Using a Shop Vac-like vacuum as a blower on a computer

[D13H4RD]

This is one question that's been lingering in my mind for a bit.

It's common knowledge that using a vacuum to clean the innards of your PC is advised against due to the very real possibility of static discharge, leading to the usage of compressed dusters and DataVacs being used instead.

 

But what about the Shop Vac or similar like the Rainbow E2, where they can be reversed so that they blow rather than suck? What does the community view them as when it comes to dusting?

[.Apex.]

13 minutes ago, D13H4RD said:

This is one question that's been lingering in my mind for a bit.

It's common knowledge that using a vacuum to clean the innards of your PC is advised against due to the very real possibility of static discharge, leading to the usage of compressed dusters and DataVacs being used instead.

 

But what about the Shop Vac or similar like the Rainbow E2, where they can be reversed so that they blow rather than suck? What does the community view them as when it comes to dusting?

I think it's important to understand why the static builds up in the first place to know if it's viable for your usage, static usually builds on the hose itself due to the dust particles creating friction inside of the hose, it's the same idea as if you took a plastic ruler and rubbed it against your hair, the main worry is when you get the hose too close to the components causing a discharge which might damage your system, I doubt it's that likely to happen either way but it's not as if the air itself is holding a charge, I don't see any issue with using a VAC as a fan, though the air would be hotter than Room Temperature so you have to keep that in mind.

[Master Disaster]

4 minutes ago, .Apex. said:

I think it's important to understand why the static builds up in the first place to know if it's viable for your usage, static usually builds on the hose itself due to the dust particles creating friction inside of the hose, it's the same idea as if you took a plastic ruler and rubbed it against your hair, the main worry is when you get the hose too close to the components causing a discharge which might damage your system, I doubt it's that likely to happen either way but it's not as if the air itself is holding a charge, I don't see any issue with using a VAC as a fan, though the air would be hotter than Room Temperature so you have to keep that in mind.

And to add to this already perfect explanation, reverse vacuum cleaners (AKA blowers) for the purposes of dusting computers very much do exist.

Spoiler

 

[Sharif]

I did this for few years using a panasonic vacuum cleaner, with a similar setup, as long as you are careful about it and maintain the distance, it's all good

[Sharif]

3 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

And to add to this already perfect explanation, reverse vacuum cleaners (AKA blowers) for the purposes of dusting computers very much do exist.

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I worked at a place in the distant past, they used a leaf blower lol

 

Edit 

Just wanted to add this in

[Dedayog]

Why not just use a hair dryer?

 

 

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, Dedayog said:

Why not just use a hair dryer?

 

 

Because they tend to be quite hot.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

4 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Why not just use a hair dryer?

 

 

Much lower pressure? You could use a high-rpm PC fan at that point.

[Parideboy]

8 minutes ago, Sharif said:

I worked at a place in the distant past, they used a leaf blower lol

So do I lol

I use a small one, very similar to this one:

Very similar result to compressed air, but I'm too lazy to take the pc in the garage to clean in. This is a good alternative, keep in mind that compressed air will always give better results

6 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Why not just use a hair dryer?

From experience, it's not powerful enough. It helps, (just make sure to set it to cold air) but it's nowhere near a blower or compressed air.

[Parideboy]

Double post, delete

[Dedayog]

3 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Because they tend to be quite hot.

You still living in 1946? 

 

Damn near every hair dryer these days has a temp slider and a fan speed slider.  Or even a no heat setting.

 

• 3 Heat + 2 Speed Settings + Cool Shot: Find the heat and airflow you prefer for your hair type, then use the cool shot button to lock in your gorgeous style.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Remington-Damage-Protection-Hair-Dryer-Purple-D3190D/34788344?wpa_bd=&wpa_pg_seller_id=F55CDC31AB754BB68FE0B39041159D63&wpa_ref_id=wpaqs:ryHyX3YBuemabeBM4POa90JHApG6C13jxrXKAeFZG3qdR3a1pUd32HLHulnPGEyAgQSJ6odAn4kKNkJmVifRIPWIWZlvc4mR4EVDmZuOHasxsSCO4U7t9XX936Hu5psfFR1pIJzx8NKRXUdcALlb8aKJMpBhvnnEctPJVUgmyXQ8IrniVxtJ7dUDUaDlaEHllNjY_3WoYkVJIUxhnI3EXQ&wpa_tag=&wpa_aux_info=&wpa_pos=4&wpa_plmt=1145x1145_T-C-IG_TI_1-6_HL-INGRID-GRID-NY&wpa_aduid=8e7d3dc8-a03c-4454-8540-389af7a04dfc&wpa_pg=search&wpa_pg_id=hair dryer&wpa_st=hair%2Bdryer&wpa_tax=1085666_3147628&wpa_bucket=__bkt__

 

 

 

[Dedayog]

1 minute ago, Parideboy said:

So do I lol

I use a small one, very similar to this one:

Very similar result to compressed air, but I'm too lazy to take the pc in the garage to clean in with compressed air. This is a good alternative, keep in mind that compressed air will always give better results

From experience, it's not powerful enough. It helps, (just make sure to set it to cold air) but it's nowhere near a blower or compressed air.

