Electric air duster - concern about static electricity

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HardwareJay

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Feb 10, 2008
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I'm thinking of getting a "Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac 500-Watt 0.75-HP Electric Duster 120 volt" duster. (Not sure what the difference is with an ED500P yet. And am open to alternatives.)

I know there is a concern about static electricity when cleaning the inside of the computer with something like this. I'm wondering just how much of a concern it really is, whether a wrist strap is sufficient protection, and whether my getting creative with extension tubing might do just fine.

In our production room we use lengths of what's called Vyton tubing, which is like rubber or silicon tubing but a very good non-reactive material. What we have is 1/4" inside diameter, but I can get other diameters.

What if I shove the tip of the duster into one end of a length of that and use it for an extension?

If it sounds viable, I'd have to decide how long to make it -- long enough to reduce/eliminate the risks of static electricity but not so long that it taxes the motor on the blower (I have no idea what the mechanics might be regarding taxing the motor, and realize this isn't really the forum for that).

Thanks!

 
Solution
makkem
Hi
You do not need to do anything fancy.
Leave the computer you are cleaning plugged in ,this will ground it and prevent the build up of static.
Try not to touch electronics,ie motherboard or graphics card with the nozzle of the datavac to prevent the transfer of static directly to components,touching the computer case with the nozzle at intervals will be beneficial to ground the static.
The Datavac is purpose built to clean computers and so should give you no problems .
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makkem

makkem

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Jan 22, 2012
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Hi
You do not need to do anything fancy.
Leave the computer you are cleaning plugged in ,this will ground it and prevent the build up of static.
Try not to touch electronics,ie motherboard or graphics card with the nozzle of the datavac to prevent the transfer of static directly to components,touching the computer case with the nozzle at intervals will be beneficial to ground the static.
The Datavac is purpose built to clean computers and so should give you no problems .
 
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Solution
H

HardwareJay

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Thanks! That solves it!

I will usually be taking the unit outside to blow it out, since I've learned from experience and then from reading (got that one bass-ackwards, huh?) that blowing it out when it's sitting under my desk where I use it just moves dust a foot away, which ends up right back inside really soon. So, I guess I'll have to run a long extension cord to keep it plugged in and grounded.

Any suggestions for an alternative approach would be appreciated. I guess outdoors a grounding wrist-strap isn't all that practical anyway. So, I guess a long extension cord is really no big deal if that's what gets the job done.

Thanks again!


 
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H

HardwareJay

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Serious health risks. (Plus serious environmental harm.) And with the frequency with which I use a duster, it's much more economical to buy this unit (we have multiple computers at the office, and use duster-air for multiple purposes).
 
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