Is a Hamilton Beach TrueAir air purifier sufficient to prevent dust buildup in my PC, or should I also get extra case fans?

[Minuto]

Is an air purifier sufficient for preventing dust buildup in my PC, or should I also get more case fans? I heard dust buildup is reduced with more case fans; that makes sense, though I don’t know if that’s true. I was looking at this purifier. Is this good enough, or should I get something else? It’s the 160 square foot one since my room is 150 square feet. https://www.amazon.com/hamilton-beach-04384-eliminator-permenant/dp/b003riubg0. 

 

I have a Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact: https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/meshify/meshify-2-compact/white-tg-clear-tint/

 

It comes with 2 140mm front fans and 1 120 mm rear fan. That means I have space for two 120 or 140 mm top fans and 1 120 mm bottom fan. I can replace the 2 140 mm front fans with 3 120 mm fans as well. What would be the best approach to reduce dust buildup

[BondiBlue]

Dust is always going to build up in a computer that has moving air, and an air purifier is not going to stop this. Aside from using zero fans at all in the computer you'll have to deal with at least some dust over time. 

 

Edit: and to elaborate on the "zero fans" idea, you'd also have to completely seal up the case. No ventilation holes, no openings, nothing. This is not practical or necessary for basically any home computer, and it's not something you'll see in most business environments either. Just dust the computer occasionally and it'll be fine. 

[Needfuldoer]

A room dust filter could help, but there's no way to completely eliminate dust.

 

If you already have a box fan, you can save a few bucks by taping a MERV 15 furnace filter from the hardware store onto it. There's your air purifier.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Needfuldoer
Added the Red Green technique for air filtration.

[YoungBlade]

I got an air purifier partly for this reason. It has helped, but I basically went from having a ton of dust on my front panel every few days to having dust on my front panel every week or two.

 

It slows things down, but dust is just part of life. At least, unless you want to invest in making your PC room into a clean room, with giant air filters and big fans, but you'd still need to also wear one of those white suits and little plastic booties on your shoes.

[RevGAM]

4 hours ago, Minuto said:

Is an air purifier sufficient for preventing dust buildup in my PC, or should I also get more case fans? I heard dust buildup is reduced with more case fans; that makes sense, though I don’t know if that’s true. I was looking at this purifier. Is this good enough, or should I get something else? It’s the 160 square foot one since my room is 150 square feet. https://www.amazon.com/hamilton-beach-04384-eliminator-permenant/dp/b003riubg0. 

 

I have a Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact: https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/meshify/meshify-2-compact/white-tg-clear-tint/

 

It comes with 2 140mm front fans and 1 120 mm rear fan. That means I have space for two 120 or 140 mm top fans and 1 120 mm bottom fan. I can replace the 2 140 mm front fans with 3 120 mm fans as well. What would be the best approach to reduce dust buildup

Unless you have a huge amount of dust, in which case you should move, yes.

 

Create positive pressure by having more intake than exhaust. 

[RevGAM]

That said, you don't need a HEPA filter.  That's overkill. 

[Minuto]

7 hours ago, BondiBlue said:

Dust is always going to build up in a computer that has moving air, and an air purifier is not going to stop this. Aside from using zero fans at all in the computer you'll have to deal with at least some dust over time. 

 

Edit: and to elaborate on the "zero fans" idea, you'd also have to completely seal up the case. No ventilation holes, no openings, nothing. This is not practical or necessary for basically any home computer, and it's not something you'll see in most business environments either. Just dust the computer occasionally and it'll be fine. 

That definitely makes sense. I'm definitely not going with a zero fan solution since that is completely impractical as you said lol. I'll just have to deal with it and dust it out occasionally then. Thanks!

 

7 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

A room dust filter could help, but there's no way to completely eliminate dust.

 

If you already have a box fan, you can save a few bucks by taping a MERV 15 furnace filter from the hardware store onto it. There's your air purifier.

I don't have a box fan right now, just a tower fan. I suppose I could buy a box fan and a MERV 15 furnace filter if that's cheaper than a good air filter.

