How do I keep the cooling channels clean on my 16" M1 Pro MacBook?

Hi there dmwinsd,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities. We understand you have questions about cleaning the fans out on your new MacBook Pro, and we'd be happy to provide you with the best information.

To get started, we'd recommend taking a look at the following resource for the best information on how your MacBook monitors internal temperature and uses the fans to cool your device: About fans and fan noise in your Apple product - Apple Support

Also, take a look at the next link for the best steps on cleaning your MacBook: How to clean your Apple products - Apple Support

Per the resource above, it is not recommended to use aerosol sprays on your device, so if you have any concerns about your fans it would be best to bring your MacBook into a local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for inspection first.

If you even need any help with finding an nearby service location, check out this link here: Find Locations - Apple

We hope that's able to help.

Take care.

dmwinsd wrote:

I fried a motherboard once when cat hair clogged the cooling channels on my laptop. I REALLY don't want that to happen on my new MBP. Can I just blow compressed air through the side vents?

Seems a viable option...

Keep your Mac notebook within acceptable operating temperatures

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201640

dmwinsd wrote:

I have a 16" MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. My usage will rarely if ever cause the fan to come on. Given that, what is the chance of dust and cat hair accumulating in the chassis?

If your mac is on the fan(s) are spinning, typically they idle ~1800rpm under a load they can ramp up to ~6000rpm

the fans work in tandem.

You can view the' live airflow' after the jump:

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/10/apple-unveils-game-changing-macbook-pro/

scroll down to: Designed for Performance

From the Terminal app you can see this copy & paste:

sudo powermetrics -n 1 --samplers smc | egrep -i "FAN|CPU die|GPU die"

dmwinsd,

Thanks for providing those clarifications.

We wouldn't be able to determine the chance of dust or hair accumulating inside the device. As for cleaning out the vents with compressed air, per the last resource provided it wouldn't be recommended to use aerosol sprays to clean your device. This would include cans of compressed air.

If you have any other questions, we would recommend reaching out to Apple Support directly from this link here: Get Support - Apple

Best regards.