Using a dish washer does not seem the brightest of ideas. Please think of the high temperature as well. It is absolutely the most far fetching solution for cleaning very dirty devices. Also... what if debris of solder/chemicals stay in the machine? Steel lead wires with aggressive detergents ... The dish washer method probably is "convenience" to prevent elbow sweat.
At work we use brake cleaner for everything except electronics 🙂 All "good stuff" from the past has been banned as most were carcinogenic. Some will remember the old version of "blanket restorer" used in the printing industry which was very good for cleaning but not so good for humans.
At work we use brake cleaner for everything except electronics 🙂 All "good stuff" from the past has been banned as most were carcinogenic. Some will remember the old version of "blanket restorer" used in the printing industry which was very good for cleaning but not so good for humans.
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Yet another way, which should be the safest and simplest, is to leave the module in sunlight for a sufficiently long period for the oils to evaporate or be broken down by ultraviolet light. However, I have no idea how many hours of sunshine are needed for the job and whether ultraviolet from sunlight can damage plastic parts like wire insulation, etc.
Of course ultraviolet light will be detrimental for plastic stuff. The water and soap method really is tested and it works OK for PCBs. The trick is the drying. Don't be tempted to mount everything back together and switch it on. Just leave it for a day.
Normal procedure is to write such a device off. With that thought in mind cleaning may be a good solution.
I don't know where you live but the in the EU banned PCB cleaning fluids in spray cans were very good. Forgot about them as the non residue leaving kind is unobtainium here. Maybe this stuff is OK (it would be a solution also for the toroid):
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00034083/
Normal procedure is to write such a device off. With that thought in mind cleaning may be a good solution.
I don't know where you live but the in the EU banned PCB cleaning fluids in spray cans were very good. Forgot about them as the non residue leaving kind is unobtainium here. Maybe this stuff is OK (it would be a solution also for the toroid):
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00034083/
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Hi RussC,
Without detergent and highest possible temperature that was availlable on the dishwasher i used.
I think it was circa 70*Celsius.
I must confess to had concerns about electrolytics but i never had issues.
But the real deal is ultrasonic i repeat: distilated water with controled ph, fast and efficient. If you can dry quickly i see no issues ( and never had one either with the UScleaner i used).
Alcohol and tushbrush is fine but i had bad experience with polystirene caps on microphones...
If i can discard use of aggressive chemicals ( for yourself or nature) i'm happy to do so.
Contact cleaner? When i was still green at maintenance tasks I once applied it to some nice Penny & Giles faders ( they were scratchy). Wonderful idea which cost me some 200euros for 2 new units. I was glad i didn't go for the full 64 faders the desk had as the studio had spares chanels and could withstand the wait for delivery without charging me for session's loss.
Without detergent and highest possible temperature that was availlable on the dishwasher i used.
I think it was circa 70*Celsius.
I must confess to had concerns about electrolytics but i never had issues.
But the real deal is ultrasonic i repeat: distilated water with controled ph, fast and efficient. If you can dry quickly i see no issues ( and never had one either with the UScleaner i used).
Alcohol and tushbrush is fine but i had bad experience with polystirene caps on microphones...
If i can discard use of aggressive chemicals ( for yourself or nature) i'm happy to do so.
Contact cleaner? When i was still green at maintenance tasks I once applied it to some nice Penny & Giles faders ( they were scratchy). Wonderful idea which cost me some 200euros for 2 new units. I was glad i didn't go for the full 64 faders the desk had as the studio had spares chanels and could withstand the wait for delivery without charging me for session's loss.
I think if the soap is rinsed out immediately, not much damage will occur.
Materials used are your choice.
Materials used are your choice.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSuUn_zu8l00xm8tBm8mZMv70k17zHvu9lxtD7SSSSSS--
Modified trichloroethylene, it seems, with ether like substances.
Factory use only, with proper safety measures.
Read before ordering, plenty of toxic substance warnings in the MSDS.
How will you deal with contact cleaner residues?
Also, how much does a device like that sell for?
May not be worth the hassle.
Modified trichloroethylene, it seems, with ether like substances.
Factory use only, with proper safety measures.
Read before ordering, plenty of toxic substance warnings in the MSDS.
How will you deal with contact cleaner residues?
Also, how much does a device like that sell for?
May not be worth the hassle.
I think it is good to be interested in the composition of the product for shisha before deciding.
the fatty liquid is molasses, therefore based on cane sugar so it should be practiced as with sugar.
first heat with a hair dryer and try to remove as much as possible with a tissue, brush etc.
then you need an aqueous base like dish soap diluted in hot water, fairly concentrated in product and let the molasses dissolve while absorbing and eliminating it as you go.
the fatty liquid is molasses, therefore based on cane sugar so it should be practiced as with sugar.
first heat with a hair dryer and try to remove as much as possible with a tissue, brush etc.
then you need an aqueous base like dish soap diluted in hot water, fairly concentrated in product and let the molasses dissolve while absorbing and eliminating it as you go.
Thank you so much for replying.
