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Old January 24th 17, 05:01 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
pyotr filipivich
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Default Damage a case fan by vacuuming air vents from the outside?

micky on Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:43:41 -0500
typed in microsoft.public.windowsxp.general the following:
In alt.comp.hardware, on Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:23:18 -0800, pyotr
filipivich wrote:

mike on Mon, 23 Jan 2017 04:20:19 -0800 typed in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general the following:
On 1/23/2017 1:37 AM, micky wrote:
Can you damage a case fan by vacuuming the air vents from the outside?

(I have a Dell Optiplex 775 with the original fan. )

It seems more than safe to me, but I happened to read the manual for a
Noctua fan and it says not to use a vacuum cleaner or it may apply
"excessive force to the fan". I find that hard to believe. I've pushed
on the vanes of other 3, 4, and 5" fans and they don't bend at all with
the kind of force vacuum cleaners exert. In fact I think they would be
hard to break. Are Noctua fans more fragile than others?


I think the case fan is rarely the problem.
I buy all my computers at garage sales. I've never, ever
had a case fan that had a dirt problem.
I've had MANY CPU fans 100% blocked with cat hair.

If you think you've got dust, take it apart and blow it
out with compressed air,


Use the canned stuff. Don't take it into the shop and blow it out
with air from the 120 psi line - with or without the inline oiler.


What about the grease gun? Where do I use that?

I don't have a 120 psi line, but I have the image of a can of air having
no more force than a spray can of paint or bug spray.


Pretty much.

Is that really
enough to move the dust, some of which I think is sort of stuck to
whatever it's stuck to?


The spray cans will have a little tube, which lets you aim that
"low" pressure airblast into a specific spot.

There is, of course, a major difference between what is considered
"normal levels of dust" in various parts of the world. Like the
useful life of air filters in cars, depends on conditions. Occasional
trips around town in the rainy season - no problem. Being the second
or third vehicle on dirt roads in summer - you'll be knocking the dirt
out every time you stop for gas.

--
pyotr filipivich
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