Placing your computer tower – a device that heats up – against the carpet is a recipe for disaster. There are so many things that could go wrong, and none of these problems can be fixed easily and could cost you a lot of money. If you’re not convinced, read onto see what could happen if you do so.
By placing your computer tower on a carpet, you risk issues like carpet browning, overheating, dust piling, static electricity, and smell.
CARPET BROWNING
Your CPU heating up will interfere with the ventilation in between your fibers and weaken them. The heat and weight of the computer tower will press down on the fabric and flatten it, making it matted and dark.
Of course, this is something that can be fixed. If not, the section or patch can always be replaced, but it is not something you should have to go through every few months.
WARNING!
When your carpet browns, it becomes more prone to fire as the CPU sinks down towards the padding of your carpet.
That aside, there is still a plethora of other issues that come with placing the CPU on the carpet other than the browning.
OVERHEATING
The heading for this section should be enough to change your mind. A computer tower has gears and processors that work extremely hard, which makes them very hot. Thus, their casings are made in a way that allows for good ventilation to keep it cool.
A cool computer tower means a longer lasting machine and a better processing speed for your graphics and heavy-duty applications. When put on a carpet, though, this blocks the airways that allow the heat to leave. Think of the casing as a house with windows. Unless you don’t open at least two windows on different walls, the air simply will not flow through the house.
If a CPU is blocked on one side, the heat will never leave the casing and will ruin the internal mechanisms.
DUST PILING
Overheating is not the only concern you should have. A carpet is very good at trapping dust. Carpets need to be constantly vacuumed in order to keep them clean. In this case, your CPU becomes the vacuum. With its powerful fans, your computer tower has no issues sucking up all of that dirt, but it has a hard time throwing it out due to lack of proper ventilation.
The dust will pile up as it gets caught in between all the mechanisms. This will eventually lead to low performance on your monitor. On the days your computer is unused for too long, you’ll realize that the dust has made the perfect place for mold and mildew to grow.
A strange smell will come from you computer tower everytime you turn it on. Sooner or later, your computer is bound to crash very badly.
PRO-TIP
Dust out your computer tower regularly regardless of where it is placed in order to keep it good as new. Your computer tower will collect some amount of dust overtime no matter where you place it. Taking it off the carpet just ensures you won’t have to dust it more often.
You could argue that the occassional vacuuming on the carpets will do the trick and keep your computer tower safe. But be honest with yourself: how often do you manage to get into all the small nooks and crannies under your desk? With that in mind, let us read onto the other issues.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
The last thing you want is to be zapped by you carpet or computer. Remember the little crackle of electricity you get when you touch someone in the winter? That is what it feels like.
To test it out, get a ballon and blow it up moderately. Rub the balloon onto the carpet and hold it to your head. Watch how your hair stands and reaches out of the balloon, because there is static electricity between you and the balloon because of the carpet.
Now what happens when something like this happens inside of a computer tower?
- A damaged motherboard
- A fire
Neither of which are ideal circumstances to be caught in.
While it may not be a very common occurrence, it is still a possibility that needs to be addressed. There have been plenty of short-circuit incidents reported around the world and a lot of them have to do with static being generated in electrical appliances.
SMELL
The smell from your computer tower might not bother you as it is only there until the computer is on. But once you turn it off, your carpet under the tower will not stop smelling. It is only bound to grow over time. Perhaps you’re too accustomed to it to notice right away.
Odor from the carpet is just not the stale smell of potential burning, but could also be attributed to mold and mildew. The heat from your computer tower could very well create a reasonable amount of moisture which allows for some nasty breeding ground.
This will eventually spread through out your room, and it won’t just be unpleasant but also a huge pain to take care of. By the time you realize you have this problem, it will already be too late for you to do anything that will bear an immediate fix of the situation.
TIPS
Before you go, here are some useful tips on your computer tower placement that could make the experience of using your computer much easier.
- Placing it at a level where your hand can reach the activation button upon sitting down.
- Placing it away from the underside of the table.
- Keeping the computer tower’s plug in seperate from the other appliances’.
CONCLUSION
Now that you know of all the possible outcomes and consequences of having your computer tower on the ground, it is up to you to decide whether or not it is feasible to decide on this placement arrangment.