[plug] Fluid damage to Laptop

[Paul Arch]

Gavin Chester wrote:
> <snip>
> Hmm, despite the little tiff of claim and counterclaim that erupted
> here, I think you guys need to be explicit for the uninformed that might
> be reading this thread and end up applying your 'wisdom' for themselves
> sometime in the future :-(. 
>
> Cleaning keyboard membranes with water followed by a neat alcohol (eg,
> meths or ethyl) is fine because it is a plastic membrane substrate.
> Cleaning, or heaven forbid, SOAKING a printed circuit board (PCB) with
> water is to be avoided at ALL costs because it absorbs moisture and will
> swell.  In extreme cases, that swelling can pop off surface mounted
> components or even crack the tracks - with disastorus results! :-O  
>
>   
In my experience with manufacturing electronic boards in-house , water 
DOES NOT soak in and swell a PCB board ( maybe unless you leave it there 
for some seriously extended periods of time ).  On some occassions we 
would forget about the boards and have them 'soaking' in the sink 
overnight.  BUT we did have an 'oven' for drying the boards out after 
washing them with water ( to clean off the PCB cleaner ).  This probably 
did a much better job at drying the boards out than would occur 
naturally.  Come to think of it sometimes they would put the board out 
in the sun to dry out the back on warmer days ;)

Things to note:
 - the boards were usually single/double layed, a motherboard would by 
many layers ( not sure if this makes a difference )
 - most of our components were fully sealed, had to watch out for relays 
and switches though
 - the oven we had wasn't really like a household oven.  It was kinda a 
fan forced heater element in a box, in which you could put your boards 
into. The hot air could circulate and escape easily.
> If you care about trying to revive the laptop at all, spend the money at
> Dick Smith, Jaycar or wherever and get a proper PCB cleaner and contact
> cleaner (for all those switches and connectors).  If the laptop is dead,
> then so be it, but if your actions bring it back to life for the $20 you
> paid for the cleaners then you're ahead, aren't you?
>
>   
Agreed.  Get a PCB cleaner, old toothbrush, and carefully clean off the 
soiled bits.  Wash it off and make sure it drys VERY well :)

-- 


Paul Arch

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