Old tech told me to stop using canned air on avionics boxes

When I started 5 years ago a mechanic named Hank said canned air just pushes dust deeper into components and causes intermittent faults later. I thought he was just being grumpy until I had to pull a comm panel three times in one month that kept acting up. Finally cleaned it with a proper vacuum and static-safe brush and it's been fine since. Anyone else ditched canned air for something better?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_wright4d ago

Has anyone else heard that compressed air can actually force moisture into sensitive electronics too? I read a service bulletin that warned about condensation inside sealed units when you use canned air. So I switched to a small handheld vacuum with a brush attachment for my work, no more issues.

avery3664d ago

My first year I was all about canned air, figured Hank was just old school. Then I had a weather radar controller throw a "data lost" fault after I cleaned it. Took three trips to figure out that little blast of cold air had shifted a tiny piece of foil tape inside, covering a sensor. Switched to a static-safe brush and a vacuum that day. That same radar unit has been solid for over a year now.