God, how much shit do you have in your PC that you need all that power?

 

Clean.  Your. House.  

 

 

[Master Disaster]

Just now, Dedayog said:

You still living in 1946? 

 

Damn near every hair dryer these days has a temp slider and a fan speed slider.  Or even a no heat setting.

 

• 3 Heat + 2 Speed Settings + Cool Shot: Find the heat and airflow you prefer for your hair type, then use the cool shot button to lock in your gorgeous style.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Remington-Damage-Protection-Hair-Dryer-Purple-D3190D/34788344?wpa_bd=&wpa_pg_seller_id=F55CDC31AB754BB68FE0B39041159D63&wpa_ref_id=wpaqs:ryHyX3YBuemabeBM4POa90JHApG6C13jxrXKAeFZG3qdR3a1pUd32HLHulnPGEyAgQSJ6odAn4kKNkJmVifRIPWIWZlvc4mR4EVDmZuOHasxsSCO4U7t9XX936Hu5psfFR1pIJzx8NKRXUdcALlb8aKJMpBhvnnEctPJVUgmyXQ8IrniVxtJ7dUDUaDlaEHllNjY_3WoYkVJIUxhnI3EXQ&wpa_tag=&wpa_aux_info=&wpa_pos=4&wpa_plmt=1145x1145_T-C-IG_TI_1-6_HL-INGRID-GRID-NY&wpa_aduid=8e7d3dc8-a03c-4454-8540-389af7a04dfc&wpa_pg=search&wpa_pg_id=hair dryer&wpa_st=hair%2Bdryer&wpa_tax=1085666_3147628&wpa_bucket=__bkt__

 

 

 

Nah, I'm just not exactly the target demographic for hairdryers

[Sharif]

1 minute ago, Parideboy said:

So do I lol

I use a small one, very similar to this one:

Very similar result to compressed air, but I'm too lazy to take the pc in the garage to clean in with compressed air. This is a good alternative, keep in mind that compressed air will always give better results

From experience, it's not powerful enough. It helps, (just make sure to set it to cold air) but it's nowhere near a blower or compressed air.

More than anything, what amused me back then, was the amount of neglect some computers went though, this was in a country that was literally a desert, so things needed to be cleaned 3x as often

[Parideboy]

Just now, Dedayog said:

God, how much shit do you have in your PC that you need all that power?

 

Clean.  Your. House.  

 

 

The dust in the heatsinks is hard to clean, especially on GPUs. Plus I have cats (one of which likes to sleep right next to the pc, because it's warm I guess).

And I'm lazy af, I just want to open the side panel and blow that shit out. The downside is that you'll have to clean your room after

3 minutes ago, Sharif said:

More than anything, what amused me back then, was the amount of neglect some computers went though, this was in a country that was literally a desert, so things needed to be cleaned 3x as often

I'm sorry

 

[D13H4RD]

1 hour ago, .Apex. said:

I think it's important to understand why the static builds up in the first place to know if it's viable for your usage, static usually builds on the hose itself due to the dust particles creating friction inside of the hose, it's the same idea as if you took a plastic ruler and rubbed it against your hair, the main worry is when you get the hose too close to the components causing a discharge which might damage your system, I doubt it's that likely to happen either way but it's not as if the air itself is holding a charge, I don't see any issue with using a VAC as a fan, though the air would be hotter than Room Temperature so you have to keep that in mind.

That's exactly the response I was looking for, thanks a bunch! I've gotten tired of constantly buying cans of compressed refrigerant dusters, so I've been looking into how viable is using a high-performance vacuum in reverse as a blower would be for dusting a computer.

1 hour ago, Master Disaster said:

And to add to this already perfect explanation, reverse vacuum cleaners (AKA blowers) for the purposes of dusting computers very much do exist.

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I've actually looked pretty hard for those but they don't seem to be all that common at where I live. I will keep trying to find one though.

[freeagent]

I use one of these and recommend them every chance I get:

 

https://metrovac.com/products/datavac-electric-duster?variant=18877237067849