I asked around a bit, and the best answer was this from an engineer co-worker:
There is no significant difference between blowing air and sucking air. However, people are used to vacuuming by *touching* the thing being vacuumed with the hose. People generally don't touch the hose blowing air to anything. It is undoubtedly touching or getting very close that would allow any static build-up to arc. On 5/1/07, Tom Piwowar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Here Mr. Langa says, "It's generally best not to use a vacuum cleaner inside >a very dirty PC, though: Vacuuming heavy dust accumulations can generate a >static charge and may damage your PC's electronics. Blowing dust with >compressed air is messier, but carries a lower risk of static discharge >inside the case." This makes no sense. Moving air is moving air. Blowing compressed gas is no more likely to generate static than sucking with a motor drive. If moving air caused static then the cooling fans that are in the computer would be creating static too. This is another of those urban legend things. ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
-- John DeCarlo, My Views Are My Own ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
