It's floodin' down in Texas...

[antichef]

I moved from one house to another recently, and my big fishing tackle box in which I keep all my electronic components and doo-dads was sitting around -- I got the bright idea of putting in the basement of our new (old) house.

(For the uninitiated, basements in Houston are about as rare as rocking horse poo, and there's a reason for that)

The tackle box wasn't big enough for all my stuff, and the top no longer closed completely. I guess a bunch of water from a rainstorm found its way to the box, and the bottom part of the box filled up with yucky water -- I'm not sure how long it stood that way, but let's assume it was weeks. The top shelves, protected by the top of the box, stayed dry.

Here's my question -- among the soaked things were:

1) a bunch of NOS carbon resistors
2) some NOS capacitors (still in the paper/plastic wrapping)
3) a bunch of hookup wire
4) some transistors -- actually the BC441 and BC461 that we've been using to fix the ACMP-81 units
5) some other stuff, like a heat gun, some files, and other things that will either obviously keep working or not

I rinsed everything in clean water, and have left it out to dry. For the items in 1-4, does anyone have any experience with water soakage like this? Should I just throw it away? Or should I keep, but test before using?

(don't worry Drossfile - the first set of capacitors I sent had been in my desk drawer at work since way before the water event, and the second set were in the top shelf area of the box and didn't get wet )

edit: no responses? Well.... a year from now when you're all wondering how I get that swampy sound in my tracks, I'm not tellin'

 

[Chili]

Okay... let's break this down....

FIRST

I got the bright idea of putting in the basement of our new (old) house.

STOP!! You have a basement??? In Houston??? I am sooo jealous.

Second

(For the uninitiated, basements in Houston are about as rare as rocking horse poo, and there's a reason for that)

You got that right. Or anywhere in Texas.

Third

Here's my question -- among the soaked things were:

1) a bunch of NOS carbon resistors
2) some NOS capacitors (still in the paper/plastic wrapping)
3) a bunch of hookup wire
4) some transistors -- actually the BC441 and BC461 that we've been using to fix the ACMP-81 units
5) some other stuff, like a heat gun, some files, and other things that will either obviously keep working or not

I rinsed everything in clean water, and have left it out to dry. For the items in 1-4, does anyone have any experience with water soakage like this? Should I just throw it away? Or should I keep, but test before using?

I'd be worried about the heat gun. transistors and resistors should be fine. If capacitors got wet, you should test them, or not trust them, or replace them (how much can they be??)

Hook wire, wipe the grunge off. (hee hee hee, i know what I said)

Fourth

a year from now when you're all wondering how I get that swampy sound in my tracks, I'm not tellin'

I won't forget!!!

 

[drossfile]

I moved from one house to another recently, and my big fishing tackle box in which I keep all my electronic components and doo-dads was sitting around -- I got the bright idea of putting in the basement of our new (old) house.

(For the uninitiated, basements in Houston are about as rare as rocking horse poo, and there's a reason for that)

The tackle box wasn't big enough for all my stuff, and the top no longer closed completely. I guess a bunch of water from a rainstorm found its way to the box, and the bottom part of the box filled up with yucky water -- I'm not sure how long it stood that way, but let's assume it was weeks. The top shelves, protected by the top of the box, stayed dry.

Here's my question -- among the soaked things were:

1) a bunch of NOS carbon resistors
2) some NOS capacitors (still in the paper/plastic wrapping)
3) a bunch of hookup wire
4) some transistors -- actually the BC441 and BC461 that we've been using to fix the ACMP-81 units
5) some other stuff, like a heat gun, some files, and other things that will either obviously keep working or not

I rinsed everything in clean water, and have left it out to dry. For the items in 1-4, does anyone have any experience with water soakage like this? Should I just throw it away? Or should I keep, but test before using?

(don't worry Drossfile - the first set of capacitors I sent had been in my desk drawer at work since way before the water event, and the second set were in the top shelf area of the box and didn't get wet )

edit: no responses? Well.... a year from now when you're all wondering how I get that swampy sound in my tracks, I'm not tellin'

hope it all turns out ok for you man. i'm w/ arcaxis--i can't imagine anything but maybe some of the caps would be hosed, and that's only because those electrolytic caps could easily get their paper soaked through (i would think). all you can do is test 'em i suppose. i would also check continuity from the aluminum case to the leads in case the water shorted it out.

keep in mind i have no idea what i'm talking about, except i'm pretty good with electricity in general.

wait, i know! throw everything in the oven and dry it out!

 

[dgatwood]

Metal capacitor cans should be sealed well enough that I wouldn't think it would matter. If they weren't sealed, the electrolyte goop would leak out. And if they were further wrapped in plastic, I think you're safe. Make sure you rinse all the parts clean. A layer of dirt could provide a very slight leakage path around the device, depending on what's in the dirt....

 

[antichef]

thanks guys - everything's rinsed and dried now. I guess I'll just get in the habit of testing any capacitor or resistor I'm about to use (which is not back to do anyway). One of these days I'll get the juevos to try out the heat gun.

 

[antichef]

I acted before I read -- It's a smoke-gun now, but at least it didn't blow the circuit. I'll just get another one - it was a cheap-o.