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Changed my mind about using canned air on a dusty server after a Tuesday in July
Had a client with a server that sounded like a jet engine. I grabbed the air can, but the dust was packed so thick it just blew it deeper into the heatsinks. My boss saw me and said, 'You're just moving the problem.' He handed me an anti-static brush and a small vacuum. Took me an extra 30 minutes, but the temps dropped 15 degrees. Anyone have a better method for a really caked-on layer?
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lee8474mo ago
Keith900 swears by that one inch paintbrush method and honestly I'm kinda shocked it worked on a 2008 Dell. That server must have looked like a prehistoric relic in there, think like three years worth of dust glued on with heat cycles. I would have bet money that brushing alone would just push it deeper into the fins but I guess with the vacuum right there it lifts it clean. Also I can't believe that thing ran for three more years after that, those old PowerEdges were basically indestructible.
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milesk276mo ago
Glad you switched methods before doing real damage. That compressed air trick can actually force dust into the fan bearings and kill them for good. The brush and vac combo is solid, but for stuff that's basically glued on, I'll sometimes use a soft toothbrush to gently break it up first. Just go slow and keep the vacuum nozzle right there to catch the clumps as they come loose.
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keith9006mo ago
My old shop had a Dell PowerEdge from 2008 that was more dust than server. We used a one-inch paintbrush, the soft kind, and a shop vac with a hose attachment. It took two of us, one to brush and one to hold the vacuum nozzle an inch away. Robins83 is right to be careful, but a gentle touch with the right tools works. That old Dell ran for three more years after its spa day.
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