Is Your Computer a Fire Hazard Waiting to Happen?

whoppers asks: "I'm sure we've all had our share of computer fans die, but what happens if your box is running while you're at work and several fans go out? My in-laws spare TigerPC AMD K62-400's power supply fan just went out about two hours ago, and the thing was blazing hot. A little poke to the blade, and it started up again, but shouldn't these things be made to stop if the fan stops for any reason? I'm starting to wonder if I should start leaving my box off when I'm away for a few hours. Since it's usually wide open, I don't see too much harm, but these cheap boxes that never get opened and cleaned have to be a hazard right? I can't afford a halon system in my office just yet. The only link I found related to this is here and should a few more people read this, here's the cached version. Does anyone have any thoughts or stories related to this?" The fact that this article appears on July 4th, when most Americans will be lighting fireworks is purely coincidental. That doesn't change the fact that the submittor raises a very good point. A general rule of computers is: the older they get, the more dusty they are and dust bunnies and their denser cousins are highly flammable. Unless you can keep such machines clean, it' is probably safer to leave them off.

Comments

Hmmm

[shr3k]

The only link I found related to this is here and should a few more people read this, here's the cached version.

A link to the cached version? Come on, this is Slashdot. What's the worst that could happen?

ASUS

[selderrr]

the new ASUS motherboads have COP : CPU Overheating Protection, which switches off the machine when temp goes baloony.

And they're damd fine MoBo's too...

If your power supply is UL/CSA approved

[shepd]

You have nothing to worry about. They test for things like the fan stopping.

Eventually, when the heat gets too high, the power supply will either shut off or destroy itself.

The UL/CSA logo (if its genuine -- many cheap power supplies don't put on genuine labels) "guarantees" the power supply won't be dangerous to you. A flaming power supply would be, obviously.

Hope that allys your fears!

My CPU Fan is on my Left. My CPU, on my right.

[Anaplexian]

If I had a webcam, I'd post a link to a photo.

I'm running Win 98 on a Cyrix M2 233MHz overclocked to 300MHz (came when I bought it).

I paid 2500 rupees for the processor, [ 1 US$ = 48 Rupees - do your math], and thus don't really care much about it. :)

Anyway, it's 40 degrees here in Delhi, I don't have an AC, and my CPU Fan's bust for *over a week*. And it's happened several times before.

What do I do? I take off the Hood, Put my ceiling fan to "Maximum" and keep on Photoshopping.

I'm a comp Sc student, and I know what I'm doing is insane.

but, Hey, As long as it's running, Who cares?

Always open?

[Amarok.Org]

Since it's usually wide open, I don't see too much harm, but these cheap boxes that never get opened and cleaned have to be a hazard right?

It should be noted than a open computer case will likely run hotter than one properly closed up.

Fans are designed to move air - like any fluid motion, air will move along the path of least resistance. In the case of a case fan, where the case is left open, you're pulling air from a very small area right in front of the fan before exhausting it out the back. The heat generating components (CPUs, hard drives, video chips, etc) tend to be far enough away from these fans that you'll see almost 0 airflow over them.

I used to work for a major hard drive manufacturer, and would get complains from users who said our drives were running too hot. Quite often, they said "I even leave the case off, and it's still too hot!". Many times, just putting the case on solved their heat problems. By creating essentially a duct for the air to flow through, the fan was able to pull air from the front of the case, across the heat generating components, and then exhaust it out the back.

In the case of components with their own fans (CPUs, video chips), this is still important - while you've exhausted the hot air from around the component, without a properly functioning (read: case on) case cooling system, that hot air is never removed from the general area around the component, and just gets sucked back in on the intake side of the fan.

Just my $.02.

Danger with Old PCs

[shr3k]

My friend has an old IBM PS/1 that's a 486 with a Pentium Overdrive chip that he uses as a print server. While he's been away, I've had to fix the machine. It was scorching hot to the touch and I thought the power supply was going bad.