So, the stickiness is from molasses and sugary products added to the oil. The module has already been cleaned thouroughly that doing soldering work on it generates little to no obnoxious vapours from the oil and its residues. However, when I turn on the module and the heatsinks, which have also been sprayed with the same oil, start heating up, oil vapours from unremoved residue may increase.
Since, many experienced users favour using a soap solution, it is wise to ask which type of soap to use. As a solvent (water) I can use bottled drinking water from a good quality brand.
The last piece of headache is the large toroidal transformer which may have also been tampered with the same unwelcome oil.
I know for many who smoke, emanating smoking fumes are no issue, but since my late adolescence I had experienced chest pains if I expose myself to smoking fumes. I beg pardon to forum members who may have found my thread somewhat unpalatable.
So, the stickiness is from molasses and sugary products added to the oil. The module has already been cleaned thouroughly that doing soldering work on it generates little to no obnoxious vapours from the oil and its residues. However, when I turn on the module and the heatsinks, which have also been sprayed with the same oil, start heating up, oil vapours from unremoved residue may increase.
Since, many experienced users favour using a soap solution, it is wise to ask which type of soap to use. As a solvent (water) I can use bottled drinking water from a good quality brand.
The last piece of headache is the large toroidal transformer which may have also been tampered with the same unwelcome oil.
I know for many who smoke, emanating smoking fumes are no issue, but since my late adolescence I had experienced chest pains if I expose myself to smoking fumes. I beg pardon to forum members who may have found my thread somewhat unpalatable.
The car finishing industry uses both water- and solvent-based panel cleaners; both are quite benign and could be used safely to remove practically any contaminant form practically any surface.
Heating molasses turns it into sticky conductive carbon...
What will you do with a toy a child has played with while dripping candy on it?
Do just that, remove the sweet stuff thoroughly.
Just wash it with a water hose, till you think it is not sticky any more.
Then use hand soap, or a bit of shampoo, to clean it further.
Rinse and repeat.
If you can, use a jet washer, the kind used to wash cars with a hose, they have a soap addition system also.
As long as is not soaked for a long time, wires will not corrode in an hour.
The damage from molasses might have happened already.
Let it dry, hang it edge wise over a sink or similar.
Next day, use a pin and a magnifying glass to look for residues.
Repeat if needed.
What will you do with a toy a child has played with while dripping candy on it?
Do just that, remove the sweet stuff thoroughly.
Just wash it with a water hose, till you think it is not sticky any more.
Then use hand soap, or a bit of shampoo, to clean it further.
Rinse and repeat.
If you can, use a jet washer, the kind used to wash cars with a hose, they have a soap addition system also.
As long as is not soaked for a long time, wires will not corrode in an hour.
The damage from molasses might have happened already.
Let it dry, hang it edge wise over a sink or similar.
Next day, use a pin and a magnifying glass to look for residues.
Repeat if needed.
That's probably the worst thing you can do to populated circuit boards, please don't do it.
The power and rail voltages I use for this very large amplifier module are so small that heating is insignificant to cause any kind of sugar to change nature. Furthermore, when it was used it had forced ventilation continuously through a tunnel formed by the two power heatsinks of both amplifier modules. This setup forces all air from a fan to have to pass through the tunnel so formed and is vastly efficient.
There is no burnt sugar residue; the only stickiness comes from invert sugars/molasses and other ingredients originally dissolved in the oil during its manufacture.
I have already done some soldering on this module, and it seems the amount of residue, is so low that fumes from soldering do not produce enough oil and ingredient evaporates to stimulate my sense of smell: I can only tell you, I am extremely intolerant to smoking fumes, especially, flavoured fumes.
It might not 'seem' like a bright idea, but it is. I have service manuals for electronic devices that specifically state, if the circuit boards are dirty, put them in a dishwasher.
So, it's an idea that has been recommended by manufacturers for decades. The heat is a nonissue, you only need to worry about melting solder, and you can't normally get water anywhere near that hot, nor the drying cycle.
So, my vote goes for the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is perfectly safe,.mostly softening agents that go right down the drain.
But if it's a DIY amp, all bets are off, because those aren't always made to industrial-manufacturing standards. I've even done it, with lots of stuff, even keyboard keycaps.
But the item should be disassembled from the chassis, or it won't get very clean. I have to admit the first read to wash electronics in a dishwasher, I laughed.
I called my Dad and told him about it! He just said, "Yeah, that's how you do it."
as for tranny, I wouldn't sweat much, they are usually covered with few layers of external isolation, and lacquer on wires are pretty sturdy too (fancy ones are even potted AFAIK) so good rub with damp cloth will do
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Deionised water in ultrasonic baths for production boards (maybe). Too many corrosion forming contaminants in normal water that can creep up tinned legs behind epoxy or ceramic packages.
I've never seen any other water cleaning reference in RF and Avionics service manuals.
You can rinse last with bottled water, or RO / deionised water, which is not so difficult to get.
And if you dry it off, no issue, but I live in an area where the tap water is from a river source, very low TDS.
Audio frequencies are much below RF...so less chance of signal distortion.
And if you dry it off, no issue, but I live in an area where the tap water is from a river source, very low TDS.
Audio frequencies are much below RF...so less chance of signal distortion.