It doesn’t matter if you are working with hundreds of servers that meet the needs of a whole company of users or if you are using a cell phone, you need to keep electronic devices cool. There are many ways that you can keep electronics cool on an industrial level such as cabinet coolers, enclosure coolers and panel coolers.
These have all been proven to be very effective and allow for the best possible uninterrupted service to your users. What about your personal electronics? Knowing the damage that can be caused when electronics are allowed to overheat, it’s important to know how you can avoid damaging your cell phone, laptop and other devices whether you’re at home, in the park, or on your way to work.
1. Keep them out of direct sunlight
If possible you should make sure that your electronic devices are not exposed to direct sunlight for hours at a time. A few minutes is not a problem, what you are trying to avoid is having the device heat up beyond its ability to regulate heat. The internal fans that are inside computers and laptops are designed to cool down the device from heat generated from the movement of the components inside the computer. Any external heat source such as the sun will be too taxing for the fan to handle.
2. Yes that means any heat source
This includes radiators, baseboard heaters and many people often overlook other devices. If you place a cell phone on a laptop they can heat each other up which can be damaging to both devices.
3. If you can avoid it don’t put your computer in a tight space
Your computer needs to allow air to circulate around it at all times even when it is in sleep mode. If your computer is placed in a tight space then the heat that it generates will be transferred to the air around it. If the hot air has nowhere to dissipate to then the computer may overheat and be damaged.
4. You should never use your laptop as a bookcase
Your computer has been designed to keep cool under normal operating conditions. You should make sure that you have not placed any items on top or next to it that could block heat from coming off the device. This includes blocking the vents of the computer.
5. Try to use the laptop on a flat surface
If you put a laptop or any other electronic device that is cooled down by a fan onto a soft surface the fan will probably be blocked. Also, a soft surface like a blanket or duvet will likely act as an insulator causing the laptop to overheat in no time.
6. Take advantage of technology
Just as you will have done when designing the cooling room for a bank of servers using cabinet coolers, enclosure coolers and panel coolers you should be aware of what you can use to keep your device cool. A great one is a laptop cooling pad. These will have a fan that can be powered by a USB jack and they will keep your laptop cool for as long as you need to use it. It’s worth mentioning that you should still keep your laptop away from any external source of heat during this time.
7. Try to avoid dusty working environments
If you allow dust to get inside the working of your laptop or any device you’re going to notice a dip in performance until it eventually stops working altogether. If you have no choice and must use your device in dusty environments you should have the internal workings of it cleaned once in a while.