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#1
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Why Power Supply Died?
Tech support is sending me a new power supply for my 700XL that won't power
up. I had a problem about a year ago and the Country Store had put in two new hard drives and a new power supply. I'm wondering what makes a power supply fail. The computer lives in a compartment in a computer desk. The front of the compartment is open, as is a 6x12 inch area on the side and a 3 inch round hole in the top of the desk. Could it have overheated? Thanks, Allen |
#2
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Allen;
Hopefully the back is also wide open. Overheating can easily happen when a computer is enclosed. Some furniture makers know how to make nice furniture but know nothing of the needs of the computer for cooling. -- Jupiter Jones http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/ "A. & C. Bredt" wrote in message ... Tech support is sending me a new power supply for my 700XL that won't power up. I had a problem about a year ago and the Country Store had put in two new hard drives and a new power supply. I'm wondering what makes a power supply fail. The computer lives in a compartment in a computer desk. The front of the compartment is open, as is a 6x12 inch area on the side and a 3 inch round hole in the top of the desk. Could it have overheated? Thanks, Allen |
#3
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A power supply can fail for a number of reasons.
Improper ventilation can cause overheating of the power supply and other parts inside a computer. Heat is one of the worst enemies of electronics. A poorly manufactured power supply can fail when one of its internal components bites the dust. An external power spike or surge can cause power supply failure. The typical surge protector/extension cord provides inadequate protection to a computer from external power fluctuations. An uninterruptable power supply with battery and voltage regulation circuits provides 1000x more protection. If the power supply innards become clogged with dust and dirt or the power supply fan stops spinning (usually due to the same dust and dirt), the power supply will inevitably overheat and fail. A regular cleaning of a computer using compressed air (especially if the environment is dusty, smoky, dirty, or full of animal hair) can add years of life to an entire computer... Ben Myers On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 04:08:12 GMT, "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: Tech support is sending me a new power supply for my 700XL that won't power up. I had a problem about a year ago and the Country Store had put in two new hard drives and a new power supply. I'm wondering what makes a power supply fail. The computer lives in a compartment in a computer desk. The front of the compartment is open, as is a 6x12 inch area on the side and a 3 inch round hole in the top of the desk. Could it have overheated? Thanks, Allen |
#4
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I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside.
How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? Thanks, Allen ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message ... A power supply can fail for a number of reasons. Improper ventilation can cause overheating of the power supply and other parts inside a computer. Heat is one of the worst enemies of electronics. A poorly manufactured power supply can fail when one of its internal components bites the dust. An external power spike or surge can cause power supply failure. The typical surge protector/extension cord provides inadequate protection to a computer from external power fluctuations. An uninterruptable power supply with battery and voltage regulation circuits provides 1000x more protection. If the power supply innards become clogged with dust and dirt or the power supply fan stops spinning (usually due to the same dust and dirt), the power supply will inevitably overheat and fail. A regular cleaning of a computer using compressed air (especially if the environment is dusty, smoky, dirty, or full of animal hair) can add years of life to an entire computer... Ben Myers On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 04:08:12 GMT, "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: Tech support is sending me a new power supply for my 700XL that won't power up. I had a problem about a year ago and the Country Store had put in two new hard drives and a new power supply. I'm wondering what makes a power supply fail. The computer lives in a compartment in a computer desk. The front of the compartment is open, as is a 6x12 inch area on the side and a 3 inch round hole in the top of the desk. Could it have overheated? Thanks, Allen |
#5
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How dusty is the computer? The answer is relative. Start by estimating that
the amount of dust inside has accumulated since you last opened up the computer or since you got the computer. If you are uncomfortable with the amount of dust you see, clean it more often. Depending on the environment where the computer is running, every 90 days may be necessary. Or maybe once every year. Yes, open up the chassis. Otherwise, compressed air will only swirl the dust bunnies around inside and they may well land in a worse place than from where they were dislodged. Make it easy on your lungs. Open the chassis, take it outside, and blast out the dust there. Not in a driving rain or blizzard, tho. ... Ben Myers On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:48:26 GMT, "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside. How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? Thanks, Allen ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message ... A power supply can fail for a number of reasons. Improper ventilation can cause overheating of the power supply and other parts inside a computer. Heat is one of the worst enemies of electronics. A poorly manufactured power supply can fail when