Dust blower worth the investment?

[Bill_Bright]

I agree with getting an air compressor. They are very versatile. With a nail gun, you can build a fence, put a roof on your house and more. There are all sorts of tool attachments you can use with them. The very first time you can fill up a flat tire instead of swapping in the spare so you can quickly drive to the tire shop, you will be glad you made that purchase.

And if floor space is limited, an upright air compressor takes up less.

But as sneekypeet suggests, make sure you get and ALWAYS use a inline moisture and particulate filter when cleaning electronics (or air-brush painting birthday cakes or faces). These are necessary as the compression process squeezes the moisture out of the air which then condenses on the inside sides of the tank, pools at the bottom, mixes with rust, dirt and other contaminates. It can then get picked up and spewed out when blasting. You don't want that on your motherboard.

Just remember a powerful air compressor can easily spin a fan faster than its design limits, damaging (or at least aging faster) the bearings. So I use wooden glue/Popsicle sticks to hold the blades stationary when cleaning.

 

[Komshija]

LOL canned air. This product makes me laugh. Seriously.
I clean PCs or laptops with 50-liter portable air compressor @ 4 bars + makeup brush + microfibre cloth, although I didn't bought it for that particular purpose. My air compressor's main purpose is inflating tires on vehicles, cleaning chainsaws, lawn movers (eg. dissasembled carb) and few electrical tools. It was good for blowing the fine sticky oily wooden dust from chainsaws, so I figured out that it will be equally as good for blowing the dust from PCs and laptops. I unplug my computers, take them outside on a small table near my garage and start cleaning them.
How long will an air compressor last? If you maintain it properly it should easily last for 10-15 years. I personally wouldn't use it longer than 15 years because of possible corrosion damage to the tank which can result in an explosion.

That tool on Aliexpress will probably get the job done. Brand name products like Datavac will get the job done. Air compressor will certainly get the job done.

 

[Grog6]

Canned air these days is R134A refrigerant; check out the label, or look up the MSDS.

It generates a LOT of moisture from the air; never spray it on running electronics, as it can crack chips.

I miss my Freon TF...

 

[Vario]

The very first time you can fill up a flat tire instead of swapping in the spare so you can quickly drive to the tire shop, you will be glad you made that purchase.

Can always use a bike pump, thats how I fill mine.

 

[John Naylor]

Here's my dust blower

https://www.prestacycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/H1504STsm.jpg

 

[Grog6]

...
How long will an air compressor last? If you maintain it properly it should easily last for 10-15 years. I personally wouldn't use it longer than 15 years because of possible corrosion damage to the tank which can result in an explosion.

If you get a automatic vent valve, that vents the tank at the bottom when the pressure drops below ~20psi, it will keep the water blown out, and it won't corrode for a long time.

I always rinse the tank out with phosphate solution when I get a new one; it puts a layer of green phosphate on the inside, and keeps it from rusting.
Following that up with POR15 keeps it from ever rusting, and it gets rid of the oily surface that ends up in your paint.
It's ~$20 for the coatings, and I usually have that stuff laying around anyway.
I like to keep stuff forever, if I can.

My last compressor tank is a portable air tank, lol. It's at least 30yo.
It's been coated since it was new, no rust.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Can always use a bike pump, thats how I fill mine.

In a pinch, sure. But in my case with P275/65R18 truck tires, that would take a lot of pumping! It better be a small puncture hole or the air will be leaking out faster than a bicycle pump and pump it in!

If you get a automatic vent valve, that vents the tank at the bottom when the pressure drops below ~20psi, it will keep the water blown out, and it won't corrode for a long time.

An automatic valve is not even necessary if you just remember to open the petcock every so often to drain it out.

Frankly, it would take a very long time of neglect for the collected water in the tank to give rust/corrosion time to eat through. And even then, it likely would start with a pin-hole that would just let the air out slowly rather than explode. I am not saying it can't happen - just unlikely unless some other factor came into play - like a bad safety valve allowing for over-pressure, parking the tank too close to a high-heat source, or some outside trauma - like falling off a truck or something else puncturing it.

Mine is over 25 years old. I've had to replace the hose because it rotted with age but I don't fear it exploding due to corrosion or other neglect on my part.

As far as "canned air" it is not canned "air" and should not be called that. As Locutus, I mean Grog6 correctly noted, it is refrigerant - typically difluoroethane or something similar - and it is extremely hazardous potentially causing central nervous system damage, lung damage, or even death. In fact, in some jurisdictions it's sale is controlled in the same way cans of spray paint are controlled because there are some really dumb and desperate people who "huff" the stuff.

Still, I use it all the time. It is great for a quick blast to get dust or a dog hair out of the laser cavity of a mouse, or cookie crumbs out of the keyboard.

 

[Devon68]

It seems I'm the only one that thinks it's a waste of money. It might be wort investing in it if you repair pc's for a living or have other uses for it around the house, but for a single pc cleaning a small brush will do just fine.

 

[Bill_Bright]

but for a single pc cleaning a small brush will do just fine.

I agree. While not recommended, you can even use a vacuum cleaner if you take extra care to ensure ESD is fully controlled. The problem is, as the dust and air particles zoom past and crash into the nozzle end (especially with plastic nozzles) extremely high potentials of static electricity can build up in the nozzle. And when the nozzle comes in to close proximity to ESD sensitive devices, such as the CPU, GPU, memory modules and other high density integrated circuits (ICs or "chips”), that static can easily be discharged through the device, totally destroying it - often without the user even knowing a discharge occurred.

So if it is pouring down rain outside, I might use a vacuum. Just wrap your hand around the nozzle end and extend a pointed finger out past the nozzle. Then plant an extended finger on to bare metal of the case interior when reaching in with the nozzle to prevent the discharge and build-up of static. Then I use a soft, natural bristle (not synthetic) dusting or paint brush to gently persuade the dust towards the nozzle. Keep that finger planted, and immediately replant it onto bare metal when re-positioning the nozzle.

Better yet, wait for it to stop raining then take it outside and blast with the air compressor.

 

[Grog6]

I have to admit, I didn't buy a compressor for working on PC's.

An Air Impact wrench was the biggie, as well as a die grinder, and professional painting equipment.

I like Cars, too.

 

[erocker]

Air compressor with at least a 6 gallon tank and an in line air dryer is worth it. Works great for blowing out dust for this kind of thing plus all the other things you can use an air compressor for.

 

[PLAfiller]

Not to dig up the bones, but I haven't replied after all the advice. Work/kids has been a roller coaster last weeks or so. First, thank you for the time and effort. Second, I completely agree with the air compressor and I would love to play with one, but when I move into a house (hopefully soon). I really can't store it for now, even a vertical one. Datavac is really nice, but I can't justify its cost. If I was an IT in a bank with 200 computers, that need cleaning, then yeah 100 quid will pay off pretty fast. However, for the occasional use I plan for it, I decided to go with our Chinese brothers. I ordered one of the bangers from Aliexpress and I will post back in the other section when it arrives. See how it goes.