Can You Put Your Pc On The Carpet?

Most of us never saw anything wrong with where we place our PC because we never really thought about it.
Yeah, it’s not a bad idea to put your personal computer in a place that seems quite comfortable for you. But the question is not “can you put your pc or laptop on the carpet?” but rather “is it safe to put your pc on the carpet?”.

No, the carpet is not a safe place for you to put your pc because it can easily get damaged with heat, dust, static electricity, physical damage, etc.

There are several reasons why it is never a good idea to place your pc or laptop on your carpet, which in most cases falls to possible damage by heat and dust.

Modern computers are specifically designed the way they are to curb out issues related to overheating and dust, which is why there have fans in the first place close to their central processing units.

So, in this article, we’re going to elaborate on the reasons outlined, why placing your pc / laptop on the carpet is something you should stir clear from if you want the most out of it for a long time.

 

  • Heat can lead to electrical damage
  • It can cause overheating or heat damage
  • Accumulation of dusts and debris can lead to faults
  • Physical damage
  • Risk of corrosion damage
  • Can lead to static electricity damage

 

But, at the end of the tunnel comes the light, which is why the article will also provide an insight into the perfect place to place your personal computer.
Sounds good? Let’s get to it.

Electrical Damage

Although most modern computers these days are well protected against electrical damage due to their well-designed motherboard, placing your pc on a carpet can lead to generating static electricity, which can damage your computer.

Yeah, there is a solution to this problem if it does happen. But there is an adage that says, “Prevention is better than cure.” You spend hundreds of dollars on getting your pc fixed due to negligence when you can prevent such electrical damage from occurring.

So, if you’re someone that has the habit of placing your pc on the carpet now and then, do have it in your mind that you’re putting your pc at risk of electrical damage.

Heat Damage

Electrical and heat damage always tend to work hand-in-hand because the same way a pc is likely to come up with electrical fault, it is also at risk of heat damage.

Computer systems, like every other machine out there, have every tendency to overheat. That is why every pc is designed with a ventilation grid for adequate airflow around the central processing unit and motherboard.

On the flip side, modern PCs are not all flat at the bottom. A lot of them are designed with feet so that their bases are off the ground.

But, what if you don’t own a modern pc which such designs? Instead of placing your pc on higher grounds like what the feet were intended for, you still go on with the idea of putting it on your carpet.
That could lead to severe damage if it eventually overheats, which definitely will happen sooner or later.

A lot of people would say, but that’s the reason why the ventilation systems were designed.
Yeah, to an extent, you’re right, but the fact is, the pc manual never did say you should place your computer on the carpet all because it has in-built ventilation vents.

Your carpet is an insulator, so it blocks adequate airflow through the pc, which in the long haul can lead to overheating.
Furthermore, placing your pc on your carpet will pose the same problem even if it was placed on the floor, so don’t get it mixed up.

If you’re someone that really can’t do away with the habit of putting your pc on the floor, then you should consider getting a thermal pad.
These pads will help your pc absorb excess heat that could have damaged your pc internal component due to placing it on your carpet.

Accumulation Of Dust And Debris Can Cause Faults

Your carpet holds more dust and debris all over the place when compared to a desktop table.

So, when you place your pc on the carpet, you’re putting it at risk of accumulating dirt and debris in the ventilation fan and other components, which can lead to fault or sometimes severe damage.
Yeah, it’s true someone can’t stop dust entirely because even if you did place your pc on a desk, you would still have to clean it every once in a while, so it doesn’t accumulate dust and dirt.

But that scenario is if you placed it on a desk. Now think about the damage that can be caused by dirt if you have kids around your home.

Suppose you’re bent on placing your pc on the floor, then you’ll have to clean the floor every day, which most of us never have the time.
So, you see that putting your pc on the carpet is not a great idea because you will have to put in a lot of hard work to prevent the build-up of dust and dirt.

Physical Damage

We all can easily relate to the fact that anything placed on a floor level can easily get damage within the snap of a finger.

At one time or another, you can easily spill a hot coffee over the pc, or you could mistakenly knock it over in the middle of the night when you’re sleepy.
Let’s not even mention the kids here because those cute guys could do way worse than anybody. Your girl could mistakenly kick it over when trying to reach for her toy. Not, cool right?

