Leave Electronics in the Heat Treatment Area

by Tommy Underhill, GreenTech Heat
July 31, 2018

Many people falsely believe they need to remove electronics from the treatment area prior to beginning a heat treatment. Not only is this not the case, but excluding electronics from the treatment is a sure-fire method to reintroduce an infestation once your home or building cools down. Here are several common reasons to keep the electronics in the room as you heat... and yes, that is a photo of an insect’s cocoon I found in a laptop!

Heat won’t hurt your devices...

Because computers, televisions, stereos, and all other forms of electronics all employ some kind of active or passive cooling, people think they cannot take the heat. That’s not entirely accurate.

Electronics can be extremely sensitive to heat when operating. When these devices are powered down and not generating heat of their own, they tend to be rather innocuous to heat.

Electronics have already been exposed to high temperatures

...and they run just fine. At one point or another, almost every electronic thing we use has been transported in a sealed shipping container. It really doesn’t matter if it was moved across an ocean or a desert: the contents of these metal containers get hot!

I’ve read reports of ocean-going shipping containers being 30% above ambient temperatures, and those stowed on deck in full sunlight will climb even higher. The German Marine Insurer’s Transport Information Service reports that ambient air temperatures of 25°C (77°F) will see interior temperatures in excess of 50°C (122°F). That temperature can extrapolate up quickly.

In the middle of summer, trucks moving freight across Nevada will travel through ambient temperatures in excess of 120°F, and the freight in the container will be subject to temperatures lethal to insects.

Steps to safely treat electronics

A bit of prudent preparation will keep electronics safe during an insect heat treatment and kill all bugs inside the device— unfortunately not the digital ones! We will work with you to ensure we achieve lethal temperatures that kill all the bed bugs while not damaging your computers, electronics, and other belongings.

• All you need to do is power down and unplug the device. It won’t need to dissipate any additional heat into an already hot environment.
• We don’t direct treatment air directly onto electronic devices. Treatment air directly from a duct or heater can warp or melt plastic.
• If need be, we will cover the device with a thermal blanket to ensure the item heats gently and thoroughly.
• Let the item cool down slowly, just like the rest of the contents of the room. There is no need to remove the item from the treatment area before the rooms are ready for occupation.

Heat technology is effective against all forms of insect pests, but we have found it to be equally effective against problem-causing allergens and bacteria as well. Call Total Shield Bed Bug Treatments at 717-478-HEAT. We are ready to help or consult with any unique applications!

Don’t take our word for it

Bill was phenomenal!! Professional, On-time, VERY informative, & courteous with our things. Two thumbs up for Total Shield and a 5-star rating!!

Richard Rosas
5 Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
June 6, 2018