How do you clean your case fans?

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How do you guys clean your fans?

I hold the bearing and spray it like crazy with compressed air. I still see a light layer of dust on the blades etc. It's almost looks caked on there and I can't get it off unless I physically rub it off.

What do you guys do?
 
physically rub it off.

I use a womans blusher brush, perfect things, that gets rid of most dust, then any thats left, i use cotton buds if my fingers cant reach it.

Also depending on how bad the fan is covered in dust, i may also give the blades a wipe with some kitchen towel and water.
 
I rub it off with my finger. I would much rather clean my dust filters than my fans, cleaning the filters actually improves my temps. Removing a 1mm coating of dust on my fans (which is a PITA) isn't worth it.
 
Every 3-4 months i clean out my case and fans with a can air duster then wipe the excess off with alcohol wipes
 
Enermax Enlobal fans are so easy to clean. The fans pop right out for easy cleaning.

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I use dust filters so I rarely have to clean them. Inevitably some dust gets through after about several months. When that happens I use alcohol swabs. For heatsinks I remove them then dunk them in a bowl of rubbing alcohol to soak.
 
I've been tempted to buy a cheap electric leaf blower, masses of air and cheaper then a compressor and tank...

One of the techs at work uses one to blast the dust from his PC's works a treat, just be sure to jam the fans, incase they generate a current in the MB
 
I use a toothbrush. (small hobby brush can work well also.) Remove the fan and just brush it clean. Do the same to the heatsink, and you should be good to go. I find it doesn't take long at all doing it this way.
 
Ludovic said:
I've been tempted to buy a cheap electric leaf blower, masses of air and cheaper then a compressor and tank...

One of the techs at work uses one to blast the dust from his PC's works a treat, just be sure to jam the fans, incase they generate a current in the MB
Click to expand...

Just buy the ED500 and forget about caned air. I will NEVER look back.
 
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I use a compressor to blow them off, if it is really caked on I run them under hot water and let them dry for a day or two in front of another fan. (alcohol would probably be a better choice as it evaporates very quickly and thus less likely to cause a short if water is stuck in there, but I'm cheap. )
 
Anyone ever tried 1 of those Metro Data Vacuum ED500 Datavac Electric Duster's?

I thought about getting one.
 
fantomau said:
Anyone ever tried 1 of those Metro Data Vacuum ED500 Datavac Electric Duster's?

I thought about getting one.
Click to expand...

Look at my post that's two above yours. There are a good number of people on this forum (including myself) who use them, I do not know of a single one of them who would ever go back to caned air. The power is GREAT and cleans far better than a can of air, with a can, you have to get RIGHT into everything to get it cleaned and it can take a while, with the ED500 it only takes a matter of seconds to get the whole case cleaned. You will find yourself cleaning it more often also being that it cost you nothing to do it. I have had mine for close to a year and it has paid for it self at least 3 times over, that's not including all the times friends have borrowed it.
 
BlueFireIce said:
Look at my post that's two above yours. There are a good number of people on this forum (including myself) who use them, I do not know of a single one of them who would ever go back to caned air. The power is GREAT and cleans far better than a can of air, with a can, you have to get RIGHT into everything to get it cleaned and it can take a while, with the ED500 it only takes a matter of seconds to get the whole case cleaned. You will find yourself cleaning it more often also being that it cost you nothing to do it. I have had mine for close to a year and it has paid for it self at least 3 times over, that's not including all the times friends have borrowed it.
Click to expand...


Sorry, Didnt see it, But yeah, thats what I am considering getting. Yeah it costs $50, But take into consideration the cost of a can of air and yeah it does pay for itself.

I thought about this 1 1st: http://www.walmart.com/ip/MetroVac-...ries-Next-Generation-Cleaning-System/13214884
 
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Why do so many people use a blower to clean out cases? Don't your customers/co-workers complain about having all that dust blown about their homes and offices?

