Protecting Electronics in Your Smoking Room

[ZeroContent]

So I'm in the middle of building a new house where I will have a giant office which will, hopefully, double as my smoking room except I have a little problem. I'm not sure how to protect my electronics, IE computers that actively intake air, from smoke damage. I used to work as a computer tech way back when and I've gotten computers from smokers houses and once you open them up there is caked on gunk everywhere in there, cleaning them is a pain in the ass and doesn't really help the life of the machine.

Any suggestions?

-Eric

 

[RDPipes]

So I'm in the middle of building a new house where I will have a giant office which will, hopefully, double as my smoking room except I have a little problem.  I'm not sure how to protect my electronics, IE computers that actively intake air, from smoke damage.  I used to work as a computer tech way back when and I've gotten computers from smokers houses and once you open them up there is caked on gunk everywhere in there, cleaning them is a pain in the ass and doesn't really help the life of the machine.

Any suggestions?

-Eric

Short of smoking outside I see no way unless you can devise a thin filter (paper towel etc.) for your intake fans. Although if you can put a effective exhaust fan in the room you'll not only eliminate the smoke residue in the PC but, on everything else.

 

[Retrogasm]

Ventilation, once you disregard temperature and re use, is a pretty simple beast. You might run into a few hurdles depending on what kind of ventilation you're installing in your new house. I'd say your goal should be to create a negative air pressure in that room, and to place the source of that negative pressure as far from the intended placement of the computers as possible.

You're going to have trouble if you're putting in a balanced ventilation system with both supply and exhaust though. In that case, and since you're building your house new, you might consider de-coupling your particular room from the main ventilation system and doing it Cart's way with a simple exhaust fan with an adjustable rate that can be revved up for when you're smoking and then set back down to just (silently) supply fresh air otherwise. This'd necessitate a fresh air intake somewhere in the outer wall though.

Sorry for rambling, I work with ventilation and I've been thinking about how to prepare a room for smoking for myself as well.

 

[Hermit]

Window fan. :twisted:

 

[Richard Burley]

I'm fairly close to a bathroom where I smoke. I just turn on the exhaust fan when smoking something a tad nasty. (No wacky baccy jokes, please.) The rest of the time I don't give a damn. I asked my computer guy about this and he just shrugged. But he smokes--and also sells new computers.

 

[Aristokles]

Window fan. :twisted:

There you go. Since he's building the structure, put office in corner and install large windows for cross-ventilation. Hope for mild winters.

 

[deathmetal]

I'm not sure how to protect my electronics, IE computers that actively intake air, from smoke damage.

I do not suggest putting a direct filter on the computer. If it gunks, for example a few dust bunnies, your temp can peak and create a silicon roast.

The suggestions for fans here are good. In particular, if you have cross ventilation or are able to keep smoke above waist level, your CPU should be fine.

If you want the 100% bulletproof solution, here it is: make yourself a small server room and keep the CPUs in that. I know a fellow who built a 3x5 room which he pressed his desk against, and had all his equipment in there.

Another option is to water-cool your equipment and seal the boxes.

 

[puros_bran]

How many of those computers you took apart was from a pipe a day, or even a ten pipe a day pipe smoker?

 

[deathmetal]

How many of those computers you took apart was from a pipe a day, or even a ten pipe a day pipe smoker?

I have taken apart machines from several pipe smokers. Although the mess is lessened, it's still bad. I did not get a chance to question them if they smoked anything else.

This video shows a more extreme version of what you get:

imgur.com/SHFfnhM

 

[Brewdude]

I've been smoking literally in front of my PC for years with no issues. The tower is on the same table as the monitor, about 3' away from me.

To me it's a non-issue. <shrug>


Cheers,

RR

 

[Richard Burley]

I've been smoking literally in front of my PC for years with no issues. The tower is on the same table as the monitor, about 3' away from me.

To me it's a non-issue. <shrug>


Cheers,

RR

Ditto, although my tower is on the floor, slightly elevated so it doesn't suck up dust. Or so I think.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Convection venting.............

A slow spinning fan up near the ceiling venting out, Hardware at the lower 3 feet. You could smoke into zero visibility where you sit and not get anything into the towers. Heat rises. Smoke follows. No worries...