JustGeorge Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Have I witnessed it? Yes. Have I done it personally? No. Why would I offer advice I'd don't even follow for myself? I also don't do things half assed. When I clean something I take it apart to do so. You're not going to suck out all the dust from a 360/X1 through the chasis never mind the gaps in the fan blades. If you'd actually opened one before (especially an old model that's never been cleaned), you'd understand. Same goes for the PS3. The fat models have more layers than Dell laptops (N). If you think you're cleaning it efficiently or suitably through the fans then you really haven't a clue. The old 360 models have a plastic shield that funnels the air straight to the HSF. You're not even collecting dust from the rest of the innards :no: Neither of us can prove otherwise, but I seriously doubt you've witnessed a fan failure due to vacuuming, or a an ESD induced failure from the same. I'm not advocating doing anything "half-assed", but if you vacuum through the vents on a console once a month, you're not going to see major build-up inside the console. My preference is to take things apart also, but as mentioned, console makers tend to make that a PITA because of what they think you might do if average Joe opens up his box. My PC's as well as those I repair for others are opened up and cleaned with compressed air as they should be. No, I don't immobilize the fan blades and no, I've never caused or witnessed damage because of it. Maybe if you continuously spun the blades it might be a problem, but not for the duration required to blow the dust off them. If you smoke, then its a different situation, because the dust is made sticky by the cigarette smoke. Damn near impossible to clean off then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted February 12, 2014 Subscriber² Share Posted February 12, 2014 I usually vacuum for a year, then once the warranty is out the window open up the console myself every 3-6 months for a clean. The dust and dirt that sticks to the fans is NOT coming out with a vacuum. Only thing you can really do is keep your environment clean, and that will help. DrunknMunky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member Posted February 12, 2014 Member Share Posted February 12, 2014 Have you witnessed a fan failure that is the direct result of using a vacuum? Have you fried a console from static electricity originating from vacuuming the console vents from the outside? If you have, then I stand corrected. There are anecdotal reports of these things online: how about opening the console and vacuuming the circuit board and fans directly and report back to us so we can confirm :innocent: :p Personally, I think you are rather unlikely to get damage if are vacuuming from the outside because most things are shielded and such. My preference is to take things apart also, but as mentioned, console makers tend to make that a PITA because of what they think you might do if average Joe opens up his box. My PC's as well as those I repair for others are opened up and cleaned with compressed air as they should be. No, I don't immobilize the fan blades and no, I've never caused or witnessed damage because of it. Maybe if you continuously spun the blades it might be a problem, but not for the duration required to blow the dust off them. If you smoke, then its a different situation, because the dust is made sticky by the cigarette smoke. Damn near impossible to clean off then. compressed air is not going to spin them rapidly. You would really need a vacuum to do that. Just as if you spun them by hand, you wouldn't generate a significant current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGeorge Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 There are anecdotal reports of these things online: how about opening the console and vacuuming the circuit board and fans directly and report back to us so we can confirm :innocent: :p compressed air is not going to spin them rapidly. You would really need a vacuum to do that. Just as if you spun them by hand, you wouldn't generate a significant current. I wouldn't use a vacuum directly on a circuit board. I use an an actual air compressor with a moisture filter attached most of the time. Canned air is expensive in the quantities that I'd use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Best thing you can do is make sure it is not sitting on carpet. Other than that, not much other than blowing it out occasionally. I lived in AZ for 15 years and never had a problem with dust really. The original 360 I had had to be repaired after 6yrs. RROD. Guy who did it said I had the cleanest XBOX hes seen for the age and hardly any dust inside. I never blew it out and it was sitting in the open about 3ft off the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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