Water damaged pcb advice?

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mb82

126 posts

Master Geek
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Topic # 190740 11-Jan-2016 07:40

I have a radar detector which was submerged in water for about 24 hours. It was turned off and disconnected from power at the time. I have fully disassembled it, let it dry, cleaned with isopropy + cotton bud, cleaned with isopropyl + fine tooth brush to loosen remaining corrosion. It is looking fairly clean now.

What else can I do? Is there anything I can put on it to prevent corrosion? I thought about crc but think it might do more harm than good?

On a side note while cleaning one side of the board the isopropyl seemed to part dissolve some sort of coating, like a lacquer which has now left a sticky residue what could this be?

mdooher

Hmm, what to write...
990 posts

Ultimate Geek
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Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1467308 11-Jan-2016 07:58

The lacquer coating is exactly that and is designed to prevent corrosion long term. If you want a nice cheap replacement all you need do is spray the board with hair spray. This will also help retard any corrosion that has begun because of the dunking.

For this application don't use WD40. It will tend to evaporate in the heat of the car and you will get an oily film seeping out of the detector and on the display etc.

Matthew

SepticSceptic

1738 posts

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Reply # 1468193 12-Jan-2016 09:00

You were fortunate that there was no power applied when it was dunked.

To be thoroughly dry, leave it in a hot water cabinet for a week. There may be residual moisture under the IC's, or in the connectors, inductors, etc.

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government

RUKI

1104 posts

Uber Geek
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Reply # 1468360 12-Jan-2016 12:13

Option #1: Cheap: Transparent overcoat spray paint is about $17 in Bunnings (the one I used was non electroconductive, checked);
Option #2: Your girlfriend will kill you for that: "nail polish";

True story, eye witnessed fax myself, those were early days of smartphones in New Zealand, fax to the Telecom Dealership, quote:
"Dropped phone into the toilet, took out and put into microwave to dry it out, it is no longer working, need replacement ASAP", end of quote :-)