Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!ihnp4!mit-eddie!smh From: smh@mit-eddie.UUCP (Steven M. Haflich) Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.apple Subject: Re: How do clean motherboards? Message-ID: <2776@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Tue, 25-Sep-84 20:12:05 EDT Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.2776 Posted: Tue Sep 25 20:12:05 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Sep-84 04:26:52 EDT References: <196@ssc-bee.UUCP> Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 20 IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT! Think about it: If a machine or board is working properly, nothing you do to it is likely to improve the situation. So don't risk immersion in solvents or physical manipulation to clean contacts. Even gentle manpulation can break component leads, and many solvents leave behind worse deposits than they remove. However, dust and various airborn grime definitely can be deleterious to boards. First, dirt can attract or retain moisture, leading to corrosion as well as current leakage paths. Second, and more important, accumulated dust can significantly reduce air circulation around and beneath chips, thereby reducing cooling, thereby increasing operating temperature, thereby increasing the liklihood of component failure. So it can pay to clean grime from boards, but only if it can be done nonobtrusively. The best idea is to vacuum, or better, *blow*, loose dust from boards, being careful not to touch components with the vacuum cleaner. Of course, anytime you use a vacuum cleaner you are raising are making airborn numerous microscopic particles, so power off all rotating media and either cover removable magnetic media, or better, remove them from the room.