Cooling PC's in a confined area?

Lance E

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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As simple as it may seem I am at a loss as to what the best idea is for cooling the computer towers (2 in separate cupboards) in our counter (there is only a few "inches" of space around the towers) the options are:
A 12v transformer and 4 fans, (2 each 1 in, 1 out)
An air extractor with two ducts (1 each)

Any other ideas also welcome, it is essential that the computers are kept in the cupboards with doors closed, there currently are ventilation gaps that are not allowing enough airflow.
 
Hi

Heat is the real enemy for computers. I recently changed out the home computer with a new case that has 2 fans in the power supply and 3 more in the back of the case itself. It pulls cool air into the front and pushes the hot air out the back. (5 7200 speed 120g hard drives, a cd reader, cd burner, and dvd burner, tend to get hot, and my hard drives were overheating and shutting down)

In your case, air flow inside the computer case is naturally important (pulling cool air from the front and out the back), but disposing of all that hot air in the highest point of the cabinet seems like it might be an issue. Is there any way you can a couple grates/fans inside these spaces, near the top? (blowing air to the left or to the right, not through the top of the counter) If you can exhaust that hot air, it will be replaced by cooler air in the front of the opening; where the computer needs it.

Good luck, that sounds like an interesting project!

Mike
 
Is it really necessary to keep them enclosed? We have our Wizard computer next to a saw. It has been there ever since the first Wizard came out. I know it is filthy on the inside and it never gets cleaned, but we have had no problems whatsoever.
 
Originally posted by jframe:
Is it really necessary to keep them enclosed? We have our Wizard computer next to a saw. It has been there ever since the first Wizard came out. I know it is filthy on the inside and it never gets cleaned, but we have had no problems whatsoever.
Jo, I expect you're going to have problems eventually. It seems to me that cleaning out the dust GENTLY would add to the life of your computer. A blanket of dust (especially sawdust) is probably a bit of a fire hazard. If nothing else the dust would act as a blanket and retain heat which leads to the degradation of the components. Ive used a vacumn cleaner with the upholstery brush. Making sure to NOT touch the components but carefully holding the brush above each component. There is still a minute layer of dust but not the blanket of dust found in most computers. I discovered how much dust works its way into my desktop when I had to replace a CD drive a couple of years ago. After being in service less than a year their was about 3/8" layer. I try to clean 'em now twice a year. It takes less than 15 minutes per machine.
Someone once said I should use compressed air to blow it all out, but I read somewhere that it can cause problems by driving the dust into the connections etc.
BTW, Take your keyboard and turn it over and shake it. You'll be surprised at how much crap is amongst the keys. I HAVE used the compressor to clean it out. Make sure you're pointing it all away from yourself. You'll be amazed at the cloud of dust that emerges.

Lance, Airflow is key to keeping the computer cool. But I'd also find a way of filtering that air.
On a personal note, right now I'm working on a "Jello-cooled" computer. So far, I haven't been sucessful, but I keep trying. The Jello forms an impenatrable barrier to keep the dust out and the computer stays cool, but everything on the screen looks all wavy. Oh well, back to the old drawing board.
 
Curly,

How would you clean the monitor. My cat lays on top of it where the vents are. I'm sure it is a mess.
 
Jo, for your monitor, just take the vacuum, and vacuum over the vent slots with that sucker on high. It will pull out the worst of the cat fur. I have to do that regularly to my whole machine.
As you you all who have your computers where sawdust and other little particles can get into them, let me tell you a story. When I worked at that part-time, they had a small fire in the store, in an area two departments away from the frame shop. The water got right up to the shop door, and nothing got into the except soot. The computer is outside the shop, under the sales counter, in a fairly protected place. The outside of the tower looked, and felt fairly clean. It didn't need much cleaning. After that, though, it started acting funny. Just every once in a while, it wouuld crash, or drop data, or have a wierd spasm of some kind. The other two folks working there, at the time, are not very comupter literate. I was the resident computer whiz, and I'm not all that whiz. Anyway, I was not in enough to really see what it was doing, and the other two thought that it was operator trouble. I finally got tired of having problems with the thing, and got the three of us together, and started asking questions. Seems that the problems that they were having were much worse than mine. I knew just where to kick the thing. After that, it took almost a month for me to convince Corp to replace the thing. When they finally sent us a new one, I peeked inside the old one. Everything was covered with a fine layer of soot. It was inside the case, and in between the layers of the platters of the hard drive, and on the drive heads. Just enough very tiny particles that,every once in a while, it would hit a particle, and boom, no computer.
The moral of this story, Children, is to keep your computer where it can't get junk into it. Also, to clean the thing, at least once a month, whether you think it needs it or not. Look on it as preventive maintainance, just like you do to the rest of your machines.
 
Originally posted by jframe:
Curly,

How would you clean the monitor. My cat lays on top of it where the vents are. I'm sure it is a mess.
Step 1) Grasp cat by tail with left hand (If you are right handed) and lift.

Step 2) Take vacumn with right hand and kick "on" button with foot of your choice (your foot not cats. You may also swing cat at "on" switch if you desire. This method is not recomended though).

Step 3) Vacumn entire outer case of machine AND cat.

Step 4) Lay cat back down in previous spot and simultaneously kick vacumn to "off" position.

Enjoy carefree computing and less pesky hairballs.

[ 01-23-2003, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Curly Grumble ]
 
A computer full of dust is very much a fire hazard, a humid day can be enough to dampen the dust so as it will arc between connections. You might also find that as this is a maintenance issue it may negate any fire insurance if it were to create a fire.
It is essential for aesthetic purposes (these are in the showroom counter) that these remain enclosed.
I am thinking extraction rather than just moving air at this point... thanks for the ideas Mike, at the moment we have gaps at the top but they cannot be made bigger, my thought is that I will seal these up again and extract from a high point and create more vent space at the bottom front of the case, does that make sense?
 
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