Winter Has Arrived… Here’s How To Keep Your Computer Clean

Computers have to be kept in a specific environment to function efficiently. Cold, dust and excessive humidity all can damage and lessen the performance of a computer. External and internal temperatures especially cause fluctuations of performance. Here are three major winter factors on your computer maintenance. We recommend your computer should be cleaned every three months, including during winter.

Climate factors affecting your computer’s performance:

Humidity + Dust – any dust that gets into your computer will turn into mud and after a while the fans get stuck up. The fans will get louder and less effective, eventually causing computer failure. The solution is to keep the surrounding area clear of dust as far as possible and clean out the inside of the computer more regularly than a normal in the winter season.

Humidity + Components – most computer components won’t stand up to the cold and damp. If computers get too cold when left powered off, their components can be damaged upon rebooting because the electricity heats the circuit. As electricity travels through a circuit, it heats rapidly and causes the matter to expand. Rapid expansion, when close to matter that remains the same size, distorts it. This can bend or break component. Laptop displays are especially vulnerable to cold weather; they have liquid crystals that can freeze. In winter season, please turn on your dehumidifier and heater to minimise damage to your computer gears.

Cold – repeatedly starting a PC from cold is going to cause a lot of problem. The ideal operating temperature of a computer’s environment ranges from 10 degrees to 27 degrees, though it should be as close as possible to room temperature, 22 degrees. If the room is too cold, moisture can cause internal condensation; water damages running electrical components.