Is smoking harmful to computer equipment?

Just wanting to know because certain people love to smoke when using the computer.

 

Yes, it is.

Dust build up inside your PC increases the heat level by reducing airflow and insulating the components. Over time, this causes premature failure due to overheating or short circuiting of component through the dust layer. Smoke particles are just like dust particles except that they're sticky. Now that layer of dust depositing inside your PC is a layer of adhesive dust. Dust build-up occurs much, much faster because of the increase in the number of particles as well as the fact that so many are now sticky.

You can easily see the kind of dust build-up smoke causes by looking at a smoker's TV screen. Wipe your finger across it, and your finger will be covered in a brown, slightly sticky dust.

 

In short, it's not only harmful, it's lethal.

 

Da Chicken has given an excellent summation. Look at a smoker who rolls their own and look at the stains on their fingers, or more exotically we may all know someone who uses a bong and look at the staining you see on the rim. Imagine this on the components of your comp. I am a roll your own smoker but would never smoke in front of my comp, wife or kids because it will impair them!!

 

Just a short time ago, I had a friend ask me to install a DVD D/L burner in their computer. I had built it for them about 2 yrs ago. They are a smoking family.

Not only did it stink inside the box, the tar from the smoke was actually like glue that held every bit of dust. It was disgusting. The fans were so bad I had do take them all out and clean them.

Where you would normally figure on blowing the dust out of the box, this was caked on like tar and feathers. YUK!

Great way to shorten the life of the computer!

 

Many years ago I lent my desktop to a heavy smoker while I was overseas in Africa for 18 months. When I returned and got my system back it reeked of cigarette smell. The external case on the monitor had turned brown, as well. Bazza

 

All my intakes have a Filter so NP lol