IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 1 Chapter 10 Preventative Maintenance

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 2 Elements of Preventative Maintenance The main goal of any preventive maintenance program is to preempt problems before they happen. There are three questions that need to be addressed when developing a preventive maintenance program: When? Why? and How? When is the best time to prevent problems from happening? Why is this maintenance being done now? How is this system to be maintained?

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 3 Tools and Equipment Every technician's toolbox should contain a few important pieces of equipment. These items include anti-static vacuum cleaners, canned air, various solvents, and lint free cloths. Anti-static vacuum cleaners should be used whenever vacuuming computer components since normal vacuum cleaners generate static. Canned air is one of the most useful tools besides lint-free cloths.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 4 Environmental Guidelines As with other computing devices, a computer eventually comes to an end-of-life. Eventually, the question arises: What to do with the old computers or parts? Can they simply be placed in the garbage bin so that they are hauled to the landfill and buried? Computers and peripherals contain some environmentally unfriendly materials. Most computer components are either hazardous or contain some level of hazardous substances.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 5 Environmental Guidelines Computer printed circuit boards consist of plastics, precious metals, fiberglass, arsenic, silicon, gallium, and lead. CRTs (monitors) contain glass, metal, plastics, lead, barium, phosphors, and rare earth metals. Batteries from portable systems can contain lead, cadmium, lithium, alkaline manganese, and mercury.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 6 Disposal of Batteries Batteries often contain rare earth metals that can be harmful to the environment. Typically, batteries from portable computer systems can contain lead, cadmium, lithium, alkaline manganese, and mercury. These metals do not decay and will persist in the environment for many years if not carefully disposed of. The desired method for the proper disposal of batteries is recycling, if possible.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 7 Disposal of Monitors (CRT) CRTs that have come to an end-of-life must always be handled with care due to the potentially lethal voltage that is maintained even after being disconnected from power. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) CRT monitors contain four pounds of lead on average. Like the case of batteries, all or most of the components of end- of-life CRT monitors can be salvaged or recycled.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 8 Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS) To determine if a material used in PC repairs or preventive maintenance is classified as hazardous, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). All hazardous materials are required to have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that accompany them when they change hands.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 9 Material Safety and Data Sheet (MSDS) MSDS are a valuable source of information and typically contain the following information: The name of the material Its physical properties Any hazardous ingredients it contains Reactivity data, including fire and explosion data Spill or leak procedures Any special precaution information Health hazard information Any special protection information

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 10 Creating a ESD-Free Environment In order to avoid ESD, it helps to know the conditions in which it is most likely to occur. When the humidity is low, the potential for ESD increases dramatically. Also, if the temperature is cool or if there is carpeting on the floor, the potential for static electricity is higher. A few key elements to a good working area should be anti-static tile on the floors, grounded workbenches with anti-static mats, and wrist straps. The area should be clean and well lit as well as have a climate control system that raises the relative humidity above 50%. If all of these elements are in place, the risk of ESD will be significantly reduced.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 11 Preventative Maintenance - Computer There are many things that can cause a computer system to fail physically. The most common are dust buildup, extreme temperatures, and rough handling. If a computer isn't regularly cleaned, dust can build up on the components inside the computer, such as on the fan bearings or on the printed circuit boards. In order to clean inside the computer case properly, unplug the unit and move it away from other equipment. Use a can of compressed air, making sure to follow the directions carefully, to blow out all of the dust within the case. This simple process should be done at least once a year in not very dusty areas and two or three times a year in very dusty areas.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 12 Preventative Maintenance - Monitor When cleaning a display, some common sense should be used. Make sure the device is unplugged from the wall so as not to cause damage if water ends up inside. Using a damp cloth with a mild detergent, wipe down the entire display unit to remove any dust buildup. ?

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 13 Preventative Maintenance - File Issues There are several utilities that are included with DOS and Windows that help maintain system integrity. If run on a regular basis, these utilities can make the system run faster and more efficiently. Scandisk Defrag CHKDSK /f

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 14 Power Issues Blackouts, brownouts, noise, spikes, and surges are all examples of power interruptions that can cause system malfunctions or even complete system failure. Blackouts – Are the complete loss of power. Brownouts/Sags – Sags and brownouts are a drop in power. A sag is a brownout that lasts less than a second. These incidents occur when voltage on the power line falls below 80 percent of the normal voltage. Spikes – Are sudden increases in voltage that are much higher than normal levels. Surges – Are a brief increase in voltage usually caused by high demands on the power grid in a local area.

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software 15 Power Suppressors & UPS Three different devices can be used to protect sensitive computer equipment from the commonly occurring power events: Surge suppressors – Can make sure that the voltage going to a device stays below a certain level. However, they are useless during brownouts or blackouts. Standby Power Supplies (SPS) – Are equipped with a backup battery to supply power when the incoming voltage drops below the normal level. When the voltage slips, the battery kicks in to provide DC power to a power inverter, which converts it to AC power for the computer. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) – Are comparable to standby power supplies; however, a UPS runs off the battery power the entire time it is in use.