random crashes

[Tim]

On Mon, 2011-02-28 at 10:33 -0500, Ted Roche wrote:
> Vacuums usually kill electronics because they generate static electricity.

Well, it's always been the suggestion that it's the *moving air* that
generates static electricity, with the velocity being the major factor.
The direction shouldn't really matter, though I was pointing out that
you generally have more force with an airstream that blows rather than
sucks.  One only has to have a cleaner with both inlets and outlets
attachable to the same hose to be able to notice the difference
(expelled air having significant force a few feet away, yet a sucking
hose having almost no power a few inches away).

Service shops used to use air compressors (as used for power tools, and
inflating vehicle tires) to blast muck out of electronic devices.  And,
in doing so, would often cause static electricity damage.  No vacuum
cleaner there, and a similar plastic hose, metal nozzle, issue.

I'd be more concerned about vacuum cleaners with:  Getting the nozzle
too close, suddenly sucking itself into direct contact, and smacking
into delicate parts.  Than with a static charge that they might
generate.

-- 
[tim at localhost ~]$ uname -r
2.6.27.25-78.2.56.fc9.i686

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