dust filter materials

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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shleepy
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dust filter materials

Post by shleepy » Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:30 pm

I am getting a Silverstone Sugo SG05 case for a mini-ITX build. One problem that I see is that the case is too well ventilated... There's a 120mm in the front (with a filter, I think), and big areas with holes on both sides of the case, and on top. The room in which I'll be using it gets very dusty very quickly. Therefore, I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of cooling for good dust protection. At the very least, it NEEDS to be on top of the case.

So, what are some good materials or places to get filters, perhaps ones that strike a balance between airflow, dust capturing abilities, cleanability, etc? I wouldn't think that something like modder's mesh would do the trick, would it? The other option I was thinking about would be to block off the top completely, with something like fiber film from MNPCtech.

Thanks!

Olle P
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Post by Olle P » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:37 pm

You should be able to find generic engine filters for vacuum cleaners, roughly 15x20cm in size, at a fair cost. (Look in the supermarket where they have accessories for vacuum cleaners.)

That's what I use and it works great!

Cheers
Olle

Aris
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Post by Aris » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:35 am

Heres a site that will make custom sized pleated air filters that will fit a 120mm fan perfectly.

http://www.airfilterusa.com/custom.html

I think if you go with like MERV7, you can get a pack of 12 for around $90 shipped.

relitz
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Post by relitz » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:32 pm

Blocking of big vents that you don't want dust entering from is a good idea, its what I would do. It actually helps you control your airflow since you will be minimizing the number of places where air can enter.

baconandeggs
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Post by baconandeggs » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:08 pm

for a cheap alternative stockings can do the trick ;)

SteveRCE
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Post by SteveRCE » Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:40 pm

I use single or doubled up, slightly offset fiberglass door screening. You can stitch them together once you find the proper alignment (though I don't bother.) They are easy to make, easy to clean (moist cloth), and cheap to replace. Did I mention cheap? It can be found at home depot by the doors & counter-top section for right around $5. A single roll will last a very long time. However, a single piece of the smallest stuff should do just fine for anything you need.

If anyone has any finer alternatives, please do let me know. I've been looking for something comparable to the P180 fan filter hole diameter.

curtisfong
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filter foam

Post by curtisfong » Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:12 pm


oldabelincoln
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Post by oldabelincoln » Mon Feb 16, 2009 1:36 am

I've just been looking for such material at McMaster-Carr, and comparing with two different filters designed for computer use, and with window screening.

My current build-in-progress is in a Solo, and the front filter has 24 holes per inch. These appear to be round holes punched into a sheet in lines rather than holes made by the nature of a fabric such as screening.

A Lian-Li perforated bay cover has a filter that uses something that looks similar to fiberglass screening, but with 30 holes to the inch.

Fiberglass window screening has 15 holes per inch. We use an exhaust fan in our house, and by the end of the summer, the main intake window screen is full of dust, so window screening can certainly catch at least outdoor dust.

McMaster-Carr offers a wide variety of screening material, and I've just ordered some fabric screening at both 24 holes to the inch and 30 holes to the inch.

By the way, if you want to count the holes per inch in your favorite filter without going nuts, try scanning the filter along with a ruler. Then you can check off each hole as you count it using either a printed version and a pen, or on the computer in a paint program, marking with a fine brush. Both work fine for me.

thejamppa
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Post by thejamppa » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:16 am

DIY solution is stockings...

SteveRCE
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Post by SteveRCE » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:31 am

thejamppa wrote:DIY solution is stockings...
I've used those free ankle socks found in shoe stores in the past, but they are just too flimsy, so buy real nylon stockings if you plan to do it. However, since I don't use canned air or a vacuum to clean dust filters (allergies, dust gets re-circulated in the room), I prefer a moist paper towel or napkin, so nylon fabric is out. I think I'll check out a few vendors in the area for a higher density 'hole per inch' screening in their catalogs.

server_rack
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Stop the dust before it gets to your equipment

Post by server_rack » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:51 am

Although our XRackPro2 noise reducing enclosure may be expensive just for air filtration, many people have purchased them just for stopping dust... and they did not care about the noise reduction the XRackPro2 was primarily designed for.

We added air filtration to our enclosure cabinets about a year ago as an extra benefit, not realizing it would become the main benefit to many.

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