one of its internal components bites the dust. An external power spike or surge can cause power supply failure. The typical surge protector/extension cord provides inadequate protection to a computer from external power fluctuations. An uninterruptable power supply with battery and voltage regulation circuits provides 1000x more protection. If the power supply innards become clogged with dust and dirt or the power supply fan stops spinning (usually due to the same dust and dirt), the power supply will inevitably overheat and fail. A regular cleaning of a computer using compressed air (especially if the environment is dusty, smoky, dirty, or full of animal hair) can add years of life to an entire computer... Ben Myers On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 04:08:12 GMT, "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: Tech support is sending me a new power supply for my 700XL that won't power up. I had a problem about a year ago and the Country Store had put in two new hard drives and a new power supply. I'm wondering what makes a power supply fail. The computer lives in a compartment in a computer desk. The front of the compartment is open, as is a 6x12 inch area on the side and a 3 inch round hole in the top of the desk. Could it have overheated? Thanks, Allen |
#6
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Compressed air can even change critical dip switch
settings. Never use compressed air on electronics. In on case, a user vacuumed the computer and therefore removed a jumper setting. Computer would not operate. At most, gently vacuum or blow dust off of ventilation holes. Nothing more. If a dust problem is that large, then either an industrial grade computer for a harsh environment is required, or some silly person installed too many fans. Five fans inside a case does create dust problems especially since most every computer works just fine with only one 80mm fan. Why did power supply die? Air that is exhausted from computer must not be air that reenters computer. Ventilation is why holes must be properly cut in a cabinet that holds a computer - so that heat does not recycle. Computers must work just fine when room air is 100 degree F. A computer in a 70 degree room just will never have failures due to dust - if computer is properly designed and ventilated. Do not use compressed air on electronics. First it is not necessary. Second it can cause other failures. Too many have this 'clean' fetish. They always want to cure something only because it looks dirty. Short of large globs of dust on ventilation holes or large dust balls inside the case - removing dust is unnecessary. I only remove dust because I don't like getting my hands dirty if I happen to be inside the machine. Once even found a death mouse. But computer worked just fine. "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside. How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? |
#7
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Hmm. Never ever had a problem with a computer getting into difficulty as a
result of my blasting it out with compressed air. Must be either dumb luck or highly refined technique. Several dealers and resellers in my neighborhood with whom I have a loose arrangement to exchange parts and repair/maintenance have never had a problem either. Admittedly a computer CAN survive with a lot of dust, dirt, dead mice, and animal hair inside it. But the chances of survival are generally better if the interior is somewhat clean, allowing clear and unimpeded air flow. I've also serviced a proprietary computer (a custom printer RIP) never ever cleaned by the so-called maintenance person. Opened up the chassis and found a ball about the side of a baseball consisting of cat hair, paper chaff, dust, dirt, and heaven knows what else. And that computer had a failed power supply. Luckily for my client, a common personal computer power supply fit right in, so there was no need for a service call from the other guy using parts paid via extortion. Factory environments are especially hard on personal computers, and some regular cleaning out of the dirt prolongs the life of the machine. That's my opinion, and you are just as free to have yours... Ben Myers On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 17:03:21 -0400, w_tom wrote: Compressed air can even change critical dip switch settings. Never use compressed air on electronics. In on case, a user vacuumed the computer and therefore removed a jumper setting. Computer would not operate. At most, gently vacuum or blow dust off of ventilation holes. Nothing more. If a dust problem is that large, then either an industrial grade computer for a harsh environment is required, or some silly person installed too many fans. Five fans inside a case does create dust problems especially since most every computer works just fine with only one 80mm fan. Why did power supply die? Air that is exhausted from computer must not be air that reenters computer. Ventilation is why holes must be properly cut in a cabinet that holds a computer - so that heat does not recycle. Computers must work just fine when room air is 100 degree F. A computer in a 70 degree room just will never have failures due to dust - if computer is properly designed and ventilated. Do not use compressed air on electronics. First it is not necessary. Second it can cause other failures. Too many have this 'clean' fetish. They always want to cure something only because it looks dirty. Short of large globs of dust on ventilation holes or large dust balls inside the case - removing dust is unnecessary. I only remove dust because I don't like getting my hands dirty if I happen to be inside the machine. Once even found a death mouse. But computer worked just fine. "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside. How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? |
#8
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I've used compressed air - from my compressor in the garage, not compressed air in a can - for more
