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An Affordable Air Purifier For Dusty Computer Labs?

Alcimedes writes "Our lab has a serious issue with dust. I've had a number of power supplies stop working because of dust clogging up the fans, and it's getting annoying. So I'm looking into some kind of small (under $500) air filtration system, and was wondering if anyone else out there has already gone down this road. If so, what did you buy and would you buy it again? I'd prefer something where I don't have to keep buying filters, but that may just be a pipe dream." Anyone with cats knows the feeling. Can you suggest a reasonably priced answer to dust-borne failure?

29 of 552 comments (clear)

  1. Windex by eggsurplus · · Score: 2, Funny

    $2.99 about. Pretty cheap and effective.

  2. First Things First by Gefiltefish · · Score: 5, Funny


    Since a large portion of the dust that we encounter comes from dead skin cells that are shed from our bodies, a clear solution presents itself:

    Convice some of those dirty bastards using your lab to wash once in a while.

    Need for air filter: GONE.

    1. Re:First Things First by Gefiltefish · · Score: 2, Funny


      I'll bet it's all you. Here's the experiment to find out:

      Wrap your self from head to toe in saran wrap. After a month wrapped in saran wrap, if you don't notice a drastic decrease in dust, I'll give you a dollar.

    2. Re:First Things First by BJH · · Score: 2, Funny
    3. Re:First Things First by Poeir · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not to mention the asphyxiation.

      --
      Sigs are like bumper stickers.
  3. Who cares about dust? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    In a computer lab, I'm more concerned about the general flatulence and B.O. generated by most computer science majors. On a hot summer day, the smell can peel paint from the walls.

  4. Cats by Devil's+BSD · · Score: 3, Funny
    Anyone with cats knows the feeling. Can you suggest a reasonably priced answer to dust-borne failure?

    Scissors only cost a buck at Wal-Mart... Or you could go the more expensive electric haircutter route for about $15. Or, you could actually save money by getting rid of the cats.

    --
    I'm the Devil the Windows users warned you about.
    1. Re:Cats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      More efficient defense of all your base?

    2. Re:Cats by jokercito · · Score: 2, Funny

      What?? Get rid of the pussy??? NEVER!

    3. Re:Cats by polymath69 · · Score: 4, Funny
      Yeah, can anyone suggest a cheap filter to remove cats?

      grep -v -w cats ?
      sed 's/cats//g' ?

      --

      --
      I don't want to rule the world... I just want to be in charge of mayonnaise.
  5. See if your manager... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    will spring for a french maid with a short miniskirt, high heels.

    1. Re:See if your manager... by Alien+Being · · Score: 2, Funny

      "What the hell is interesting about that comment???"

      Use your imagination!

  6. Cats by antiquark · · Score: 4, Funny

    Anyone with cats knows the feeling.

    Yeah, can anyone suggest a cheap filter to remove cats?

  7. Well actually, by labratuk · · Score: 4, Funny

    You've stumbled across the solution yourself.

    Obviously the dust is collecting in these machines. How do you 'remove' dust? You collect it.

    So, all you have to do is build a bunch of redundant computers*, and design them with really bad air flow, so dust gets trapped everywhere in them. Once a month, open up these machines and turn them upside-down over a dustbin (outside). Voila.

    *Imagine a Beowulf cluster.

    --
    Malike Bamiyi wanted my assistance.
  8. Don't Try This Method by handy_vandal · · Score: 4, Funny

    I once watched a co-worker use a shop vac inside a very dusty PC. The shop vac sucked a chip out of its socket ....

    --
    -kgj
    1. Re:Don't Try This Method by nelsonal · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think that shop vac might be interested in the story as a potential ad.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
  9. Re:have you tried by doormat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, and its nothing but trouble.. ;)

    --
    The Doormat

    If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
  10. Re:air purifier by NewtonsLaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    You said:

    That being said the ionic breeze uses the *best* technology for air cleaning, but the lack of a fan makes it completley useless

    followed later by:

    no I don't work for them, I'm just a fan

    Hmmm... I see potential for a link-up here :-)

  11. My solution by fruity1983 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Take the fans out of your computer, it wo

    --
    I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
  12. Re:Sharper Image ("Wonderful Reviews"???) by outsider007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just because you have had some kind of psychosematic..
    if you're gonna use big words at least learn how to spell them.

    --
    If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
  13. cats? by maxpublic · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sell the cats to a Chinese restaurant. End of problem.

    Max

    --
    My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  14. Re:Air Filtration by jred · · Score: 2, Funny

    The only disadvantage to a powered electrostatic filter is the possibility of the creation of ozone.

    Wait. Not to sound like a dumbass, but isn't this a *good* thing? I thought there was a shortage of ozone due to cars or cow farts or something like that...

    --

    jred
    I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage...
  15. Furthermore... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes, this is an admirable solution. As the supervisor/manager of the largest computer lab in one of the largest universities in America, we have dedicated "porn stations" that could function as dust collectors. Anything to hinder their performance further.

    These "porn stations" are not designated as such to the users, but I made sure that every corner computer has the crappiest monitor/video card/default settings, the oldest CPUs, stickiest mouse, brokenest keyboard, etc. etc. So when the fat guy comes in to sit in the back, turn the monitor to the wall, and enjoy his porn, he gets a "quality" experience.

    Christ it's funny watching some of these guys try to navigate the web in 32 colors, 640x480 resolution, with a broken mouse, in front of a monitor with rainbows in 3 corners.

  16. Re:air purifier by GnarlyNome · · Score: 4, Funny

    I tried to ionize my principal in high school but the principle was wrong so i got detention instead

    --
    Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
  17. Clean Air Solution! by pyro_peter_911 · · Score: 2, Funny

    After living in Lubbock, Texas for six years and dealing with the effects of huge volumes of blowing dust in my computers, I finally discovered a solution to all of my dust problems.

    I moved to Austin.

    Peter

  18. Re:Radioshack has something, and it actually works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Cleans 50,000 square feet!!!* using only 120 volts**.

    *assumes 3 inch high ceilings.
    **requires dedicated 20 Amp circuit.

  19. A bong by gregm · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was thinking... you could blow air into the bottom of a barrel of water, let it bubble up to the top and put it back into the room. I know from a really reliable source that water bongs get much of the nasty stuff out of pot and make the smoke much smoother. Of course I've never actually tried to clean the air in a room with one but it seems like it might work.

  20. Re:Hope you use breathing masks... by ndogg · · Score: 5, Funny
    Every 5 years you're required by law to have a chest x-ray to check for silicosis if you still work in the industry.


    Can't you spell the word out? For Pete's sake, it's only 45 letters long:
    pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconios is
    --
    // file: mice.h
    #include "frickin_lasers.h"
  21. Re:Two points, 0.02c by anubi · · Score: 2, Funny
    I keep cats out of the computer room because they have an almost uncontrollable urge to pee on the monitor, keyboard, and CPU.

    Cat pee is extremely corrosive. One spray sucked up by the system would probably ruin it. ( remember, the fan exhausts air, so any contaminant sprayed around the case is going to go IN. )

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]