Dell PowerEdge 6400 - Manual (Page 42)

An exhaust fan in the power supply cools the power supply and system by drawing air in through various openings in the system and blowing it out
the back. However, the fan also draws dust and other particles into the system, causing contaminant buildup, which results in an increase in the
system's internal temperature and interferes with the operation of various system components.
To avoid these conditions, Dell recommends keeping your work environment clean to reduce the amount of dust and dirt around the system,
thereby reducing the amount of contaminants drawn into the system by the power supply fan. In particular, you should keep the exterior of your
system and monitor clean, and you should use a commercially available diskette-drive head-cleaning kit to remove contaminants inside your
diskette drives.
Recommended Tools and Accessories
Dell recommends that you use the following tools and accessories when you clean the system:
l A wrist grounding strap — The proper use of a wrist grounding strap reduces the effect of electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage
certain system components. To use a wrist grounding strap, place the strap around your wrist and attach the other end of the strap to an
unpainted metal surface in the chassis, such as the power supply bracket, that is connected to chassis ground.
l A liquid dishwashing detergent — Use a mixture of one part liquid dishwashing detergent and three parts water to clean the exterior of the
system, monitor, and keyboard. You can also add fabric softener to produce an antistatic solution that prevents dust from being attracted to
the monitor screen.
l
A soft, lint-free cleaning cloth — Moisten the cleaning cloth with the dishwashing detergent solution to clean the exterior of the system.
l A nonabrasive diskette-drive head-cleaning kit — Dell recommends that you use a kit that contains pretreated diskettes in individually
sealed packages. These kits ensure that the cleaning solution is applied evenly over the entire diskette-drive head surface, and they prevent
contamination of the heads by exposure to foreign substances.
l A small vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment — Use the vacuum cleaner to remove dust and dirt from the exterior of the system and
keyboard.
Cleaning the System, Monitor, and Keyboard Exteriors
A conventional monitor or keyboard cover minimizes the accumulation of dust and other debris inside the monitor and keyboard when they are not
in use. Also, commercially available keyboard membrane covers make it possible to use the keyboard while providing protection against foreign
particles.
However, regardless of any protective covers, the monitor and keyboard must be cleaned occasionally. To clean the exterior of the system,
monitor, and keyboard, perform the following steps:
1. Turn off the system, monitor, and any other attached peripherals, and disconnect them from their power sources.
2. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any dust from the slots and holes on the system and between the keys on the keyboard.
3. Moisten a soft cleaning cloth with a solution of three parts water and one part liquid dishwashing detergent.
Do not soak the cloth in the solution; you must not let the solution drip inside the system or keyboard.
4. Use the moistened cloth to wipe the system cover, the keyboard, and the exterior of the monitor, including the screen.
Cleaning Drives
You can clean the heads of your diskette drives by using a commercially available diskette-drive head-cleaning kit. These kits include diskettes
pretreated with a chemical solution to nonabrasively remove contaminants that accumulate on the drive heads during normal operation.
If the kit does not contain instructions, insert one of the pretreated diskettes into a diskette drive and turn on the system. After 20 or 30 seconds,
remove the diskette from the drive. Repeat this procedure for each diskette drive in the system.
NOTICE: Do not attempt to clean drive heads with a swab. You may accidentally misalign the heads, rendering the drive inoperable.
Environmental Factors
This section discusses various environmental factors that can adversely affect system performance and longevity.
Temperature
Temperature extremes can cause a variety of problems, including premature aging and failure of chips or mechanical failure of devices. Extreme
temperature fluctuations can cause chips to become loose in their sockets and can cause expansion and contraction of disk drive platters,
resulting in read or write data errors. When you perform a low-level format operation on a hard-disk drive, it is important to ensure that the drive's
surrounding temperature is at or near the temperature at which the drive will be operated. Failure to do so can result in relocation of the tracks on
the disk platters.
To minimize the negative effects of temperature on system performance, follow these guidelines:
l Ensure that the system is operated in an environment no colder than