(by 2 people)
Warning to All the Cigarette Smokers Out There
I have seen computers die prematurely from 2nd hand smoke. What most people don't realize that while they are chain smoking for hours in front of their system, their computer is sucking in the ailments. Electronics are hot, and naturally create an environment for dust to collect around its circuitry. What makes cigarette smoke the worse kind of "dust" is that it isn't dry. The smoke carries moisture with it.
So in time, the smoke and all of its by-products attach themselves to the computers fans, heatsinks, capacitors, and anything else that has heat. Apart from this, smoke changes the color of the exterior of the computer. This includes the keyboard, monitor (really rough on LCD screens), mouse, and any other component exposed to the open air.
In this lens you will see visuals of what happens to a CPU heatsink. In this case, the computer is 3 years old, overheated, and motherboard gave up.
Hopefully after reading this lens, you may consider twice before lighting up in front of your system, unless you like throwing away your money on new computers often.
What Does Cigarette Smoke Do?
See the Picture Below.......
Having an air purifier beside your computer, will help with air pollution. It isn't going to keep it completely clean, but will help if your going to be smoking near it.
Air Purifiers
Inside the computer
Focusing in on the CPU Heatsink
In this case, being that the heatsink is packed with cigarette soot, how well do you think it is going be able to breath and keep the CPU cool?
If you answered, not well, then you are right. The side effect to this kind of build up is the fan being slowed down due to resistance and internal wear and tear.
Could Altogether Stop Smoking :)
Up Close w/Fan and Heatsink
Let's Have Even a Closer Look
At this time, may I add, that it is a very stinky job to clean this stuff off. I am not a smoker, so I hate it all the more. I will explain some cleaning techniques later in this lens.
A major problem with cigarette smoke, is that it creates a layer of soot on the motherboard (gummy and sticky.) When this happens, there is a high probability that a short circuit will happen. The computer these pictures came from, this happened.
Heatsink with Fan Removed
Side of Heatsink with Fan Removed
Cleaning Stuff
Cleaning the Mess
For any smoker, I recommend cleaning your computer out every 6 months. If your not comfortable doing the cleaning yourself, then have a technician do this for you.
Next, I would go outdoors, or in your garage where you don't care if this crude gets on stuff and blow out all the loose particles. Next you will be cleaning in and out of components for a long time with cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol. Be careful not to bend or break any small components. Don't leave any wet residue behind. After cleaning the system, let it set for an hour to ensure the rubbing alcohol has evaporated.
Thanks for Stopping By.
jdttni wrote...
Great squidoo lens! I personally run an online electronic cigarette guide. It's a great tobacco replacement product and I highly recommend it.
Posted December 13, 2008
BookNow wrote...
Great lens! Please visit my lens and tell me what you think about it!
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Posted December 10, 2008
Daniel wrote
John: What's wrong with getting a new computer? LANDFILLS. WASTE. Everyone should just quit smoking. Just quit!
Posted October 06, 2008
John wrote
What's wrong with purchasing a new computer every few years. It's nice to upgrade like buying a new car. Oh yeah and that new monitor on special down the road. But realistically if you open up and clean your fan and processor every six or twelve months you're going to get quiet a few years out of it, and by then there will be new and better toys on the market.
Posted August 16, 2008
Squidologist wrote...
Don't be ridiculous... there is no such thing as second-hand smoke! Nice Lens.
-Michael
PS Just kidding about the second-hand smoke. :) Smoking = death... for computers too.
Posted August 10, 2008
If You Liked This Lens, Then You Will Also Enjoy These Websites
Thanks for reading this lens, if you like the information on this page then you will like the information that can be found at the following websites:
http://www.ryansccs.com: Visit the free help pages as well as all the other resources.
http://hard-drives.ryansccs.com: Site is dedicated to helping the average "Joe" to understand what a hard drive is and how important it is to backup often. This site will also help with data recovery solutions as well as a large list of common questions relating to hard drives and other storage devices.
