Dust & monitors

[Bones]

With many cabinet designs having sections at the back open for ventilation, what is the longterm effect of filth around the monitors electronics? Where I am it is very dusty. Would this pose a significant threat to the monitor or its expected lifespan?

My question is directed towards arcade monitors.

[Nipedley]

I have a 15 year old 10" monitor that was - and still partially is - completely covered in black .. stuff, maybe its really old dust I dont know? But it still works, just needed a capkit doing and it's still chugging along fine. I cant imagine it'd do a monitor any good, but it doesnt seem to do it any bad either (I'm not a professional so dont take my word for it!)

[Ken Layton]

As with any piece of electronic equipment dust affects proper cooling of the components (especially flyback transformers!). At high voltages dust can actually conduct electricity (especially combined with humidity).

It's up to you to choose whether you'd like to keep your monitor clean and 'healthy' or dirty and ready to croak.

In my opinion a clean monitor is a healthy monitor.

[LePic]

OK.  Let say I wanted to clean my monitor and remove all the dust.  How do you proceed?  There's a ton of stuff I don't want to touch back there because I don't know enough about it.

[RetroACTIVE]

For cleaning dust from electronic components it is common to use canned compressed air... which is readily available at electronics retailers.

[2600]

For cleaning dust from electronic components it is common to use canned compressed air... which is readily available at electronics retailers.

Canned air is barely going to clean the dust on top of the crap in some of the monitors I've seen.

[RetroACTIVE]

Well.. If you have a ton of goop on the monitor, your right... canned air probably won't do.  However it is fine for maintaining a somewhat clean one. 

Besides, if it is filthy dirty then you are probably best to just leave it alone, its old and the dirt has become a part of it...

[Ken Layton]

Cleaning monitors has been beaten to death. Just search for the threads.

[SirPeale]

Agree with Ken.  Here's a hint: pull the chassis and wash it in the sink!

[Bones]

It must be a pretty fine line between having enough ventilation to let everything breathe and stay cool, yet not so much ventilation that all the airborne crap gets sucked in and deposited in sensitive places....

[SirPeale]

It must be a pretty fine line between having enough ventilation to let everything breathe and stay cool, yet not so much ventilation that all the airborne crap gets sucked in and deposited in sensitive places....

Well...no, actually.  You want as much ventilation as possible to cool your components.  You should just remember to clean inside the cabinet on a regular basis, ie every six months or so, depending on how fast it gets dirty inside.

Powers supplies and things with fans should be cleaned *quite* regularly, as the heat buildup will result in premature failure.  Remember...heat is electronic components mortal enemy.  The cooler the components are, the longer they'll last and happier they'll be.

[AceTKK]

you also might want to consider using some kind of filter on the intake of your ventilation/cooling system.  My PC case has a fine mesh filter on the intake fans and it goes a long way towards keeping the inside clean.