What filter materail? Scotchbright pad or A/C filter

[johnb_az]

Hi all,

I am putting together two computers and using the Antec Lanboy case. I want to add some form of filter for the intake fan and fitted a piece of air condition filter. I have read the sanding pads made by scotchbright work well also. Which would be the best to use for a filter to give the best airflow and keeping dust out?

Thanks,
John B
Phx,AZ

[huneycutt]

I'd say the AC filter would offer the least air flow restriction and do a good filtering job. I tried using a scrub pad (don't know the name) about 1/8" inch thick and when I put it in place the air flow was considerably reduced.

You can find them at nexfan dirt cheap so why not get one made for the job? http://www.nexfan.com/fanguca.html

[FIZZ3]

The amount of air that the material lets through is indeed an important aspect. Maybe you could compare pieces of filtering material is to put them on the 'tube' of a vacuum cleaner one by one and see what its pressure display indicates. If there's a reasonable difference between the two it may show there. Just a wild idea. :)

[archilochus]

If it needs to be a thin filter you can use panty hose.:D
A/C fiters work fine too! THE FANMAN:cool:

[infotree]

Go to your local Home Depot and pick up a package of floor vent filters. I've been using these in my computers for years.

Inexpensive, already precut in the package to 4" by 12" (I get 12 filters in my packaging). You just need to cut these to your required length. My case has two lower front intakes stacked on top of each other. I put them behind cases front plastic bezel in front of metal grate openings over the two fans secured with a little piece of aluminum tape at bottom of front edge of case.

As they get dirty over time, I just replace them every couple of months.

[huneycutt]

"My case has two lower front intakes stacked on top of each other." I read somewhere stacking didn't increase the air flow at all. Anyone care to comment?

[dz]

he means 2 openings next to each other, not 2 fans on one opening.

[larva]

Let's put it this way: if you wanted to scrub the rust off a pan would you use an air filter?

[EgeWorks]

I use speaker mesh. The stuff you get at audio shops for protecting the front of speakers (If it wasn't obvious). It hardly restricts airflow and catches most of the dust in my room. I just have a pair and swap them over when one gets dirty, wash the other one and cycle them like that.

[Smirabi]

egeworks, i have often thought about using speakermesh for that purpose, but i wondered how good a job does it really do at filtering? when you say it catches most of the dust in your room, are you measuring that by looking at your filter or looking at the inside of your case to see if dust is getting in?

[EgeWorks]

Well I ran my previous system for six months 24/7 and swapped the filters around once every 1-2 weeks. When I sold the machine I opened it up to see how dusty it was and it was totally clean. No dust at all. It is pretty dusty in my room too.

The mesh I used was the cloth sort of stuff, not the plastic type. I made a little frame out of coathanger type wire to keep it taught.

[PachManP]

Originally posted by FIZZ3
The amount of air that the material lets through is indeed an important aspect. Maybe you could compare pieces of filtering material is to put them on the 'tube' of a vacuum cleaner one by one and see what its pressure display indicates. If there's a reasonable difference between the two it may show there. Just a wild idea. :)

That'd be a good test if you had some sort of good pressure gauge...

Mabye if someone who has one could do a really big roundup of all sorts of filter materials and test them for air flow restriction

[fhanderson]

Washable AC filter from Lowes, Home Depot $3-4, enough to do several computers without a lot of lose fibers.

[ZaP37]

Just take some dryer sheets (http://apachechemical.safeshopper.com/images/bw0ql0ss.jpg) and run them for two or three loads. When they're new and unused they don't let much air through, but the airflow restriction diminishes each time you put them through the dryer. They also make your case (and room, if you have lots of airflow) smell good... :p

[FIZZ3]

Originally posted by PachManP


That'd be a good test if you had some sort of good pressure gauge...

Mabye if someone who has one could do a really big roundup of all sorts of filter materials and test them for air flow restriction

Yeah hehe, my particular vacuum cleaner does have one, though I'm not sure how accurate it is. :)

[huneycutt]

Originally posted by larva
Let's put it this way: if you wanted to scrub the rust off a pan would you use an air filter?

It's called good ole American ingenuity and mankinds inner drive to try whatever and see if it works. From all outward appearances the scrubber I used looked very porus like a good candidate for a filter, but apparently such was not the case.
Now I know, and as the old clique goes, "Nothing ventured nothing gained."

"If you ain't livin' in the edge you're not close enough, so move over. . . . . "

[skou]

I've used the Scotchbrite pads on my Lego case, it has 9 92 MM fans on the intake, and they worked just fine. I'm using 3 pads on my NF7 radiator, and they also work good. Besides, at 10 for a dollar, they are dirt cheap.

I just blow them out with an air compressor, or hit them with a shop-vac. Don't even hold them in place, the airflow sucks them in place.

steve

[larva]

Originally posted by huneycutt


It's called good ole American ingenuity and mankinds inner drive to try whatever and see if it works. From all outward appearances the scrubber I used looked very porus like a good candidate for a filter, but apparently such was not the case.
Now I know, and as the old clique goes, "Nothing ventured nothing gained."

"If you ain't livin' in the edge you're not close enough, so move over. . . . . "

You're rather missing the point. The point is, home AC filters are specifically engineered to do one thing--filter air. Air filters are not such a mysterious thing that they can't design a proper one. If a scotchbrite pad made a better air filter, guess what? Air filters would be scotchbrite pads.

It never fails to amuse me what people will try to use for an air filter. Panty hose, socks, all manner of scrubbing materials, anything, repeat anything, EXCEPT an air filter. It's one thing to think outside the box, but that implies an action not present here.

[huneycutt]

Hey Dude, maybe YOU missed the point because this website site is ABOUT experimentation and sharing what works or doesn't work for us . . . DDUHH?

If you go back and read my very first reply to John I shared where-to-get the filters from nexfan.com custom made for computer fans, BUT I decided to try a pot scrubber and again shared the results of my experiment and in the post before yours SKOU said the scrubbers work for him. In any event, I do not feel experimenting with different potential air filter materials is anything to take issue with or put anyone down for, certainly not the computer crime of the century.

"It never fails to amuse me what people will try to use for an air filter. Panty hose, socks, all manner of scrubbing materials, anything, repeat anything, EXCEPT an air filter. It's one thing to think outside the box, but that implies an action not present here."

Now that just wuz TOOOO good Larval. Seems to me your "think outside the box" finger pointing reverts to your side of the fence because those of us sharing the different materials we tried clearly indicates we have the ingenuity and drive to step, and think, outside the box. But then, I reckon there are those that never heard of anything but the missionary position. HeHeHeHe . . . .

[larva]

Why don't you try a home AC filter and tell me just how profitable the excercise of your thought machine was then. There's nothing wrong with experimentation, buy it would get you a lot better results to try different types of air filters rather than trying to re-invent the filter itself.

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2251714#post2251714

[huneycutt]

The most inherent beauty of my fellow man is we are all different and to each his own. There are those of us that take on the inventor-experimentors "let's try this and see if it works" personality and what the heck, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The wife had a new scrubber under the sink and I saw it and wheels started turning and I thought H m m m m . . . .

OK, we beat this enough so let's be friends and move on.
Leaving on vacation tomorrow so have to get packed and ready to Boogie on Down to Universal Studios & Disney. OldBird

[harryinny3]

They are static charged, So just use em on case fans. They work Great. They work like butter. For the price, You get tons of filters and you can even wash em if ya want. Ill tell ya, Ive tried everything Including pantyhose and ac filters. And the floor vent filters airflow is Great.

Harry

[Optic]

I hope these things are not too thick.. .I gotta pick up a pack of them.

[itshondo]

bump