Cans of compressed air

mfdc · 14-10-2011 12:35pm #1

I've been meaning to clean out my pc for a while now, there's a fair bit of dust buildup around the exhaust fans so I can only imagine what the inside looks like!

So I'm looking for somewhere to get some cans of compressed air - Amazon are flogging them for ~€1.50 a pop but unfortunately won't ship to Ireland. Elara want €11 and Viking want €15 each for a single 400ml can. That's €27.50 and €37.50 for a liter, or 17x - 25x the cost of petrol, for some air :rolleyes:

Is there anywhere in Ireland that's selling canned air for a reasonable price?

The Toff · 14-10-2011 12:45pm

HI, I just picked up a can in Easons on O'Connell street for about 8 euro. Brand was Fellowes. Maplin are selling them for a huge price. The can worked fine, not too strong, and you have to make sure that the can is straight and stationary, or some liquid may come out. I gave my desktop a nice cleaning with it.

BostonB · 14-10-2011 12:52pm

Maplin's prices for compressed air are ridiculous. Same as almost everything else they sell.

vibe666 · 14-10-2011 1:00pm

BostonB wrote: »

Maplin's prices for compressed air are ridiculous. Same as almost everything else they sell.

it's not just normal air though, it's 'Perri-air'. :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiabeNR_q0U

ScumLord · 14-10-2011 1:48pm

It's expensive stuff all right, I couldn't find any fair prices in Ireland and ordered it from the UK but even that was a hassle as they don't like shipping the stuff. Best price I got was £9 on ebuyer but they don't ship to Ireland any more.

It's not referred to as compressed air online though, it's often called air/keyboard duster.

Gone Drinking · 14-10-2011 3:45pm

One word.. hoover

ScumLord · 14-10-2011 3:49pm

Gone Drinking wrote: »

One word.. hoover

I'd be worried about static, plus I don't have a hoover, not even a vacuum cleaner.

Really you need to half disassemble your PC to give it a good clean and then use the air duster to clean out all the unstuck dust. It can get rightly caked onto fans and the air duster isn't really going to be effective.

yoyo · 14-10-2011 5:47pm

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd be worried about static, plus I don't have a hoover, not even a vacuum cleaner.

Really you need to half disassemble your PC to give it a good clean and then use the air duster to clean out all the unstuck dust. It can get rightly caked onto fans and the air duster isn't really going to be effective.

I've used the ole hoover before but I agree with ya, always worried of frying something :P . Having said that I worked in a computer repair centre a few years back and every dusty machine got hoover treatment and I don't remember any fatalities :P . Once your careful and obviously unplug all devices from the pc including power plug/Dont place hoover near pc boards, should be fine.
Anways I got compressed air a while back in Peats, was around €6-7 from memory

Nick

BostonB · 14-10-2011 5:52pm

Last time I was doing this I was cleaning out a laptop which had 7up split over it. It had made the heat sinks sticky which made all the dust stick to it, blocking it, and then it started to overheat. I just blew all the just out of it myself, used a brush and used a baby wipe to clean the heat sink. Did the job.

The only problem is one of the fans is now noisy. Which is always a risk when you strip something down that has been working away with no problems for years.

coylemj · 15-10-2011 1:43pm

Don't forget that cans of compressed air are used to clean camera lens so try your local camera shop.

dazzday · 15-10-2011 7:11pm

Tesco do compressed air for ~ €5

Munster Blogger · 15-10-2011 7:57pm

dazzday wrote: »

Tesco do compressed air for ~ €5

Thats not too bad. Think the laptop repair shop in St. Stephens Green shopping center do them for a reasonable price. No sure the exact price it's been ages since I was up there.

Ashlinggnilsia · 15-10-2011 8:26pm

not as cheap as tesco but they do free shipping. http://www.thetechheads.ie/cleaning.html

unkel · 16-10-2011 8:49pm

I've seen them in PC world and Maplins for €19.99

Got some myself last month off Amazon for £0.99 each plus shipping. Not from Amazon themselves though, from another company. As someone said, a lot of them don't ship the cans to Ireland for some reason...

Brian · 21-11-2011 7:20pm

Got two cans of ALLSOP Airduster in Peats for €9. Bit concerned by their operation... hold it too close and you get a lot of condensation on the surface (the cans are freezing as well).

yoyo · 21-11-2011 8:44pm

Baza210 wrote: »

Got two cans of ALLSOP Airduster in Peats for €9. Bit concerned by their operation... hold it too close and you get a lot of condensation on the surface (the cans are freezing as well).

