Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!motcid!dhiman From: dhiman@motcid.UUCP (Ravinder Dhiman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Effects of Heat on Hard Drives Message-ID: <3771@cocoa11.UUCP> Date: 1 Jul 90 11:18:05 GMT References: <12384@sun.udel.edu> <6352.268ba592@uwovax.uwo.ca> Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Heights, IL Lines: 67 baer@uwovax.uwo.ca writes: >Perhaps of no immediate use to the individual who suspects overheating >on his hard drive, I thought I'd relay some experiences I have been >having with my AST Premium 286. AST's machine is configured with [extra text deleted] >I had stacked papers and stuff on top of the case of my machine, and >when I took them off, the metal case was quite warm to the touch. >Now I was very careful not to put any junk near the power supply fan >(at least 3-4" of open space to the back of my machine), but apparently >this was not enough (the boards generated a fair amount of heat, it >appears). The problem also occurred when I had left the central A/C >in my house off (the ambient room temp. at the time was about 78-80 >degrees F). Since then, the problem has occurred again once (not [text deleted] >a small room fan near the machine, and I can always avoid the problem >by turning the A/C on and keeping the room temp. in the mid 70s or >lower. [text deleted] > Implications of my experiences: if my assumptions are correct, >machines crammed with extra boards *might* generate heat in unexpected >places, and this might affect individuals' plans to run their machines >"turned on their sides". This might also have implications for the >whole "is it a good idea to leave the machine turned on overnight?" >debate -- the answer to this question might depend on the heat-generating >characteristics of the machine & the boards which have been installed. >Finally, I suspect there's a message regarding add-on boards here: if >possible, avoid adjacent slots for any board which might generate heat >(obviously, this advice is of no use to someone who comes close to >filling all available slots). > Comments on my comments are welcome. I remain willing to be >corrected with respect to any of my observations or assumptions. > - Doug Baer > Sociology > University of Western Ontario >. You have made some interesting points above. I think you have generally made some good assumptions, although you made no mention of whether you have run any other disk sanity checks on your hard drive. I have an XT just about loaded to the "gills" with add-in cards (one of them a voice-mail card) and I have 2 hard drives installed. I regularly leave my machine turned on all day in above 80 degree F tempratures without it encountering problems. Does your hard drive sit near your memory boards? If so, move it to a different slot. Also, do your power supply fans (some supplies contain more than one fan) have a lot of dust build-up? If so, try to clean them. Dirty fans are less efficient at moving air than clean ones. Given the problems you have encountered, I would go with your comments and: 1.) Leave AT least 3 to 6 inches of clear space at the back end of the machine, and 2.) Keep a fan on to provide the machine with good air flow. Last thoughts: I am new to this netnews stuff, so If I've made any mistakes, sorry. Also the usual about these being my opinions, etc. Ravi Dhiman Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Div. Arlington Heights, IL, USA.