7 hours ago, YoungBlade said:

I got an air purifier partly for this reason. It has helped, but I basically went from having a ton of dust on my front panel every few days to having dust on my front panel every week or two.

 

It slows things down, but dust is just part of life. At least, unless you want to invest in making your PC room into a clean room, with giant air filters and big fans, but you'd still need to also wear one of those white suits and little plastic booties on your shoes.

It's good to hear the air purifier's at least helping out a lot. I'm definitely not gonna make into a clean room since that's impractical and unnecessary for my use case lo.. Thanks!

 

3 hours ago, RevGAM said:

Unless you have a huge amount of dust, in which case you should move, yes.

 

Create positive pressure by having more intake than exhaust. 

That's good to hear. I have 2 140 mm intake fans and 1 120 mm exhaust fan, so I think I'm good there in terms of positive pressure.

1 hour ago, RevGAM said:

That said, you don't need a HEPA filter.  That's overkill. 

Oh okay sounds good! I'll just go with that Hamilton Beach air filter then since it is at least supposedly HEPA-grade. Thanks!

[Needfuldoer]

3 hours ago, Minuto said:

I don't have a box fan right now, just a tower fan. I suppose I could buy a box fan and a MERV 15 furnace filter if that's cheaper than a good air filter.

Sorry, I had the wrong number. MERV 11 or MERV 13 should be fine. (The higher the number, the smaller the particles the filter can catch. But finer filters are also more restrictive.)

 

A 20" box fan should only be about $25 at Home Depot, Lowes, or Menard's, and a 20x20x1" filter should only be about 10 bucks (but you might have to buy a three-pack). You could also get a 20x20x4" filter that would last longer and theoretically be less restrictive.

 

I've used this trick many times. It's a life-saver in the spring, when you want the windows open but don't want to be punched in the face with pollen.

[Minuto]

1 hour ago, Needfuldoer said:

Sorry, I had the wrong number. MERV 11 or MERV 13 should be fine. (The higher the number, the smaller the particles the filter can catch. But finer filters are also more restrictive.)

 

A 20" box fan should only be about $25 at Home Depot, Lowes, or Menard's, and a 20x20x1" filter should only be about 10 bucks (but you might have to buy a three-pack). You could also get a 20x20x4" filter that would last longer and theoretically be less restrictive.

 

I've used this trick many times. It's a life-saver in the spring, when you want the windows open but don't want to be punched in the face with pollen.

Oh okay I see. I'll definitely go with the cheapest option then. I'll look into getting a cheap box fan and a filter as you said. Thanks! I definitely want to keep the windows open too while avoiding pollen buildup. I'm sitll wondering about the Hamilton Beach one though since I'd ideally want to not repalce my filter; I'm sure it'd happen at some point even with the Hamilton one though.

 

Speaking of MERV ratings, I was also looking into the Hamilton Beach air purifier I was thinking of getting: https://hamiltonbeach.com/trueair-compact-air-purifier-with-hepa-filter-white-04386

It claims that the filters are "High-performance HEPA-grade filter captures dander & airborne particles as small as 3 microns" and that they're "Permanent 99% HEPA-grade filters". Does this mean that the filter can't even capture any particles below 3 microns? As with the furnace filters you mentioned, this doesn't even mention MERV; if it's HEPA-grade, I suppose it'd be in the MERV17 to MERV20 range. It seems concerning if it can't get any dust particles below 3 microns though since I guess that means it's worse than MERV1. I must be misunderstanding this though since that doesn't seem to make sense.

[RevGAM]

6 hours ago, Minuto said:

Oh okay I see. I'll definitely go with the cheapest option then. I'll look into getting a cheap box fan and a filter as you said. Thanks! I definitely want to keep the windows open too while avoiding pollen buildup. I'm sitll wondering about the Hamilton Beach one though since I'd ideally want to not repalce my filter; I'm sure it'd happen at some point even with the Hamilton one though.

