Water and Electronics - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 11:57:58 am
content: when is it Ok to mix water with electronics?have thisphilips 170B pc lcd monitorI found abandoned in the street, but as it was raining at the time.the PC monitor was soaking wet, believing it to be only good for scraping , I did put it aside at home for a month.to dry out, then just a day before I was about to start scraping it for copper, I did a test just to see if it would work or go Pop!to my surprise it still worked, so I left it running on the bench for 24hrs just to see if it would give up the magic smoke,but it did not.just this week I seen another video that had something about water & electronicshere is two videos, one is the 8 bit guy washing a V20 pcb and the other is Techmoan and aboutair compressors been bad for cleaning electronics as that may have water droplets in the airI have always believed water & electronics do not mix, so its there something I am missing here?is there an exception to the rule?Restoration - The Worst VIC-20 I've ever seen - Part 1 8 bit guy youtube.at 15:12 he uses water on the pcb.rinse it off with the hose!that is a garden hose on electronics.PCB DUST-OFF Ryobi mini compressor vs Compu-Cleaner Xpert Techmoan youtube.at 15:11 to 15:45

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 12:10:59 pm
content: I know a couple old TV repairmen who used to take dirty TV chassis to the car wash to clean them before working on anything. They would wait for a nice sunny day so they could put the wet electronics in the driveway to dry out.Apparently this worked just fine.Another Ham Radio repair guy who charged over $100 an hour cleaned PCB boards in his dishwasher. This took all of the old solder flux left by previous repair, but it really aggravated his wife. He had videos on youtube showing how he did this.Most electronic components are sealed from moisture quite well, both the really old stuff and the new stuff.One danger is that water will get into the PCB board and expand it though....I have washed lots of stuff in water and soap and never had a problem.

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 02:30:57 pm
content: Things like transformers with paper insulation, paper core PCB don't like water, but most things don't care. So modest care will do. The main thing is make sure it is *completely* dry before applying power.I would not use a dishwasher though. The detergent is corrosive and the water is quite hot. Hand soap and a brush are my normal choice if it needs water. Flux is best removed with isopropyl alcohol and a brush.Have Fun!Reg

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 05:55:37 pm
content: https://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/tektronix_washing_your_instrument.html

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 04:10:58 am
content: Biggest mistake is leaving a battery in. Then you get corrosion. Also piezoelectric and paper cone speakers don't like water ingress either. The other issue is for ultra fine electronics you can get dendrites growing in the entrapped moisture between pins.A non-serviceable keyboard that has a problem with repeating characters, sticky keys, food and gunk under keytops, or not recognising a keypress can be fixed by soaking it in warm water with a small amount of dish washing liquid, then rinsing it in clean water, then putting them in the oven on the lowest heat setting possible. Use a toothbrush to clean the gunk between the keys. I have done this a couple of times over the years and it works. Better than buying a new keyboard.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 05:02:01 am
content: Most electronic equipment is relatively impervious to water, the key is to make sure it is powered off and all sources of power including onboard batteries are removed or discharged, then make sure it is thoroughly dried out before applying power. I have washed loads of different stuff over the years, I've even washed entire open frame CRT monitors intact in the dishwasher to remove decades of grime and nastiness before working on them. If you found something out in the rain, set it in a warm dry place for several days to make sure it's thoroughly dried out before you try it.

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 12:52:40 pm
content: Ha!!... Yea, it all sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it, but it's generally fine! Use a sopping wet toothbrush to scrub components/IC's etc. As long as it's completely Dry afterwards, no problem!Partially related... I just had 'flash-backs' from decades ago, where 'Linesmen' would Wash liveHV (33kv, 66kv etc) Insulators in power distribution Sub-Stations. They used a special rapid open-close nozzle, and would direct a blast at the 'insulators' etc, and then quickly re-direct those shortblasts away, so that a 'slug' of water would travel the distance & hit the target. It took skill!!

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 04:59:36 pm
content: Be very cautious about putting anything with plastic parts in an oven to dry. Even at the lowest temperature setting some types of plastic can still warp or melt. I ruined the front panel of a computer once by drying it in the oven, since then I prefer to let things air dry.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 05:45:25 pm
content: Quote from: rdl on July 25, 2020, 04:59:36 pmA safer method if you want to use the oven is heat it up to the desired temperature, then turn it off immediately before putting the item in there. A hot air vent on a forced air heating system is generally preferable though, or outside in the sun on a warm day.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 06:14:54 pm
content: Yeah, it most likely it was temperature overshoot that melted that panel. It was probably made of ABS or something similar. Now when I'm in a hurry I just use a blow dryer.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2020, 06:30:51 pm
content: Quote from: jonovid on July 24, 2020, 11:57:58 amIt depends a bit on the circumstances. Water damage is mainly due to corrosion. Corrosion is made worse by contaminants in the water, and by electric currents from energized parts causing galvanic corrosion. Scale matters. A smart phone if it gets wet may be destroyed very quickly due to the tiny traces and small distances, whereas something big like a keyboard may be easily rescued.The key things are to remove all power sources as quickly as possible, then wash thoroughly with de-ionized water to remove conductive residues, then dry very thoroughly in a warm and well ventilated place before re-applying power.If it is possible to do so and you know how to do it, disassembly, then washing and drying the parts separately before reassembly would be ideal. That way you can separate out any water sensitive parts like LCD displays for special handling.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2020, 11:17:00 am
content: Quote from: rdl on July 25, 2020, 04:59:36 pmTrue. If the oven can reach down to 70 deg C they should be fine. Some plastics, eg: some small peizo speaker plastics, can soften around 75 deg C. An alternative it is put them in the Australian sun on a hot, dry day in summer for a few hours. Those in places such as Pommyland don't have much opportunity to use the sun's heat.

author: jogri
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2020, 01:42:25 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on July 26, 2020, 11:17:00 amThat is not guaranteed, i killed quite a lot of plastics by putting them inside a 70°C drying oven (even the handles of my swiss army knife)... They might be fine for a short amount of time, but if you let them sit in there for longer than a few hours they will probably degrade.