaning it make sure you turn it on outside.
Lots of dust will blow out the Mac Pro the first time.

There is a key command (which I can't remember right now) that spins the living daylight out of the fans when you start the computer.

So the steps are:

-Take that dust monster outside

- Touch a radiator (prevents getting a shock or damming the components)

- Take out your hard drives, RAM etc. (anything that is easily removable)

- Clean everything with compressed air cans (or just blow but don't spit or faint)

- Put everything back in Mac Pro

- Start the Mac Pro (with the key command I can't remember)

- Take it back inside. Job well done. :)
 
I'm more concerned about your health rather than the Mac. The picture tells more about the air quality of your room. Seriously!
 
My technique is kind of primitive...
I take my MP outside, open it up and use a leaf blower.
It's an electric blower and I use it on low speed.
Works really well.
 
I stick with canned compressed air when cleaning electronics... it's not the "greenest" option, but it is moisture- and oil-free. That's critical to me.

Do you have lots of cats? Dogs? You might think about an air filter. I just opened mine to check, and your Mac Pro looks much, much dustier than my Early 2009 model, and I've never cleaned it out. I have a dog, but I hear cats are the worst for dander and hair in electronics.
 
Also......

I keep my Mac Pro on my desk and it stays much cleaner inside.

Keeping them on the floor they get really dusty inside much faster.

Just a thought if you have the room....
 
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Dr. Stealth said:
I keep my Mac Pro on my desk and it stays much cleaner inside.

Keeping them on the floor they get really dusty inside much faster.
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Really dude so many people throw the 45 LB. beast on floor, and having it on a carpet can even be the worse, even if you vacuum every day.

I keep mine off the floor and only clean it about every six months with an air compressor, and the dust is so fine and minimal.
After you blow out all the dust bunnies I'd think about elevating it so its not on the floor.
 
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I have this thing also, it works great. I haven't needed to clean out my MP yet but I used it on my old PC.

I also keep my MP (as I did with my old PC), on my desk. It's sexy as hell and I like looking at it and gets it away from all the stuff around the floor that you can't see but can accumulate inside the case.


Slow Programmer said:
I just got one of these,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J4ZOAW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?tag=5336090759-20

yesterday and will be trying it out on a PC tower tomorrow. The ratings and reviews seem good and I spend way to much money on canned air. I have a Saint Bernard and a Mastiff living inside so dust is a fact of life for me. One of the reasons I like Macs is how easy they are to keep clean.
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Unless you have so much dust in there that the cooling is compromised, it's just not that big of a deal.
 
brentsg said:
Unless you have so much dust in there that the cooling is compromised, it's just not that big of a deal.
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Naw man, dust is like a blanket, traps the heat on the boards.

Just cause your air condition works doesn't mean you'll see a cool summer in a parka
 
fox10078 said:
Naw man, dust is like a blanket, traps the heat on the boards.

Just cause your air condition works doesn't mean you'll see a cool summer in a parka
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If the cooling is working properly then the dust is just unsightly. Obviously if temps aren't proper then cooling has been compromised by the dust.

I read crazy stories about people cleaning their computers out every month or two. That's not necessary. Sure, every 2 years probably isn't a great idea. There's a happy medium here.
 
Vacuum Cleaners work, too. A lot like compressed air in reverse... and you don't have to take the Beast outside. And you won't drive big dust bunnies deeper into your machine. If you want to do a thorough job, the compressed air will help, after you vacuum.

I'll definitely go +1 on the "get it off the floor" sentiment. Also, install temperature monitor and you can keep an eye on how hot your Mac is running.
 
Do you smoke? I only see stuff like this when people keep the machine in a place they smoke a lot.
 
I use the small soft bristle brush and my DC35 to clean out my machine annually.
 
Vacuum Cleaners work, too. A lot like compressed air in reverse... and you don't have to take the Beast outside. And you won't drive big dust bunnies deeper into your machine. If you want to do a thorough job, the compressed air will help, after you vacuum.
Click to expand...

This is a very, very bad idea.

There are two reasons why:

1) Large amounts of dust (even small amounts) traveling down an insulated plastic hose at high speed will cause a ridiculous amount of static electricity to build up. I've seen a spark cross a 3" gap (yes, three inches) from the metallic tip of a common vacuum cleaner hose, and into an electrical PCB. That particular piece of hardware was irreparably damaged- more then half the machine had to be replaced before it would work again (the motherboard, CPU, and video card were all busted).

2) Bristles on a standard vacuum cleaner are far too stiff to be using on a delicate PCB. It's not a matter of if- but when- you manage to knock off an SMT resistor, capacitor, or diode. Depending on what component gets knocked off (you probably won't even notice because these parts are tiny and will get sucked up before you even realize what happened)- you could, once again, irreparably damage your machine.

Using a household vacuum cleaner is about the worst thing you could ever do with a machine as expensive as a Mac Pro.

Either:

1) Buy some compressed air, and blow the machine out, or
2) Invest in an ESD-approved electronics vacuum

3M manufactures a nice unit for around $300 (http://www.amazon.com/3M-Service-Vacuum-Cleaner-SV-497AJM/dp/B0000WU8I2). These vacuums are ESD safe (the hose is totally grounded and will not build up any static at all), the bristles on the brush are soft enough to use on a PCB, and they're rated for cleaning up laser printer toner too (that is, the vacuum is guaranteed not to spark and ignite the toner).

Expensive, yes- but this is a PROPER vacuum for cleaning out electrical stuff.

Using anything else is just asking for trouble. If in doubt, use compressed air instead. There's nothing worse then having to replace a $800 CPU carrier or a $1200 CPU because you zapped your PCB or knocked a component off it trying to use your Dyson instead.

-SC
 
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I use compressed air with a vacuum nearby to suck up all the dust that get's blown around.
 
JesterJJZ said:
Do you smoke? I only see stuff like this when people keep the machine in a place they smoke a lot.
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No no I don't smoke, It sits on a carpet floor under my desk and whats worse is I've probably only switched it off a handful of times. I tend not to open in it as I don't want to break anything. The irony is by not doing so I have probably done more harm.

For most safety (and relatively cheap), what do people recommend as the dust is quite stubborn especially as i have used spray mount in my room before (stupidly I know, tough deadlines and all).

Ie cloths? what kind of alcohol? any brand of compressed air the best for sensitive electronics..
 
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