 

Speaking of MERV ratings, I was also looking into the Hamilton Beach air purifier I was thinking of getting: https://hamiltonbeach.com/trueair-compact-air-purifier-with-hepa-filter-white-04386

It claims that the filters are "High-performance HEPA-grade filter captures dander & airborne particles as small as 3 microns" and that they're "Permanent 99% HEPA-grade filters". Does this mean that the filter can't even capture any particles below 3 microns? As with the furnace filters you mentioned, this doesn't even mention MERV; if it's HEPA-grade, I suppose it'd be in the MERV17 to MERV20 range. It seems concerning if it can't get any dust particles below 3 microns though since I guess that means it's worse than MERV1. I must be misunderstanding this though since that doesn't seem to make sense.

MERV1 would be the worst filter, whereas HEPA is hospital-grade and equivalent to MERV17-20 as you said. 3 microns is absolutely tiny and worrying about particles below that size (or even at a larger size) is a waste of time unless you have serious medical problems that require advanced air filtration, or you are working in a factory where the tiny particles can ruin things like silicon chips during manufacturing. You absolutely do NOT need that for your computer; not MERV17-20, not HEPA 13-14 or ULPA 15-16. The box fan with MERV13 or higher is good enough to keep external dust sources (from air coming in your window), as well as smoke and bacteria, out, but it will not filter out what's in your home already.

A permanent filter is generally going to be made of materials that can be washed and reused.

The higher you go on the rating scale, the more power the fan must have in order to pull/push air through it. The stronger the fan, the more power is drawn and the higher your electric bill. Again, if you haven't got medical needs, get a MERV13 or so. 

However, go ahead and get a standing air purification unit if it'll give you the piece of mind you are obviously seeking. That can be really nice if you have allergies since the allergens get into your home from every opening and, if you've got fungus growing in your home it'll filter out the spores, too. That way, it'll catch most of the stuff floating in your home. If you're a germophobe, get one from the dark green (HEPA/ULPA), which CAN filter out less than .3 micron particles, including viruses. Keep in mind, though, such filtration units tend to be pricey. Definitely look at reviews by professionals to see which are actually as effective as rated; your air purity will vary.

[Minuto]

10 hours ago, RevGAM said:

MERV1 would be the worst filter, whereas HEPA is hospital-grade and equivalent to MERV17-20 as you said. 3 microns is absolutely tiny and worrying about particles below that size (or even at a larger size) is a waste of time unless you have serious medical problems that require advanced air filtration, or you are working in a factory where the tiny particles can ruin things like silicon chips during manufacturing. You absolutely do NOT need that for your computer; not MERV17-20, not HEPA 13-14 or ULPA 15-16. The box fan with MERV13 or higher is good enough to keep external dust sources (from air coming in your window), as well as smoke and bacteria, out, but it will not filter out what's in your home already.

A permanent filter is generally going to be made of materials that can be washed and reused.

The higher you go on the rating scale, the more power the fan must have in order to pull/push air through it. The stronger the fan, the more power is drawn and the higher your electric bill. Again, if you haven't got medical needs, get a MERV13 or so. 

However, go ahead and get a standing air purification unit if it'll give you the piece of mind you are obviously seeking. That can be really nice if you have allergies since the allergens get into your home from every opening and, if you've got fungus growing in your home it'll filter out the spores, too. That way, it'll catch most of the stuff floating in your home. If you're a germophobe, get one from the dark green (HEPA/ULPA), which CAN filter out less than .3 micron particles, including viruses. Keep in mind, though, such filtration units tend to be pricey. Definitely look at reviews by professionals to see which are actually as effective as rated; your air purity will vary.

I see, that filter system makes sense then. It's good to hear that 3 microns is completely fine as I do not have serious medical problems nad am not working in a factory. It's good to hear that MERV13 is good enough. It makes sense that it won't filter what's in my home already; I'll have to clean it more regularly and all then. As for the permanent filter, it does seem that it can be washed and reused according to the manual. Would this be equivalent to a MERV13 filter or worse then for that Hamilton Beach filter? I see, I didn't consider electricity, so I'll just go with a relatively weak MERV13 then. I do have pollen allergies, so a standing air purification unit would be very nice for that. There may be fungus growing in my home; it's possible, but I hope not! I'm not a germaphobe, so I won't have to worry about that at least. I'll definitely read some professional reviews too then. Thanks!

