Wash your electronics

[jimi]

The french geyser that just sailed round the world had a useful tip. If the electronic gear ain't working boil it in fresh water. His rationale was that it might be salt encrustation whicjh would be dissolved by the water. And if it did'nt sort it so what .. it was buggered anyway. Thoughts? I'm just off to give my laptop a bath!!

<hr width=100% size=1>.. whit way roon should it be again ..

 

[BrendanS]

Worked on a mobile phone once. Took battery out straight away, soaked in freshwater when I got home with several changes of water, and dried in airing cupboard for 2 days. Battery was knackered, but phone worked.

Didn't work next time though! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant

 

[halcyon]

Nothing new, units I get back that have had sea water on have a good wash and scrub, new pcb's are normally washed to remove flux as well. Just make sure there not connected to a power souce !!!!!

Brian

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[Rowana]

Did exactly the same with my daughters phone. Still working 6 months later!

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[tcm]

15ish years ago a customer had a puter with keyboard that was becoming sticky. These days keyvboards are cheap as chips, but in those days they were more spensive, so worth fixing. I advised that she swill it in warm water to clear the stickyness, probably from coffee spills etc, and then leave it somewhere to dry. She called back an hour later to order a new keyboard after all, as althop the washing was fine, she'd then blimmin melted it on a radiator...

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[boatmike]

I have an old Telly you can try it with if you want.....

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[ParaHandy]

have a Magellan 310 handheld gps which refused to lock on so tried it on jimi's boat but it faired no better (nae wunner, there's mair emissions frae yon than a atomic bomb) so, accidentally, left it out all night whereupon it p*ssed with rain and ... it now works ..........

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[longjohnsadler]

Re: The French geyser

Isn't a geyser one of those electric things for boiling water?
In which case the French geezer probably boiled his electronics in an electric geyser...

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[robp]

We often do this (at least under the tap), for electronics that has had a "drink". It's the salt or sugar that will eventually cause the damage. If at all possible, where something has had a dunking or spilt drink, wash it before turning it on again to see if it works. Otherwise the electrolysyis or just conduction can cause the damage.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by robp on 24/02/2004 13:56 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Bejasus]

Kodak Digital Camera dropped by SWMBO in car park & took a chunk out of the top of the case. You could see the electronics inside. Still worked 1 year later. Then had burst water tank catastrophe in November. Camera totally immersed. Still bloody works. /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

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