Weather-Related Electronic Damage: What You Need to Know
Severe weather such as hurricanes, heavy rains, and flooding often brings an unwelcome guest: water. Electronic controls and water don't mix well. When Mother Nature disrupts your workflow, here’s what you need to know to recover effectively.
Safety First
The safety of you and your crew is paramount. When dealing with wet electronics, always ensure that all power is disconnected and verify that there are no live electrical sources. Switch off each machine and remove any batteries. These steps not only ensure personal safety but also minimize further damage to your equipment.
Immediate Actions
Once it's safe to proceed, thoroughly rinse, dry, and clean electronic devices before testing or repairing them to remove any contamination. Use cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol or other fast-drying electronic cleaning products to remove oil, dirt, and corrosion (evident as green, encrusted areas).
After cleaning, ensure the device is completely dry. Tools like fans, infrared lamps, electric heaters, and even hair dryers can aid in the drying process. Be cautious not to overheat components. Once all moisture is eliminated, it’s safe to power the device and test its operation. Several factors influence the repairability of controls, including water contamination, whether the circuit was powered while submerged, and the length of exposure.
Professional Restoration
Electronic devices, despite their size, are intricate and should be handled by experienced professionals. If cleaning and drying your equipment does not restore its operation, attempting repairs yourself could further damage the parts and complicate professional repairs, or even render them impossible.
Call the Pros (Control System Labs!)
If your electronic controls are damaged by severe weather or flooding, our engineers and technicians at Control System Labs can help. We provide repair services and offer replacement parts for a variety of equipment, including rare brands and obsolete machines. When your electronic controls are compromised, trust Control System Labs to get you back up and running.