[RevGAM]

5 hours ago, Minuto said:

 Would this be equivalent to a MERV13 filter or worse then for that Hamilton Beach filter? 

I'm sorry, would what? If you're referring to the permanent filter, then the answer is dependent on the rating.

[Minuto]

1 hour ago, RevGAM said:

I'm sorry, would what? If you're referring to the permanent filter, then the answer is dependent on the rating.

Sorry, yes, I meant the permanent filter. I don’t see a rating anywhere on the site and there aren’t any reviews about this which seems a but concerning. I mean, if it was good, they’d definitely include the rating lol 

[RevGAM]

7 hours ago, Minuto said:

Sorry, yes, I meant the permanent filter. I don’t see a rating anywhere on the site and there aren’t any reviews about this which seems a but concerning. I mean, if it was good, they’d definitely include the rating lol 

Somehow, probably cuz I'm old, I've lost track of which filter/device you're talking about. Can you, once again, link to the HB filter and whatever this other one is so I can attempt to answer your question, please?

[ToboRobot]

On 5/18/2023 at 10:54 AM, Minuto said:

What would be the best approach to reduce dust buildup

Minimize the dust getting into the environment.
Clean the dust from the air with a filter.
And regular cleaning because dust is generally inevitable.

[Minuto]

9 hours ago, RevGAM said:

Somehow, probably cuz I'm old, I've lost track of which filter/device you're talking about. Can you, once again, link to the HB filter and whatever this other one is so I can attempt to answer your question, please?

Sorry about the confusion!

 

Yes, this is the filter: https://hamiltonbeach.com/filter-permanent-04383-air-purifier-990051000?source=aw&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=awin&utm_campaign=510399&utm_content=15797_1684618669_72c541967efe9c25e30eb77dd0e06550&awc=15797_1684618669_72c541967efe9c25e30eb77dd0e06550

 

This is the device itself: https://hamiltonbeach.com/trueair-compact-air-purifier-with-hepa-filter-white-04386

 

there’s not really any info on this filter though. It just says it’s HEPA grade though so I don’t know how good that really is and if it’s better or the same as MERV13. I guess it’s weird that there isn’t much information and all though.

 

9 hours ago, ToboRobot said:

Minimize the dust getting into the environment.
Clean the dust from the air with a filter.
And regular cleaning because dust is generally inevitable.

Ph okay that makes sense. I’ll try to minimize the dust for sure and regularly clean. Thanks! 

[RevGAM]

45 minutes ago, Minuto said:

Sorry about the confusion!

 

Yes, this is the filter: https://hamiltonbeach.com/filter-permanent-04383-air-purifier-990051000?source=aw&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=awin&utm_campaign=510399&utm_content=15797_1684618669_72c541967efe9c25e30eb77dd0e06550&awc=15797_1684618669_72c541967efe9c25e30eb77dd0e06550

 

This is the device itself: https://hamiltonbeach.com/trueair-compact-air-purifier-with-hepa-filter-white-04386

 

there’s not really any info on this filter though. It just says it’s HEPA grade though so I don’t know how good that really is and if it’s better or the same as MERV13. I guess it’s weird that there isn’t much information and all though.

The filter is for the purifier. It is HEPA, which makes it MERV17 or 18. Refer to the chart I shared. 

[Minuto]

31 minutes ago, RevGAM said:

The filter is for the purifier. It is HEPA, which makes it MERV17 or 18. Refer to the chart I shared. 

Oh okay. I just wanted to make sure since I heard that HEPA grade means it’s not actually a HEPA filter and is misleading marketing. It’s good to hear thats actually a HEPA filter then. It’s definitely sufficient since it’s better than a MERV13 filter. Thanks!

[Minuto]

On 5/20/2023 at 9:04 PM, RevGAM said:

If you are done, please mark someone's post as the solution. 