You can never be very careful when it comes to placing your pc on the floor cause something not very cool will happen at one point or the other.
Physical damage is a crucial reason you shouldn’t put your pc on the carpet, except you don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars on a new pc every month. Nobody wants that.

Corrosion Damage

Corrosion damage is yet another reason why placing your pc on the carpet is not the best idea.

Like we earlier mentioned, dirt can accumulate on your pc over time, and if this goes on for a while, it can lead to the component corroding which can make the computer stop functioning well.

Besides that, most of us have vacuum systems in our homes. Running a vacuum cleaner close to your pc placed on the carpet can accumulate dust or moisture on the ventilation vent leading to corrosion.

Why Static Electricity Puts Your Computer at Risk

Even though the internal layer of your pc is built with a non-insulator, the internal components are susceptible to electricity.

The reason is that your pc component is designed with electrical chargers that help send data through chips to the central processing unit and CPU, which can generate static generation.

Static electricity happens unexpectedly and usually occurs when in contact with an opposing charge like your carpet.

The worst part about this type of damage is that everything will seem to be alright at the first instance because it’s typically just a little spark till you try to put it on again and discover it is no longer working.

Flooding or Other Emergencies

An emergency is another factor that kicks against the idea of placing your pc on the carpet.
For example, if they were a flood and the apartment was flooded, your pc will definitely be damaged if you usually keep it on the floor.

But that’s not even the worst part. It’s evident that water and electricity don’t agree, so if they do come together in the case of such an emergency can turn things pretty bad, like a fire outbreak.

In that case, you won’t even be talking about the damage to your pc but rather the loss of your entire apartment. Yeah, it’s that bad.
Keeping your pc in some elevation like a desk can go a long way to prevent such scenarios, most especially during emergencies.

Another kind of emergency could be spilling. If you spilled something mistakenly on your carpet, chances are it’s going to get to your pc before you’re able to get hold of a mop or rag.

These are things that are not likely to occur when you place your personal computer on some elevated platform.

The Best Places to Keep Your PC

Like we’ve mentioned, though the carpet may look like a good place to put your pc, it is not the ideal storage area for such a fragile device.

It is because if you want the most out of the device, you have to keep it away from dust, dirt, physical damage, and others we have outlined during the article.
The best place to store your pc is on an elevated platform like a smooth desk or a computer tower designed with shelves.

So, if you’re thinking about where to place your pc in your home, all you have to do is setup a separate desk or computer tower, which you can purchase in a local furniture outlet in your neighborhood or online on amazon.
Some of these tables are designed foldable to offer flexibility and space that can fix even small corners in your apartment.

In other words, you can get make use of any of these options rather than placing your pc on the floor.

  • A plain desk
  • Desktop computer tower
  • A shelf

Nevertheless, whichever option you decide to use, you also have to take care of other external connections like the pc port. You cannot disconnect it easily.

How to Clean a Dusty Computer

This article wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t at least provide some tips on how you can clean a dusty computer even if this is not the core of our discussion.
Regardless of how you decide to store your pc, whether using a table, computer tower, or shelve, you still have to watch out for dust once in a while.

So, below are the steps to clean your dusty pc:

  • Please turn off your pc and remove it from the plug. Please don’t attempt to touch the inside of the computer while it’s still powered.
  • Remove the side of your pc that is detachable for maintenance. If you’re handy with a screw, get one and carefully unscrew it. But, if you know you really can’t use a screw or this is not your thing, don’t unscrew the nut. Take it to a maintenance outlet near you.
  • When you’re done removing the screws, get rid of any static electricity you may have picked up on the line by simply placing your hands on anything with metal. It could be the metal knob on your door, the leg of your office chair, or any metal close to you.
  • To remove built-up dust or dirt uses a can of compressed air without any contact with the motherboard to avoid any damage.
  • If you don’t have a can or cylinder of compressed air, you can use a microfiber cloth to get rid of the dust in the pc.
  • When you are done, couple the pc with the screw and place it back to its original resting place.

Like we earlier mentioned, if you’re not game for this or you’re worried you may damage something along the line, take it to a professional repair outlet for maintenance.

 

In conclusion, the carpet is not the best place for your pc due to several reasons like electrical damage, heat damage, physical damage, and a lot of other factors. The best place for your pc is an elevated platform like a desktop computer tower and desk. So, it is essential to be cautious of where you put or computer if you intend to make the most out of it in the long haul.