Do you people still buy canned air to clean out electronics or is there an alternative where I co...

[G+_John Mink]

Do you people still buy canned air to clean out electronics or is there an alternative where I could buy it once and keep using it...like a compressor?

 

 

They've been all the hype for a while, just wanted to see if anyone has actually found one they're willing to give up their canned air for, or is that still a pipe dream?

[G+_Adam EL-Idrissi]

I use a vaccum. I've always been iffy about canned air. In one if my books for class says it can cause static. A friend works for a local call center and they used compressed air.

[G+_Akira Yamanita]

Compressed air will work better than a vacuum and you don't have to worry about accidentally knocking into something. A vacuum cleaner won't clean as well without actually touching the components and you won't get into the crevices. Either one is better than nothing, but I prefer to use an air compressor or blower when possible. When using a compressor or blower that's powerful enough, you have to be careful not to bend a connector or knock something off. Just start off conservatively and you'll get the hang of it very quickly.?

[G+_Joe C. Hecht]

I use both. Have cans everywhere for quick use, even on the night stand. I use 120 psi for a monthly cleaning of everything (with good proof the cans are not that effective). No static here in Florida, and it never caused issues high in the mountains of Colorado, where the humidity sometime got down to < 5%.

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

I use a little gadget called a Hurricane2.  It's more an addition to the toolbox than a complete replacement for canned air.  It's not like you can turn it upside down and freeze board components for troubleshooting like you can caned air.  I do find that I only carry the smallest air can in my toolbox now instead of multiple of the largest ones I can find now.  It's basically an oil free handheld air compressor.  I almost ran down the battery once after absentmindedly leaving it off the charger for ~3 months, so more my fault with that one.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/106735380430786411192/posts/ABXTrWPk8Z8

[G+_John Mink]

Travis Hershberger good point, the ability to make things super cold disappears with this!

 

But as for the cleaning ability, you say it seems to work as well as canned air for that?

It looks like the amazon reviews are pretty harsh:

http://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Special-Edition-special-price/dp/B00DYC3EKO

 

I wonder if maybe there's been an upgrade in the product or something?

[G+_John Maloney]

I use an electric air mattress pump that I bought from Walmart for $20. It's cheap and reusable. It also puts out a good amount of air pressure. Just make sure you dont over speed your cooling fans with it.

 

It also inflates air mattresses pretty good.

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

John Mink I really don't understand why people bash this thing in reviews so much.  The air pressure isn't quite as strong as what you get from a fresh, unused, air can, but it never looses air pressure as you use it like the canned stuff does.  So yes, it's not quite as powerful right at the start, but it'll keep going for an hour or two.  Just try using one of those air cans for 5 minutes without completely loosing air pressure and freezing your hand.

 

The one thing I could understand is if they tried to use it without the removable "straw".  Without that tube the compressor section in the top of it can't really build air pressure at all (physics!).  It really is a mini air compressor, so it needs a little area to build up air pressure, and the tube provides that little area in this case.

[G+_John Mink]

Hah, I could see people doing something like not using the straw!

 

Or maybe they're just expecting it to be more powerful 100% of the time?

[G+_Joe C. Hecht]

John Mink I am reminded of all the electronics I have brought back to life after coffee spills with freeze drying by holding the air can upside down and blasting the dead component. Here at the Swampwërks, it is a common occurrence (both the cause and the fix), and probably the number one reason I have so many cans of air stashed all over the place. As a side note, I have a very small air blaster that uses whip cream cartridges I carry when I travel. I have yet to be hassles over it (do far) as the security folks take one look at my 85+ pounds of gear and wires they would have to examine, and quickly close the bag shoo me along).

[G+_610GARAGE]

I use the Metro Vacuum MDV-1BA DataVac Pro. It is a vacuum on one end, and a blower on the other. Not only does this allow me to vacuum off surfaces, then switch to blowing off heatsinks and the sort, but it also allows me to vacuum up some of the dust plume that comes out of a dirty computer.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-MDV-1BA-DataVac-Computer/dp/B00006IAOR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424709977&sr=8-1&keywords=computer+vacume

[G+_John Mink]

610bob? you can switch it from"suck" to "blow"?

[G+_610GARAGE]

Yup, one side of the vacuum is the suck part, and the other side is the discharge. To switch, just remove the hose from one side, and attach it to the other side.

[G+_Akira Yamanita]

610bob It's MegaMaid!. ;-) I use the blower (ED-500) from the same manufacturer. http://amzn.com/B001J4ZOAW

[G+_Lance Pelissier]

I use an air compressor and do it outdoors. Caned air is waste of money like the DRM felled price of shit called steam.  Game maker's go back buy the DVD-ROM, install the app, and then put the disk away for self keeping. No more always online, no more limited installs in fact it could be even better if we were sill in the days were IBM Compatible was all you needed to worry about.

[G+_Dan Lott]

I use a 10# CO2 tank & oxygen regulator. Costs $10+tax at my local fire extinguisher shop to refill. It is silent and very adjustable. As a bonus, with a standard quick-connect, I can put a stable fill in my tires & run air tools.

Also, lasts 3-6 months.

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

Just saw that ThinkGeek has a Hurricane2 available.  I only paid $80 for my v1, so keep your eyes open for a sale.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/hukk/?cpg=71785777&msg_id=71785777&et_rid=702767497&linkid=71785777_headline_hukk

[G+_Daniel Armstrong]

I hate the term "canned air" It isn't air at all, it is a refrigerant, usually R-134a or R-152a plus an inhalation deterrent. Look up the pressure-temperature charts or use a P/T app to see what pressure you get at each temperature.

 

And since I am EPA section 608 universal certified, it is maddening that if I crack open the valve on my 30LB cylinder of 134a to the atmosphere I could be fined thousands of dollars, but do the exact same thing while cleaning a PC and it is no big deal.

[G+_Eddie Foy]

I'm just going to swap a a small CO2 tank, once empty, i have for N2.  And rig up a regulator and blow gun.  Clean as can be and cheaper in the long run.

[G+_Dan Lott]

Be careful, a Nitrogen rich environment will not give any warning before it reaches the fatal saturation point. They have fatalities in the plants sometimes because the tanks aren't fully flushed.

[G+_Eddie Foy]

Even emptying a 10# bottle won't be much an issue.  Air is 70% N2. Now for reality. Blowing off 'tronics regulated down to about 65psi (4.5 bar) out a .07"/1mm orifice isn't going to come close to dangerous levels. 

[G+_John Mink]

Interestingly, is seems that there is no consensus as to a good replacement for "compressed gas" (aka "canned air", sorry Daniel Armstrong) 

 

So it seems like the options are:

1) CO2/N2 tanks (w/ regulator & blow gun)

2) shop-vac (preferably with "reverse" or "blow" mode)

3) air compressor (eg: Hurricane)