I thought I was done, but I have a question about the right way to clean PCs. I was using a microfiber cloth to clean the inside of my PC but did not realize it’s not antistatic. Could that ESD damage my PC? I guess it’s probably fine if nothings happened yet, but I definitely won’t do that again in the future and just use an electric duster. 

[RevGAM]

11 hours ago, Minuto said:

I thought I was done, but I have a question about the right way to clean PCs. I was using a microfiber cloth to clean the inside of my PC but did not realize it’s not antistatic. Could that ESD damage my PC? I guess it’s probably fine if nothings happened yet, but I definitely won’t do that again in the future and just use an electric duster. 

I'm surprised you haven't received an answer yet. I am not sure what you're trying to achieve with your cleaning. Dust build-up is normal and it's important to remove it from fans and heatsinks, albeit with the appropriate tools. Soft-bristle brushes, cans of air, cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol or even a hearty gust from your lungs. Some parts are more sensitive than others so, in theory, you can destroy something with ESD although I saw a video where Linus invited Electroboom (?) and they tried repeatedly to zap RAM.

[Minuto]

On 5/25/2023 at 8:58 PM, RevGAM said:

I'm surprised you haven't received an answer yet. I am not sure what you're trying to achieve with your cleaning. Dust build-up is normal and it's important to remove it from fans and heatsinks, albeit with the appropriate tools. Soft-bristle brushes, cans of air, cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol or even a hearty gust from your lungs. Some parts are more sensitive than others so, in theory, you can destroy something with ESD although I saw a video where Linus invited Electroboom (?) and they tried repeatedly to zap RAM.

I'll be sure to use those methods in the future instead since that microfiber cloth is not ESD-safe. It's good to hear that ESD usually won't destroy parts unless I'm unlucky. I just watched that video now, and it's interesting to see how durable those things are. Thanks!

[thejackalope]

30 minutes ago, Minuto said:

I'll be sure to use those methods in the future instead since that microfiber cloth is not ESD-safe. It's good to hear that ESD usually won't destroy parts unless I'm unlucky. I just watched that video now, and it's interesting to see how durable those things are. Thanks!

I think it's more that you wouldn't know your parts are damaged. For example RAM can have errors and you won't know unless it's ECC RAM, or when you finally discover that your data is corrupted.

 

Natural fibers like horse hair or plant based brushes should generate less static electricity. I've stored and shipped hard drives wrapped in paper and cotton because those are better than standard plastic bubble wrap https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/the-triboelectric-series-an-introduction-for-static-electricity-labs/tr35107.tr

[Minuto]

On 6/3/2023 at 5:10 PM, thejackalope said:

I think it's more that you wouldn't know your parts are damaged. For example RAM can have errors and you won't know unless it's ECC RAM, or when you finally discover that your data is corrupted.

 

Natural fibers like horse hair or plant based brushes should generate less static electricity. I've stored and shipped hard drives wrapped in paper and cotton because those are better than standard plastic bubble wrap https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/the-triboelectric-series-an-introduction-for-static-electricity-labs/tr35107.tr

Oh okay I see that makes sense. Hopefully nothing happened but who knows. I ran some memory tests and haven’t seen any errors, but I’m sure they’re not the most reliable. I’ll just make sure I don’t generate more static by using those natural fibers you mentioned. If I ever have to move or anything, I’ll store my PC on paper and cotton as well. Thanks for the link too. That’s definitely very interesting. 

[thejackalope]

4 hours ago, Minuto said:

Oh okay I see that makes sense. Hopefully nothing happened but who knows. I ran some memory tests and haven’t seen any errors, but I’m sure they’re not the most reliable. I’ll just make sure I don’t generate more static by using those natural fibers you mentioned. If I ever have to move or anything, I’ll store my PC on paper and cotton as well. Thanks for the link too. That’s definitely very interesting. 

If you run memory tests for hours and CPU tests like Prime95 and don't get errors, I think it's safe to say no damage!

[Minuto]

On 6/6/2023 at 12:23 PM, thejackalope said:

If you run memory tests for hours and CPU tests like Prime95 and don't get errors, I think it's safe to say no damage!

Oh okay that’s good to hear! I won’t worry about that then since everything seems to be good.