Thats normal for compressed air, I myself don't like it though, think its going to explode in my hand :P . Its to do with the gasses used in the can evaporating or something..

Nick

asif2011 · 21-11-2011 9:26pm

Back in the day, like 10 years ago or something, the place I was working for got us a job to remove all the dust from all the office computers in some engineering shop down the country somewhere. So we loaded them all up and brought them to the local garage and used the air pump used for your tires - worked a treat. 20 PCs not a bother, parked the van so the person in the garage couldn't see. I was only doing what I was told at the time I might add, but I'll never forget it, worked brilliant. Something like £40 per PC for expert cleaning! Don't know if i'd do it with my PC now though!!!

The Toff · 21-11-2011 11:42pm

Baza210 wrote: »

Got two cans of ALLSOP Airduster in Peats for €9. Bit concerned by their operation... hold it too close and you get a lot of condensation on the surface (the cans are freezing as well).

The freezing is normal. You can cut down on liquid coming out instead of air by keeping the can good and steady, no shaking, and keep it level too.

Scorpion venom · 08-07-2013 12:43pm

Eason does them for €7.99

frost · 09-02-2015 3:18pm

old thread, i know, but in case you're looking, viking direct & probably other office supplies places sell them.
linky:
http://www.vikingdirect.ie/catalog/catalogSku.do?id=1511631&configurableItemType=UNDEFINED&pr=QD2

nick 56 · 10-02-2015 7:28pm

I went to a camping shop in Dublin that sells pumps for inflating air beds. I got a small electric pump that is sold to inflate air beds. it has a flexible hose and pointed fittings to enable you to use a fine stream of air.

I don't remember what it cost sorry but it was not a lot.

nick

moc moc a moc · 11-02-2015 12:29am

yoyo wrote: »

obviously unplug all devices from the pc including power plug

Nope, leave the power cord plugged in, but the socket and/or PSU switched off. The earth pin will remain connected, keeping the case grounded.

mordeith · 11-02-2015 12:47pm

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Nope, leave the power cord plugged in, but the socket and/or PSU switched off. The earth pin will remain connected, keeping the case grounded.

Hardly a big deal to unplug. At least you know for sure then.

myrscossie · 12-02-2015 11:43am

The best thing by far for cleaning out a pc and i tried them all is an air compressor with a blow gun on the end not the tyre inflator will save a lot of time and money in the end done it many times won't use anything else now.

leck · 12-02-2015 9:00pm

I can't believe the high prices quoted up above for compressed air. But I see Dealz have cans for 1.49 each - http://www.dealz.ie/air-duster.

bonzodog2 · 12-02-2015 9:08pm

Dealz do, sometimes, I had to go back a few times until they had it in stock. There's not a great blast of air from them, and its not just air; hydrocarbon propellants etc

Mr. G · 15-02-2015 1:15am

leck wrote: »

I can't believe the high prices quoted up above for compressed air. But I see Dealz have cans for 1.49 each - http://www.dealz.ie/air-duster.

This is what I use for €2.75:

https://www.123ink.ie/Q-Connect-KF04499-HFC-free-Air-Duster-400ml-i27322.html

Never tried Dealz, I wonder how full are they or how much compressed air is actually in the cans? I hate using them for long periods, they got awful cold, as if you need to have gloves on or something!

bonzodog2 · 15-02-2015 1:05pm

The Dealz ones say 90g 200ml, but I don't know how much is air, for comparison with the link above.

danjo-xx · 15-02-2015 8:56pm

Many moons ago you used to be able to put the hose on the other end of your hoover, and it would blow instead of suck, can that not be done anymore, and if not why not.:D

moc moc a moc · 17-02-2015 12:03am

mordeith wrote: »

Hardly a big deal to unplug. At least you know for sure then.

The point is you want the system to be grounded.

Supergurrier · 28-06-2016 11:38pm

Mr. G wrote: »

This is what I use for €2.75:

https://www.123ink.ie/Q-Connect-KF04499-HFC-free-Air-Duster-400ml-i27322.html

Never tried Dealz, I wonder how full are they or how much compressed air is actually in the cans? I hate using them for long periods, they got awful cold, as if you need to have gloves on or something!

Nice find, just ordered 4, now i just need to find a place selling thermal paste

Cans of compressed air

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