After considerable effort, I removed the power supply with the intention of replacing it with another AT one that I found. Unfortunately, the power supply had extra proprietary connectors and the replacement one didn't, so I was left to figure how to fix the original one.

I took a closer look and I saw nine (9) years (!) worth of dust clogging the power supply fan, thus blocking its motion. Ignoring printed warnings as "Caution! Shock Hazard" and "Warning: No User Serviceable parts inside", I carefully opened the power supply and removed the fan. Fortunately, the fan had a plaster connector for easy plugging/unplugging (as opposed to being soldered directly to the board).

So I removed the fan with easy and scraped (yes, SCRAPED!) the crap off of it and wiped it down. Then I applied WD-40 to the bearings to get the fan blade with more ease. I had to help the WD-40 spread by using a screwdriver to turn the fan both directions. Finally, after 20 minutes of effort, the fan blade was turning reasonably well with I'd tap it, so I put it back in, reconnected it, and reassembled the power supply.

Once the computer was put back together, I turned it on and felt for heat. Not alot. For the first time in a while, there was ventilation coming from the back of the power supply and the system was running much cooler than before.

So, let this be a lesson to you. Make sure you regularly (yearly?) clean your fans off, removing the dust before it cakes on. Make sure that you do this to any older PCs you have or are about to obtain.

Otherwise, your system will run dangerously hot and only bad things can come of that.

Re:Danger with Old PCs

[JabberWokky]

Good thing wd-40 ISN'T a lubricant. It's a cleaner. after using this apply the real lubricant.

You're both wrong. It's a water displacement formula. Specifically, it's Water Displacement formula number 40. It's very good for many applications, especially dealing with and protecting metal parts subject to rusting.

Functionally, it works as a lubricant fairly nicely. Also as a cleaner. It also kills ants, and, with a lighter held in front of it, is a fun party tool. It may not be the best at any of these, but it functions pretty well as a general purpose tool - I keep a small can in my toolbox, and usually have a large one around. For parties.

--
Evan

Dust filters

[scott1853]

How come nobody has made a case with an air filter on it so you only have to brush off the filter every month instead of taking a can of air to the box?

Re:Dust filters

[dattaway]

I have a little story about air filters and overheating...

At work, one of the PM guys wanted to protect all the large, expensive DC motors on the manufacturing lines with an air filter on the blower motors. Well, next thing we know, there's filter fabric zip-tied to every blower opening on every motor.

The fabric didn't restrict the air flow too much. Until a week later, when the grease and dust in the air clogged them up. Then the problems really started showing up. If you look up the prices of DC motors in supply cataloges, you may notice the prices run up to $100,000 each for the large 500 horsepower models. It seems our desire to protect these babies created an intense smell of burned enamel. When you have about 300 of these motors laying around, many in obscure places, we learned its better to have dust caked up inside the motor than have an undersized filter trying to protect it.

So, the question is, are you going to change or clean this filter on a regular basis?

Re:Simple Solutions.

[rehannan]

Use an air compressor on your computer if you want a fine mist of water sprayed over all your expensive electronics. Air compressors have drain plugs for a reason!

Your much better off just buying cans of "compressed air" (it's actually not air per se).

How to set fire to your computer.

[Target Drone]

The illustrated guide to breaking your computer shows you the correct and incorrect way to light your computer on fire.

Using the wrong computers?

[gerardrj]

Perhaps if this has become a fear for you, then you should visit Apple. All of my mac systems to date run very cool. I've intentionally shut down the fans (usually one, not more than two in a case) and run the computers for hours without any significant heat build up.

The PPC runs much cooler than its x86 cousins. Mac cases also tend to be built with convection cooling in mind with vents on back and sides unlike most solid metal cases sold for use as x86 machines. The inside of my G3 didn't start running at all warm until I installed a VooDoo5/5500 card (that thing pumps out some heat).

I'm not looking to start a war here, but this is simply just one aspect of the Mac that most people seem to like: the cases. Many articles and revires pine over the Mac's enclosures, wishing some generic case vendor would attempt something like that for the modders on the x86 side.