Potentially boatie: non-flammable spray lubricant

[JumbleDuck]

I have an ancient old-fired central heating boiler, which I have been nursing along ever since a maintenance technician condemned it as "unrepairable" fifteen years ago. It works fine, but I have a problem at the moment with one of the open-frame relays in the electromechanical control box sticking. This happened fifteen years ago and the aforementioned technician tried freeing it up with WD40 ... resulting in a small fire, the destruction of a relay and the "unrepairable" verdict.

Can anyone recommend a non-flammable lubricant spray I could use on it? It doesn't matter if it has a flammable propellant or base, because I can apply it with the thing switched off, but by the time powered is restored and sparks start appearing it has to be non-flammable. Some sort of silicone, maybe?

There is probably some boatie application with the same problem, I expect!

 

[titian]

Relays tend to work best when they are clean and dry. Polish the knife-edge with a piece of chamois leather, that's all the lube it needs.
Clean the contacts as well with the same piece of chamois,

 

[nigelmercier]

Sticking relays normally mean the contacts are welded. If there is a friction surface, then cleaning it and applying a small amount of oil may help. The contacts should be clean and dry (see above), although I guess a smear of Contralube would be OK.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Relays tend to work best when they are clean and dry. Polish the knife-edge with a piece of chamois leather, that's all the lube it needs.
Clean the contacts as well with the same piece of chamois,

Sticking relays normally mean the contacts are welded. If there is a friction surface, then cleaning it and applying a small amount of oil may help. The contacts should be clean and dry (see above), although I guess a smear of Contralube would be OK.

Thanks, both. The relay in question is a horribly complicated timed thing with a heated bimetallic strip (or possible two) doing various things, so getting at contacts is a complete pain and there are various latches which are sticking. I'll see what I can do ...

 

[vyv_cox]

I assume a solid lubricant would be preferable? PTFE, molybdenum disulphide, silicone would all work. I think MoS2 would be my preference, it's available in grease or aerosol form, e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gulf-Mult...428?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item258c42229c

 

[VicS]

A PTFE spray such as http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p63929 ??

 

[abraxus]

I have, sitting next to me, a plastic spray (non areosol) bottle of something called CorrosionX, which is a marine lubricant that's safe on electrics, that I use as a lubricant/protectant on my fishing reels. On reading the blurb, the propellant in the aerosol version is flammable, but the non aerosol versions are not flammable.

Not sure if it's what you're looking for but here's a link with details:

http://www.corrosionx.com/corrosionx.html