Dust covers for computer ports

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs.

How do you buy these cheap in US?

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Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?

Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them.

Maybe you have an extremely dusty environment (and decided not to get an
industrial-grade computer built for that environment). Guess I'd just
put some duct or metal tape over them. If you didn't want to see the
tape, just use Scotch tape. Fold over an 1/8" of the end to give you a
tang so you can easily peel it off if you need to use the port sometime
later. The tape would be a lot cheaper than specialty dust plugs if you
find them, especially after you add in the S&H fees.

http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bus...ust+cover+plug
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bdv...ust+cover+plug
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bhd...ust+cover+plug

http://www.google.com/search?q=%2BaddTypeHere+port+%2Bdust+cover+plug
Replace addTypeHere with your "various ports".

"VanguardLH" replied:
Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?

Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them.

[......]

Every tiny gap and crevice in my Dell desktop tower PC has dust and
lint sticking out of it, and that includes all the various jacks for insertables.
Dust even collects on the upwind side of anything protruding into the incoming
air stream and on the exhaust fan blades. It seems that my home is somehow
a dust bowl, and I have to periodically open up the case and blow the dust
loose and suck it up with a vacuum cleaner once it's airborne. Sadly, there
is NO WAY that there could be a manufactured plug available for every gap
that is not intended as an air intake, so I just have to clean the case periodically.
Electrical tape would probably work, but a LOT would be needed, and the
adhesive would probably come off with time to leave a gooey PC.

*TimDaniels*

Timothy Daniels wrote:
"VanguardLH" replied:
Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?
Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them.

[......]

Every tiny gap and crevice in my Dell desktop tower PC has dust and
lint sticking out of it, and that includes all the various jacks for insertables.
Dust even collects on the upwind side of anything protruding into the incoming
air stream and on the exhaust fan blades. It seems that my home is somehow
a dust bowl, and I have to periodically open up the case and blow the dust
loose and suck it up with a vacuum cleaner once it's airborne. Sadly, there
is NO WAY that there could be a manufactured plug available for every gap
that is not intended as an air intake, so I just have to clean the case periodically.
Electrical tape would probably work, but a LOT would be needed, and the
adhesive would probably come off with time to leave a gooey PC.

*TimDaniels*


This depends on whether the case implements "positive or negative" air pressure.
One of those choices, causes the buildup of dust around every point where
air can leak. And as it is a Dell, it's not like you can make a lot of
changes to how it is cooled. Sometimes the single large cooling
solution, cools both the CPU and the case at the same time. Which is
unlike how a home builder would set up their case cooling.

All of my home built computers, use separate coolers for the CPU and the case.
And by doing that, I can change the direction of the case cooling fans as I like,
and re-evaluate dust patterns, because the CPU uses its own cooler, and is
unaffected by my experiments.

*******

I think Man-wai Chang's issue is with external dust collection and
outward facing ports. And I haven't a clue where you'd find dust
caps for them. I've never had a problem with dust buildup in
external connectors. But I can see scenarios (ruggedized PC),
where you might want to prevent road dust from entering the
connectors. They seem to have some kind of caps on the
connectors here. But knowing this, doesn't solve where you
buy them.

"Toughbook Sealed port and connector covers"

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp...o/CF-30_01.jpg

Paul

Timothy Daniels wrote:

VanguardLH replied:

Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?

Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them. ...

Every tiny gap and crevice in my Dell desktop tower PC has dust and
lint sticking out of it, and that includes all the various jacks for
insertables. ...

You have dust collect inside your USB ports on your system case? You
sure the dust isn't collecting around the port (i.e., between the port's
assembly and the case)? None of my USB ports lets air through their
assembly. I get dust collected on every other air intake, like at the
flapper cover for the floppy drive, in between the external bay drives,
and elsewhere but nothing builds up *inside* my USB ports (or the DVI
and HDMI ports on my video card and on my monitor).

In article , "Timothy Daniels" wrote:
"VanguardLH" replied:
Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?

Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them.

[......]

Every tiny gap and crevice in my Dell desktop tower PC has dust and
lint sticking out of it, and that includes all the various jacks for
insertables.
Dust even collects on the upwind side of anything protruding into the incoming
air stream and on the exhaust fan blades. It seems that my home is somehow
a dust bowl, and I have to periodically open up the case and blow the dust
loose and suck it up with a vacuum cleaner once it's airborne. Sadly, there
is NO WAY that there could be a manufactured plug available for every gap
that is not intended as an air intake, so I just have to clean the case
periodically.
Electrical tape would probably work, but a LOT would be needed, and the
adhesive would probably come off with time to leave a gooey PC.

*TimDaniels*


Is your PC close to the laundry room area?

Paul writes:

This depends on whether the case implements "positive or negative" air pressure.

Exactly, and it seems your case has negative air pressure with respect
to the atmosphe that is, a fan is moving more air out of the case,
than a fan--if any--is moving air in.

So the real solution is to have at least one fan for your case (maybe
more if you want or need it for cooling). This inlet fan, which moves air
from the room into your case, must have two attributes: (1) an air
filter just on the room side of the fan, that is, on the external side
of the case, and sealed around the fan so the fan can only take in air
through the filter. And (2), if you also have fan(s) moving air from
the inside of your case out to the room, the inlet fan must have
a greater flow volume than the other fan(s) moving air out from the case.
And you likely do have a fan on the power supply which sucks air from
inside to the outside.

That way you're ensured you have positive pressure inside the case, and
only filtered air can get inside.

--
You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of
the human race.
~ George Bernard Shaw

Bug Dout buggsy2 mailinator.com wrote:

Paul nospam needed.com writes:

This depends on whether the case implements "positive or
negative" air pressure.

Exactly, and it seems your case has negative air pressure with
respect to the atmosphe that is, a fan is moving more air out
of the case, than a fan--if any--is moving air in.

That way you're ensured you have positive pressure inside the
case, and only filtered air can get inside.

That means no strain on the power supply outlet fan. That is the
most convincing argument I have heard in the positive-negative air
pressure argument. Avoiding dust coming through your components is
another argument.

"GMAN" asked:
Is your PC close to the laundry room area?

No. But the condo building is about a mile
downwind of a very busy freeway.

*TimDaniels*

"VanguardLH" asked:
Timothy Daniels wrote:

VanguardLH replied:

Man-wai Chang wrote:

Want to cover un-used USB, DVI, HDMI, ... various ports on my PCs. How
do you buy these cheap in US?

Never seen them in use. Never looked for them before, either. Can't
figure out why you would care. Air doesn't get sucked through them to
have the airborne dust get deposited inside of them. ...

Every tiny gap and crevice in my Dell desktop tower PC has dust and
lint sticking out of it, and that includes all the various jacks for
insertables. ...

You have dust collect inside your USB ports on your system case? You
sure the dust isn't collecting around the port (i.e., between the port's
assembly and the case)? None of my USB ports lets air through their
assembly. I get dust collected on every other air intake, like at the
flapper cover for the floppy drive, in between the external bay drives,
and elsewhere but nothing builds up *inside* my USB ports (or the DVI
and HDMI ports on my video card and on my monitor).

Yup. There is dust/lint inside and around the USB ports on the back
of the case. What the PC needs right now is a good blow-out with
compressed air and a good vacuuming, followed by a cleaning of the
jack contacts with contact cleaner. The fan blades should be wiped
down with a damp cloth as well. The only thing that stops me right now
is a sore shoulder that prevents me from lifting the sucker. It's times
like these when I wish my desktop PC were a laptop PC.

*TimDaniels*