Smoking Macs
By Robert L Pritchett
I worked for years on office equipment and by far, the worst
ones were those that were used by smokers. I never refused to work on those
machines, but they made me physically ill anyway.
I always wondered why the computer manufacturers didn’t do
the HEPA filter route for their machines like was done with one (now long gone)
external storage device. A blue filter, white filter and deep inside, a cigarette
filter on the Iomega Bernoulli drive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iomega_Bernoulli_Box
http://www.iomega.com/25years/index.html
What “crashed” these drives were the filters being packed
with tar smoke. We routinely replaced the blue (fine) and white (course) filters
and later learned there was a 3rd filter pack inside that was like a
cigarette filter that also removed particulates, but the cigarette smoke
destroyed those as well. We ended up putting those systems on a quarterly
maintenance schedule.
For the life of me I could never understand why computer
companies didn’t put filtration systems in their machines.
Some computer techs
make a living just going around and blowing dirt and dust, animal dander, etc.
out of computers (along with removing malware, etc. from PCs, but that is
another kind of hazard).
I was so happy when I learned a smoking ban had been put in
place in public buildings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban
http://tobaccodocuments.org/pm/2072360955-0956.html
The shop I worked in was filled with smokers who worked on
office equipment for the government. I got my job when the previous tech died
of a heart attack at his bench while smoking. The other smokers eventually
retired or quit smoking, but that was the environment I was in. They didn’t
like it when I kept my window open to work on machines, but I needed to breath.
Those
machines I worked on would be disgusting, but I never dreamed in a million
years I could refuse working on them because they were a biohazard!
We had a washer that would clean most machines and an oven
to dry them out afterwards. We used Stoddard Solvent to clean them. Stoddard
solvent is toxic, but it was better than Carbon Tetrachloride.
We didn’t use Stoddard Solvent on electronics. We probably could have used a
steam cleaner, however. We used isopropyl alcohol instead, but it didn’t cut the tar.
Now we hear that cigarette smoke voids the AppleCare
warranty if a tech decides the machine is so bad that he can’t work on it.
It isn’t the 2nd-hand smoke that destroys
machines, it is the heavy-metal-laced, carbon-based sticky-gooey tar that
builds up and destroys the electronics. I concur that the tar transfer is a
biohazard. I do not concur that 2nd-hand smoke is the reason Apple
voids the warranties. Tobacco smoke in the equipment is “user abuse”.
H. George Dean once upon a time wrote;
“This is a compilation of facts and
studies from several sources.
Studies are still being done, so it
is by no means complete;
- 60% of data loss on floppy disks
(not due to actual damage like bends or creases) is due to cigarette smoke.
- 90% of general read error failure in a floppy drive is due to collected smoke on the drive heads.
- 15% of floppy drive failure is due
to smoke.
- 80% of data loss on a hard drive
(not due to physical failure) is caused by smoke and 25% of hard drive failure is due to smoke. If you have company
- records on a central
computer it is recommended that it be in a SEALED 'Clean Room' to prevent loss of
data.
- Erratic behavior of a computer is
often due to the power supply. 30%
of power supply problems are believed at this time to be caused by smoke. (it appears likely this is
conservative).
- Smoke is believed to cause failure
of other components in your computer.
- Wherever there are contacts there
may be a failure. The 'acid' content of smoke may also eat away at circuit
boards and components. Studies are still in progress on this.
- It is recommended that your hard
drive be replaced once a year to prevent data loss from smoke. At a minimum, at
least once every two years.
- Smoke is carried throughout a
facility by fans, central air conditioning and central heating. Even when you
cannot smell it, enough smoke is present to do damage to your computer
equipment.”
The AppleCare Warranty states;
“Damage to the Covered Equipment
caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty installation,
repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized
Service Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including
extreme temperature or humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or
interference, fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static
electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes.” http://images.apple.com/legal/applecare/docs/AppleCare_ara_NA_en.pdf
Derek Bolander wrote;
“AppleCare is not accidental damage
insurance. AppleCare states that it will honor service for failures attributed
to manufacturing defects. This alone disqualifies repairs being covered by
AppleCare.
Nicotine creates a tar film on the internal components of computers
contributing to their failure, get a tech job and see this for yourself if
you’re in disbelief.
Additionally, AppleCare Protection
Plan is not marketed as an accidental coverage or even as a warranty. The term
warranty requires companies to honor service terms as is. By using the words
protection plan, terms and fees can change at any time. If you do not like your
AppleCare service you can contact Apple and they will cancel the remaining term
of your protection plan and refund you a prorated amount.” http://mac.blorge.com/2009/11/21/apple-canceling-smokers-warranties-over-contamination/
Seattle-Light (Alan) wrote;
“Smoking and computers really just
don't mix well.
I had a good friend who went through
three computer systems in a single year. He was a chain smoker, and the fine
particulates in the cigarette smoke just clogged up the works. Easily attracted
to electrostatic charges and then fused to the components by the heat (tar
seems like a particularly nasty thing to be putting into a computer). The
computer was acting like an air filter, trapping a high percentage of the
airbore particulates.
At the time, it was replaced under
warranty, but he was hopping mad about getting yet another defective machine.
Then the technician opened up the machine and showed him how critical internal
components coated with black crap (that couldn't be blown away with compressed
air) and how the ventilation was almost completely closed off (it was a wonder
that it had been working up to that point) and then showed him another machine
that had been in use for more than a year that was pristine in comparison.
It was at that moment that my
friend realized if it could do that to his computer what it must be doing to
him. At the very least, it was killing him professionally. He quit smoking that
day (if only for his computers). Probably saved his life.
It's not that Apple is against
people smoking, it's that smoking is proven to be hazardous to your computer.
If you're going to smoke around your computer, you're going to need to take
extra care to keep it from killing your machine. It's better to not smoke
around your computer. If you do, you should understand the risks involved in
doing so. ”
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/hardware/28271-smoking-will-void-your-mac-warranty.html
Smoking Near Apple Computers Creates Biohazard, Voids
Warranty
http://consumerist.com/2009/11/smoking-near-apple-computers-creates-biohazard-voids-warranty.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/182829/does_secondhand_smoke_really_void_apples_warranty.html
http://9to5mac.com/wtf_apple_smokers_witchhunt_30098
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showpost.php?p=1524464&postcount=31
http://forums.mactech.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/478761/Re_Smoking_Your_Macintosh_Repa
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10402711-71.html
http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10004177/smoking-hazardous-to-apple-equipment-or-at-least-warranty/
What happens to smoke-damaged computers
http://www.squidoo.com/cigarette-smoke-computer-damage
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5242629_effects-cigarette-smoke-computers.html
>
How to get rid of cigarette smoke damage
http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/living/how-to-get-rid-of-cigarette-smoke-damage/
Real Life computer photos
from the Computer Wizard
http://www.thecomputerwizard.biz/photos.htm
Vent Blockers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/13/ventblockers/
