Advice Please: Removing Smoke Damage From PCBs

[Darren Harris]

Can anyone tell me the best way to clean "soot" from printed circuit boards?

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

 

[Ken Taylor]

"Darren Harris" <Searcher7@mail.con2.com> wrote in message
news:9437a27c.0406241714.29f2441e@posting.google.com...

Can anyone tell me the best way to clean "soot" from printed circuit
boards?

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

If it's after a fire involving plastics, I'd use an ultrasonic cleaner to
remove as much of the toxic (and corrosive!) residues as possible.

Ken

 

[John Larkin]

On 24 Jun 2004 18:14:53 -0700, Searcher7@mail.con2.com (Darren Harris)
wrote:

Can anyone tell me the best way to clean "soot" from printed circuit boards?

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Scrub with soap and water, rinse, then bake dry. Some people advocate
running them through the dishwasher. Non-potted transformers and
relays may not like getting wet.

John

 

[Art]

Final rinse with distilled water to assure no chemical or mineral residue
from the tap water. Either bake dry or let air dry for at least three days.
Then follow up with a good inspection before attempting to implement use.
Make sure there are no residue carbon (Smoke & Soot) traces between
components that can produce a resistor like function with application of
current.
"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highlandSNIPtechTHISnologyPLEASE.com> wrote in
message news:5u4nd0pppeit9q36hnig7t10j31vhqfj0m@4ax.com...

On 24 Jun 2004 18:14:53 -0700, Searcher7@mail.con2.com (Darren Harris)
wrote:

Can anyone tell me the best way to clean "soot" from printed circuit
boards?

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Scrub with soap and water, rinse, then bake dry. Some people advocate
running them through the dishwasher. Non-potted transformers and
relays may not like getting wet.

John

 

[Ross Mac]

"Darren Harris" <Searcher7@mail.con2.com> wrote in message
news:9437a27c.0406241714.29f2441e@posting.google.com...

Can anyone tell me the best way to clean "soot" from printed circuit
boards?

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Freon should clean it up nicely if you have a source...Ross

 

[Kevin G. Rhoads]

Some people advocate
running them through the dishwasher. Non-potted transformers and
relays may not like getting wet.

Use a dishwasher detergent WITHOUT "rinse aid", and as someone
else already suggested, final rinse, by hand, with distilled or
deionized water and blow dry.

Watch out for non-hermetically sealed components of all kinds;
non-potted transformers, relays -- but also switches, jumper
blocks, connectors, keypads (&c &c)

 

[Darren Harris]

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.