than six years and on many computers, never had a problem/ although I don't hold the nozzle too close to the case, unless I am cleaning out heat sinks and fans. Make an opening in the back of the computer desk where the fan on the power supply exhausts, if you have an additional fan in the back, make sure you have an opening for that one also. I clean mine out everytime I change a component or add something, which on this machine is quite often. Just added a NEC 2500A burner(nice unit) and because I have four case fans(thermo controlled)....but my overclocked AthlonXP 2500 mobile likes to be cool. ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message ... Hmm. Never ever had a problem with a computer getting into difficulty as a result of my blasting it out with compressed air. Must be either dumb luck or highly refined technique. Several dealers and resellers in my neighborhood with whom I have a loose arrangement to exchange parts and repair/maintenance have never had a problem either. Admittedly a computer CAN survive with a lot of dust, dirt, dead mice, and animal hair inside it. But the chances of survival are generally better if the interior is somewhat clean, allowing clear and unimpeded air flow. I've also serviced a proprietary computer (a custom printer RIP) never ever cleaned by the so-called maintenance person. Opened up the chassis and found a ball about the side of a baseball consisting of cat hair, paper chaff, dust, dirt, and heaven knows what else. And that computer had a failed power supply. Luckily for my client, a common personal computer power supply fit right in, so there was no need for a service call from the other guy using parts paid via extortion. Factory environments are especially hard on personal computers, and some regular cleaning out of the dirt prolongs the life of the machine. That's my opinion, and you are just as free to have yours... Ben Myers On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 17:03:21 -0400, w_tom wrote: Compressed air can even change critical dip switch settings. Never use compressed air on electronics. In on case, a user vacuumed the computer and therefore removed a jumper setting. Computer would not operate. At most, gently vacuum or blow dust off of ventilation holes. Nothing more. If a dust problem is that large, then either an industrial grade computer for a harsh environment is required, or some silly person installed too many fans. Five fans inside a case does create dust problems especially since most every computer works just fine with only one 80mm fan. Why did power supply die? Air that is exhausted from computer must not be air that reenters computer. Ventilation is why holes must be properly cut in a cabinet that holds a computer - so that heat does not recycle. Computers must work just fine when room air is 100 degree F. A computer in a 70 degree room just will never have failures due to dust - if computer is properly designed and ventilated. Do not use compressed air on electronics. First it is not necessary. Second it can cause other failures. Too many have this 'clean' fetish. They always want to cure something only because it looks dirty. Short of large globs of dust on ventilation holes or large dust balls inside the case - removing dust is unnecessary. I only remove dust because I don't like getting my hands dirty if I happen to be inside the machine. Once even found a death mouse. But computer worked just fine. "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside. How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? |
#9
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what did you do with the mouse?
"w_tom" wrote in message ... Compressed air can even change critical dip switch settings. Never use compressed air on electronics. In on case, a user vacuumed the computer and therefore removed a jumper setting. Computer would not operate. At most, gently vacuum or blow dust off of ventilation holes. Nothing more. If a dust problem is that large, then either an industrial grade computer for a harsh environment is required, or some silly person installed too many fans. Five fans inside a case does create dust problems especially since most every computer works just fine with only one 80mm fan. Why did power supply die? Air that is exhausted from computer must not be air that reenters computer. Ventilation is why holes must be properly cut in a cabinet that holds a computer - so that heat does not recycle. Computers must work just fine when room air is 100 degree F. A computer in a 70 degree room just will never have failures due to dust - if computer is properly designed and ventilated. Do not use compressed air on electronics. First it is not necessary. Second it can cause other failures. Too many have this 'clean' fetish. They always want to cure something only because it looks dirty. Short of large globs of dust on ventilation holes or large dust balls inside the case - removing dust is unnecessary. I only remove dust because I don't like getting my hands dirty if I happen to be inside the machine. Once even found a death mouse. But computer worked just fine. "A. & C. Bredt" wrote: I have it on a UPS, but I see that it is very dusty inside. How often would you use compressed air to clean it? Should I open it each time to do it? |
#10
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Hi All
Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth, I use my air compressor, portable type that I purchased to maintain my tires and have used it to blow out the computer with negative problems. I am careful with it and don't get to close. Surprised me how much dust came out of the computer. We vacuum twice a week and over a period time it still accumulates quite a bit of dust. Mainly in the exit fan area. Lee ----- Original Message ----- From: "lazya" I've used compressed air - from my compressor in the garage, not compressed air in a can - for morethan six years and on many computers, never had a problem/ although I don't hold the nozzle too close to the case, unless I am cleaning out heat sinks and fans. |
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