Despite the fact that many people can become almost obsessed with improving the quality of their computer, by adding more memory, installing better software, adding another hard disk and buying a new monitor, a huge number of people overlook one of the most important aspects of keeping a computer running smoothly, and prolonging its life. This one aspect which is so important, yet so frequently overlooked or ignored, is cleaning.
Many people think that a quick wipe over the keyboard and monitor with a duster once a week is enough, but there are a number of reasons why it is extremely important to take the cleaning of your computer seriously – both inside and out. Not only will it help to improve the performance, reliability and life expectancy of your computer, but it can also prove to be a significantly important aspect as far as health is concerned.
You may notice that on the side of your computer, and possibly at the back, there is a vent. There may be more than one, but there will always be at least one vent, and just behind this vent is a fan. This is one of the loudest noises that you hear when your computer is running, and is important. The components inside your computer, particularly the processor and the disk drives, get extremely hot when your computer is running. The harder you work your computer, the hotter these components are likely to get.
The fan is therefore necessary in order to draw heat away from the computers, and expel it outside of the case, helping to keep a flow of cooler air running into and around the processor and drives. Without this fanning of heat away, the insides of your computer would quickly grow very hot indeed, and the result of this would be complete failure at the very least. Your components could burn out, and if you’re lucky, your computer will become utterly unusable and in need of replacement. If you’re not so lucky, your computer may even catch fire.
But what does this have to do with cleaning? Very simply, if a fan expels hot air, and there are vents and holes around the computer drawing in cool air, dust, hairs and other floating debris is drawn into the case of your computer, where it builds up a layer of insulation around the very components that are already getting dangerously hot. If the dust is not removed, then no matter how hard your fan works, it will achieve very little and your computer will become unreliable, shutting down randomly, crashing, freezing and eventually failing entirely.
For this reason, it is highly important that you use a simple aerosol spray which allows you to blast away the dust with short sharp bursts of clean compressed air. Simply unplug your computer from the mains, remove a side panel, and blow out the cobwebs and dust. You’ll extend the life of your computer, and help reduce the risk of fire. You may even find your computer runs a little more quietly too.