Figuring out your airflow (tip)

[Iron Hawk]

This works for people with windows only. (a temp. window such as a piece of plexi. replaced for the side of case will work also)

Burn some incense in front of one of your intake fans. Watch the smoke (through the window) as it drifts through your system and out the exhaust fans. The places that the smoke goes are places that have good airflow. Be sure to try it at each intake fan.

It would be a good idea to remove your filters first.

-Hawk

 

[Derevirn]

I had the exact same idea a few months ago !

It works just fine but it's a bit freaky to watch all this smoke in your case !

 

[KingB]

Great Idea,

I have a smoke pencil (used for detecting air leakage in buildings) that I'm going to try.

I'll try to take some pics (hopefully it will show up).

 

[Hoot]

If the air flow through your case is slow enough to see the smoke separate into areas of good and bad circulation, then you need a lot more through-case circulation than you have.

Hoot

 

[CrystalMethod]

Great Idea,

I have a smoke pencil (used for detecting air leakage in buildings) that I'm going to try.

I'll try to take some pics (hopefully it will show up).

Where can I get one of those? I tried ye olde cigarette thing but the airflow in my case is too high and disperses the smoke too quickly.

 

[Iron Hawk]

This type of thing works very similar to a smoke pencil:
http://www.sensidyne.com/Tube/Tubessmoke_tubes.htm

 

[KingB]

Hey CrystalMethod,

Heres some info for you,

A smoke pencil is actually quite expensive (around $85 CAD for thwhole kit). We use them at work to identify problematic mechanical systems. (ie: building pressurization, leaky air barriers etc...) You could probably get them at a industrial supply place. Heres a place we get them in Canada.

Acklands-Granger

They work really well for testing the mechanical ventilation of large buildings and some of these systems can really move air, so I am sure they would also work in a computer case.

They work off a chemical reaction in a tube and the smoke leaves no residue. I think they would work great for a computer case.

 

[seeker]

If the air flow through your case is slow enough to see the smoke separate into areas of good and bad circulation, then you need a lot more through-case circulation than you have.

Got to agree with Hoot, if you're moving enough air to cool decently (at least 200-300cfm)you won't even see the smoke. If you do put in enough smoke to see airflow you're gonna set off the smoke alarm rapidlyimho

 

[Hoot]

You don't even need that much velocity. Even an honest 50cfm replaces all the air in your case about every 3-4 seconds.

Hoot

 

[KingB]

The smoke used in a smoke pencil is unlike regular smoke in that it doen't have particulate matter, so it doesn't set off smoke alarms. It is very visible, and it is harmless. It works for high volume ventilations systems in buildings (I don't mean a house, more like an industrial building with specialized mechanical requirements) so I don't see why it wouldn't in our cases. Like I said, I will bring one home from work and let you guys know the results.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I've seen these things called smoke matches that gas engineers use to check for draught etc, they give off a fairly thick plume for a short time, but probably only as much as say 3 decently chunky incense sticks together.

Road Warrior

 

[stool]

The time I tried it, I did find "dead" spots where little or no air was circulating. Gave me ideas about where to place and/or relocate fans.

 

[RoadWarrior]

By the way, if you've got filters to take off, the airflow you see without them isn't necessarily the airflow you get with them. So maybe you'd wanna find something that gives off a very fine particulate smoke so your filters don't stop it.

Road Warrior