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Ask Slashdot: Dealing With Electrostatic Contamination?

interval1066 writes "I've generally made it a practice to blow the dust out of my devices 1) when I remember to do so 2) after about 3 or so years of use 3) when I can get inside the case. My monitor is very thin and difficult to open. When I did finally crack it open I didn't really notice a whole lot of dust, but I blew the thing out anyway and put it back together, and it's doing ok, as far as I can tell. I'd be interested in knowing other Slashdotters' experiences with maintaining their devices in this way and where possible. And I actually extending the life of my devices, or am I just wasting my time?"

4 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For the most part by Rob+Riggs · · Score: 5, Funny

    in those cases it is defiantly a good idea to clean them out regularly

    I defiantly clean out all of my electronics, voiding warranties left and right.

    --
    the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
  2. Re:Teflon tap by HornWumpus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Also clean your PCI/PCIe/ram slots with fine steel wool to prevent oxidation buildup. Run you CPU through the dishwasher on 'pots and pans' to clean slow electrons out of infrequently used data paths.

    Use a mixture of bleach and ammonia for fast and easy cleanup (of the gene pool).

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  3. Do you want maintainability, or convenience? by Animats · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's a tradeoff between lifespan and maintenance requirements. For fun, I restore old Teletype machines from the 1920s and 1930s. I have four of them running.

    A normal maintenance operation on early Teletypes is to remove the two electrical parts (the motor and the selector magnet) and soak the entire machine in cleaning solution to get rid of dust and dead oil. For machines in heavy use, Western Union did that annually. Then they had to be oiled again (there are several hundred oiling points and six pages of lubrication instructions), gears and sliding joints greased, the electrical parts re-installed, adjustment procedures performed, and the machines re-tested.

    Because of this design for maintainability, I've been able to take 80 year old machines that were covered with rust and dirt, and restore them to full operation. But who would put up with something today which required that kind of maintenance? Getting people to clean or change the filters on their desktop computers is difficult.

  4. Re:For the most part by TheLink · · Score: 5, Funny

    You get a LOT of CO2 for your buck. CO2 is a liquid in the state it is sold. By my calculations, I bought enough CO2 to carbonate a swimming pool full of water.

    How much does it cost to carbonate a swimming pool and what is a good way to do it?

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