I've always used a vacuum w/grounded hose and that seems to work well enough.
 
thefreeaccount said:
Why do so many people use a blower to clean out cases? Don't your customers/co-workers complain about having all that dust blown about their homes and offices?

I've always used a vacuum w/grounded hose and that seems to work well enough.
Click to expand...

Its not only good for pc's, But other equipment too.
 
thefreeaccount said:
Why do so many people use a blower to clean out cases? Don't your customers/co-workers complain about having all that dust blown about their homes and offices?

I've always used a vacuum w/grounded hose and that seems to work well enough.
Click to expand...

Well if you are using an air compressor you usually have a long hose or the compressor is portable and take the case/fans outside.
 
I never clean fans or inside the case on a regular basis.
Just once before I give away the computer, also if I do some changes like adding a new hard drive and I see lots of dust, but that's rarely the case, as I don't smoke or have pets.

I always use a vacuum cleaner, though. A blower is a terrible idea, it just displaces the dust outside the case.
I tried canned air once, but the dust settles back to the same level within weeks. It seems to stabilize at that stage, so I gave up.
My case is probably a couple of degrees warmer than it could be, but I can live with that.

I am thinking about fan filters for my next case, but then I would probably be forced to clean them on a frequent and regular basis, so I don't know.
 
Maybe its the fact I use a ED500....But why on earth would anyone blow out the case in side the house? It's not like it is bolted down, I just take mine out on the deck and blow away?
 
i use a microfiber towel (since i keep on next to my desk anyway) and rub each blade like im cleaning glasses.
 
also, i use THESE dust filters. i run a vacuum over them every once in a while, but just running a cloth or my fingers over them is usually good enough.
 
For case fans, I use compressed air and some swiffer pads to wipe the hard stuck dust off the blades. Lately I switched over to some anti-static swabs when cleaning off heatsink fins and the fan blades.
 
thefreeaccount said:
Why do so many people use a blower to clean out cases? Don't your customers/co-workers complain about having all that dust blown about their homes and offices?
Click to expand...

Well I take my cases outside to blow them out. Can't bring a gas powered leaf blower in the house now can I?
 
lodingi said:
Well I take my cases outside to blow them out. Can't bring a gas powered leaf blower in the house now can I?
Click to expand...

Well you can but apparently the people that think air compressors/blowers are a bad idea think you do.
 
also don't overdo it whenwinding up your fans with an air compressor. The bearings on the fan will wear out quicker if you spin them up at a higher rpm than the fan is designed for. I like to keep the blades still when i blow air over them.
 
Air compressor, I try to avoid spraying in the direction of the bearings as I've actually ruined some fans by forcing dust down the sleeve. Basically I blow on one side only not the sleeve/motor side.

I don't bother scrubbing to the point where it's super shiny, it's only going to get dirty again, just want to get the bulk of the dust off.

When I clean a whole PC I usually bring it outside as I don't want all that dust flying in my house, especially when it's not my PC. In winter I usually don't bother, as the air coming out of the compressor has a greater chance to condense when it's 30 below out.

Eventually I want to build my own desk which will have a furnace air filter. My PC, UPS and all wires will be in an enclosed compartment that will act as an air tunnel. There will be a big fan sucking air through it.
 
thefreeaccount said:
Why do so many people use a blower to clean out cases? Don't your customers/co-workers complain about having all that dust blown about their homes and offices?
Click to expand...


Some of us turn off our computers and take them outside to clean them. :rolleyes:
 
Yeah I use an air compressor in my garage to blow the dust out of my computer. I do it OUTSIDE my garage. Who would blow out all that dust inside a house?
 
I usually grab my shop vac and suck up what I can physically see, and then reverse it to blow anything that is hidden. Anything else I just use a alcohol and a lint free cloth.
 
I use cheap plastic straws and a 6g air compressor. the straws are just to keep the fans from spinning. you can use grilles, vents or various cables in the pc to keep the straws from flying away. then I go crazy with the blow gun (~50 psi) close to the fans on both side. works wwwaaayyy better than canned air or one of those handheld blowers.
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