Compressed air.. refillable alt?

SO, I went through another compressed air can and don't feel like spending 5-10 dollars on a can of compression..
I have a 9oz CO2 tank, can that be fitted to any kind of trigger release mechanism? I saw that you used to be able to buy disposable CO2 cans with them as a cleaner, but its been a while since I saw one for sale.
Asked elsewhere but no one seems to know.

 

Got to local home improvement store, buy a cheap compressor & air tool.

Its not only reusable, but its much stronger and better at what it does plus you can use it for other air tools, inflating tires etc.

The can air is useless to me, but i can take a desktop and make it dust free in a few minutes with a air compressor, even has the force needed to blow out those extended heatsinks inside gpus.

 

Yyyeaah, that would be super if I had a job. Hopefully one day that's the route I'll take but, not this day.

 

Harbor freight has really cheap air compressors. I mean really cheap.

 

Make sure there is not contaminants in the air oil/water before you use a compressor, old compressors build up a lot of water and have to be drained.

 

i know they have refillable canisters a friend has one he fills it with compressed air and solvent as he does lots of transmissions work. might come in handy to fill it with air and rubbing alky for cleaning some of the dirtier more detailed components.

 

You can always try a rocket blower such as is used for camera cleaning. I've used mine on my laptop very successfully - and to be honest, as a result won't ever buy "compressed air" (or rather a propane/butane mix in most cases) again for quite some time to come.

 

I don't know what "Harbour Freight" is, not around here.
I don't have a compressor, so no sense worrying about its cleanliness.
Still no indication on the hardware/location of. Might have to consult with *shudder* store personnel.

 

Harbor Freight is something like a hardware surperstore; it's kinda like how Home Depot/Lowe's is to Harbor Freight as Walmart is to Sam's Club (though HF doesn't have membership fees, iirc).

 

I have a rocket blower, I would use it over compressed air since it does not have that problem with cold or being turned upside down and its totally reusable over and over.

However it still cant do anything the air compressor can as far as power and versatility. It would dust off something but not clean out.

 

This might be a solution as well: Amazon.com: Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac 500-Watt, 0.75-HP Electric Duster: Home Improvement.

 

That Metro Vacuum has caught my eye before. Too bad shipping costs to are simply ridiculous and there is no dealer in EU for those.

 

The pictures of the rocket blower look like its hand powered?

Metro vac's price is way out of line for me. Otherwise its perfect lol

 

Yes, and uses the air around you.
You can get fancy ones with air filter and not what for cameras (and then they cost a lot, e.g. Visibledust), but there are plenty of simple ones around.

 

Harbor Freight is like a supermarket that sells only tools.

 

that 9oz bottle you have has a reg on it and it will put out around 800psi in pressure dont think you want to use that on a PC......
Those bottles are used to play paintball with. I have several of those but never thought about it. I think best way to make sure everybody is save go and get a cheap compressor and a blow gun and then you will have a happy and save cleaning.....
my 0.02

 

Try Ur vacuum cleaner if you have the kind with hose attachments. This will sometimes do the job if you use it over the fan, not from the vents. Whatever, try not to let your fans over rev, jam 'em with a toothpick or other.

You can use your CO2 but proper fittings puts you above a can of air. If you have many uses for air, VUSMC reply about a compressor is ideal when funds permit.

 

Amazon.com: Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac 500-Watt, 0.75-HP Electric Duster: Home Improvement

I use this.

 

A 9oz paintball tank is too small to be worth your while. Regulator + Fittings will probably cost you more.

Disposable cans are expensive in the long run. An air compressor with the cheapest way, convenient with 101 uses too. The air is filtered for moisture too, for sensitive electronics.

Heres what i use in the office. Just a small compressor with a blow gun, saved me thousands by now.

 

Alright, well seems the fingers are all pointing 1 direction.
What's an air compressor cost, roughly?

 

A quick amazon reference search:

Amazon.com: Campbell Hausfeld FP209499 3-Gallon Air Compressor: Home Improvement $89

+ a blow gun (optional)

Amazon.com: Campbell Hausfeld MP5143 Pistol Grip Blowgun: Home Improvement $6

You can probably get it for cheaper at a hardware/automotive store

 

I personally would not buy an air compressor just to clean my computer, but since I have one its the only way to do it.

Definitely need one of those air guns or similar.

If you can justify having one for other reasons like inflating tires, an air ratchet for working on your car, or an air cutter, Impact wrench.

There are lots of air tools out there that are extremely useful especially if you work on your own car.

I have a bigger one at home but at work we have a tiny one that is pretty much made just for inflating and small jobs and I think it was only $50 and came with some simple air tools.

Be sure to never blow air into a fan without holding the fan in place it will spin too fast and can do damage to things.

 

Your 9oz CO2 is OK if you have the round tank on/off valve, if so read on, if not save for a compressor

This is my go to setup when my brother has, yet again, bummed my air compressor. The set up shown was $30 but only tank valve and longer hose and restrictor used for cleaning. Not shown is the jet nozzle with 1/8” flow restrictor and tire inflation valve. For small quick cleaning jobs, it works better than my compressor. You don’t need power and very portable for the small jobs. I’m not using a regulator; just a restrictor on the end a HP hose for flow control and safety. A lose air or CO2 hose can beat you to death. A wide open valve, and no restrictor, will send your laptop fans across the room which would happen with a wide open air tank or defective regulator.

One poster mentioned the 800 psi part…for this reason you do not want a cheap 80 psi on/off nozzle show with regulated air compressors. I found this not needed for blast air cleaning, continue reading. The $1 brass drilled restrictor is a plug found in any hardware store which you drill to size in 5 minutes. You can just use a smaller hose as well. This serves as a flow regulator attached to low pressure air compressors.

Though not as good as nitrogen this thing works fantastic for bike tires. Car tires are fine but will empty the small tanks after several tires. This was real popular, not too long ago, due to high price of quality compressors. The liquid expands to 800 psi gas so there is a good bit of low pressure volume here. The method is inject short burst then check with pressure gauge.

Of course, improper use, lack of understanding, a bad air pressure regulator or improperly maintained air compressor can have far greater consequences over a $3 can of air.

So, depending on intended use, the CO2 tanks are a viable option if you have some of the items on hand.

 

Holy Shnikeys, that's the info I was looking for, more or less. Though this DIY solution is a bit over my head, and still not the financial savior I was seeking. My tank didn't even come with a valve so sadly, I'm back at square 1. +rep though.