Stocking for a Tower (A Filter)
 

Okay, "stocking" is an odd choice of vocabulary, but it isn't far off what I am thinking of --- and it did catch your eye, didn't it?

My colleague on the other side of the planet has a feline type animal and that feline type animal is very likely the cause of my colleague's fan motor going bonkers and my colleague is a female human type and her own hair might very likely be part of the problem.

This tower unit, from memory as I type, has a fair bit of slits, but I'll poke around and find the unit ID number so we can be sure about size and all other useful information.

BUT that isn't too important right now, because I am wondering if, in fact, a lot of folks have a nice tower unit down around floor level that is drawing in all sorts of interesting items from animals --- both human and all other animals --- but mostly hair.

Point is this can't really be such a rare case. So I am thinking a kind of filter that simply covers the whole tower with appropriate gaps/holes for this and that or some such arrangement and of course an open front so access to that area is easy.

Has anybody ever heard or read about any sort of weird filter like that?

In addition to the filtering for keeping hair out of the motor area and that spinning crank for the spinning of the blades I also know that simple dust collecting on fan blades reduces the efficiency of those blades to do their work, so a filter also helps for that purpose.

Anyway, the stocking filter --- know of any such thing?

Appreciate the assistance, folks.

Not a good idea, anything that restricts airflow is likely to cause overheating, your idea of some sort of filtering for a device that has been designed not to have such a filter will reduce airflow to the detriment of the computer.

One more point, a computer should be located above floor level, not just to reduce animal hair but also household dust ingress. Dust tends to settle on the floor and placing a computer that has air sucked into it for cooling purposes will also cause dust to be sucked in.

Firstly, thank you for your input, Ned Seagoon.

Secondly, an apology for being slow putting up the model number. it is XIGMATEK's HELIOS XTK231.

I just refreshed my memory and this unit doesn't just have a few slits, or whatever all those holes might be called --- it has many and more.

Also I decided to do a quick search engine on air flow reduction when using filters and that was when I saw an absolutely great idea somebody had posted and I kick myself for not thinking of it before I started this thread -- women's stockings.

Especially when they are stretched, they are simply not going to reduce the airflow enough to make the use of that a hazard, BUT the dust that collects has to be cleaned often. Well, and any hairs.

Oh yes, I am not at all sure my colleague is able to move the tower to a higher location and as she lives in an earthquake danger area I also would not view that as safe, unless she were to somehow anchor the tower after she figured out in what manner to get it up higher. There is an age/health factor involved, also.

But I do feel like a real fool, because women's stockings are the answer. Very sorry about that everyone.

Cat hair and dander is the worst (compared to dogs - except, maybe, some hounds) because it tends to be more oily - thus sticky. This is compounded if the user smokes when using the computer too. You almost need to scrape that stuff off with a putty knife! :(

My advice is for your friend to get a different case, one that has removable, washable air filters. Then be sure to check them regularly and clean as needed.

Until then, ensuring the case fans produce a small amount of "over" pressure in the case helps tremendously. Over pressure occurs when the case intake fans pull more air in than the exhaust fans (including the PSUs) push out. This over pressure forces all the intake air to flow in through those vents in front of the fans (where there is - hopefully - a filter) instead of in through every (unfiltered) crack, crevice, slot and port.

With "under" pressure, a slight vacuum is created and that causes air (and all the dust, hair and dander floating in it) to be pulled in through all those unfiltered openings.

I agree that adding a filter to a case not originally designed to support filters can create a heat build up problem. That said, there are aftermarket filters just for that purpose, as seen here. However, heat would have to be monitored and it may be necessary to add another case fan to compensate for the added restriction. And of course, the filters would require regular inspections and cleaning as necessary.

I also agree to keep computers up off the floor. That said, just 3 - 6 inches up off the floor can make a world of difference. Elevating it a few inches can also protect the computer from wayward vacuum cleaners, swinging feet, and wet carpet.

Looks like I was terribly impolite and did not thank you Digerati for posting your ideas.

Please excuse me for that impoliteness.

AND, I should add that the situation has yet to be resolved with that lady's computer, except I believe she did state she had elevated it a fair bit, per some advice above about getting the thing above some of the stuff that was flying around at lower altitude.

As I type this I remember that we had also agreed that she could have the tower properly cleaned by the folks that sold it to her and I think I remember correctly they were going to be charging her a reasonable sum but I seem to remember some question about them being sure they could assure her they would not mess it up and if something went wrong they would fix whatever it was and return it to her in good working order.

I also remember now that I looked over what was showing in that link you offered up there Digerati and that I was properly impressed with what I was viewing. I suspect that was some months ago, though.

This is all starting to come back to me as I type these words.

I really was starting to just say thank you and apologize for being so late with the 'thank you' but now I am going on and on, aren't I?

But it is the fault of my fingers, not me. They are lonely too often and get carried away when I ask them to type something for me, especially if it is on a forum.