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Choosing DeoxIT Product For Water Damage Recovery?

DeoxIT D5 seems to be common in the electronics repair community so I went to their website to buy a can and was overwhelmed with the choices.

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category...

I would be using it for water damage recovery, typically I brush the board and connectors down with 99-100% alcohol then brush on DeoxIT and leave to dry. The major differences in their products seem to be either 5% or 100% solution, and quick dry or slow dry (without solvents). Then the other differences are the application type; spray, pump, fine point, brush, etc.

So what do you use? I would think the 100% solution without solvent would work the best but would it be too strong for some components? Would I have to remove the product if I used a 100% solution where the 5% can be left on the board and connectors during reassembly? All the fine precision tip applicators are the 100% solution making me think it can be left on connectors but maybe not on the board itself unless its 5% but I am just theorizing.

Thank you!

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Spray cleaners like DeoxIT is not something I use as it really doesn’t solve the root issue and it leaves a oily film which you don’t want.

Lets use an example you spill a cup of coffee on your counter and its dried what would you use to clean it? Plain water as it will dissolve the coffee and sugar. But, what about the oils within the cream? You would need something to cut through it like a solvent like isopropyl alcohol.

So lets get back to your issue here… We generally use distilled water to flush away sugars, salts and acids as it’s electrically neutral and offers the quickest way to flush away the harmful stuff.

Now tap or bottled water should not be used! Unlike distilled water which has no dissolved minerals or salts within it, tap or spring water does! You could just make things worse! Its like washing your cloths in muddy water which is not clean!

Jumping back here… We now have a wet (distilled water) device which still is not good! We now need to dry it out besides the physical action of shaking the excess water out or wicking it away with paper towels we can use a good grade of isopropyl alcohol (85% or better) which binds to the water and will then evaporate it out. Some people just go with isopropyl alcohol Vs going with distilled water first.

It all depends on how wet and what got it wet. There is no perfect answer here. I’ve done both ways. And I often have to use a toothbrush to clean off the caked on junk and corrosion, as well as having to patch traces and replace components.

The one action you don’t want to try is just evaporate what was spilled as the solids within the spill is what will hurt your device! So placing your wet device into a warm oven or a vacuum chamber is not a good idea!

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Wow I am really surprised, as I have worked at several repair shops both small and large franchise based stores which all use DeoxIT for water damage.

I have always been told to use the DeoxIT last and “leave it” on the board during reassembly and honestly it never made 100% sense to me due to as you said, the residue left behind. I certainly understand the difference in water quality,

I run elaborate aquariums and have to stay on top of water chemistry so it makes sense to use distilled.

One of the stores I worked at used an ultrasonic cleaner with Florida tap water with a little aircraft cleaner in it. Then we would displace that water by putting the board in a pan with denatured alcohol. Finally using hot air and compressed air we would push all remaining water out and off the board evaporating with hot air.

Another place I worked used no alcohol but went straight from the ultrasonic cleaner to a food grade dehydrator.85% or higher isopropyl alcohol you say? My current job uses 99% isopropyl alcohol made by Swan. However my previous job used denatured alcohol made by Klean-Strip which I thought was 100% alcohol with a bitterant. Which of the two would you choose and why?

I do not do board level work as you have mentioned replacing SMDs and traces. I have come to understand that evaporation of the liquid without cleaning does not really do much help, and rice is the worst thing you can turn to with all that rice dust.

I have personally found that the majority of issues regarding liquid damage is found between contacts or “lego connectors” as I have removed and cleaned boards to only have no success, then later clean the contacts of things that connect to the board which solve the issue.

For instance I am not going to put a charge port/dock into a ultrasonic cleaner due to the microphone but cleaning the connector on the ribbon cable is crucial to overall success. We do use toothbrush style cleaners at work, and I am wondering if DeoxIT would actually help long as its used FIRST then alcohol or ultrasonic which would both help remove the DeoxIT oily substance while allowing the DeoxIT to do its job before cleaning it off?

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The only logic I can see why someone would leave an oily film (DeoxIT) is thinking it will protect the surface from future damage. If that is the thought then you want to use a electronics lacquer spray which is non-conductive and non-capacitive which is another issue you can encounter with oil based sprays. Frankly, if you have failed to clean the part fully you could end up trapping something which can cause issues later. Best to keep it clean with nothing unless the part was coated before hand.

Denatured Alcohol is not clean! Its loaded with other stuff which can cause damage and leave a corrosive film. Stick with reagent grade Isopropyl Alcohol 85% or better! Its safer for the equipment and you! Even still make sure you have good ventilation as any solvent or solder fumes are not healthy.

I love rice with my chicken and my beef! It's a food it's useless in removing spills!

Just like Silica Gel beads which is a Desiccant These only pull moisture out of the air not wet devices. Give this a try place a few drops into a small sealed container and a few gains of rice how long did it take for the rice to absorb the water? Not very fast was it! Parboiled rice (minute made) has a bit more surface area so it will be a bit quicker. In this case you had the rice in contact with the water thats just doesn't happen when you push a phone into a bag of rice! Forget about Rice or Silica Gel or any other Desiccant all are useless in cleaning out a wet device. But do use a Desiccant in your camera bag or computer case to help remove the moisture (vapor) within them when you travel into humid location or during the humid summer.

As for food grade dehydrator, I would only use is at the very end of cleaning to speed up the drying process (distilled water and/or isopropyl alcohol) a warm window sill or hot air (convection) oven will also work.

Yes, you sometimes need to scrub the parts and connectors to remove caked on junk or corrosion. An ultrasonic cleaner is also a great choice but what you use as a cleaner needs to be managed carefully. Only use water based cleaners and dilute it down as it still can be too aggressive. Frankly, I just use isopropyl alcohol.

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I've never heard of someone in the micro-soldering community using Deoxit (doesn't mean no one is using it though). From what I can see, deoxit is for deoxidizing metal on metal contacts. The FPC (Lego) connectors are gold plated so as such, they will not oxidize. They can get gunked up with mineral deposits but IPA or distilled/demineralized water will do the job perfectly. Worst case, you brush them with an anti-static brush.

A dehydrator should accelerate the process but leaving IPA on the board is not an issue, it will eventually evaporate anyway.

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Thanks guys!

"Yes, you sometimes need to scrub the parts and connectors to remove caked on junk or corrosion."

"Worst case, you brush them with an anti-static brush.

A dehydrator should accelerate the process but leaving IPA on the board is not an issue, it will eventually evaporate anyway."

^ That's exactly what we do, always brush the boards and connectors down. I assume 99% is better than 85% for this reason, less than 1% stays on the board after evaporation in the dehydrator? I will likely now on just use the 99% ISO then a dehydrator rather than distilled water. Why waste time with distilled water when 99% ISO can do what water can plus more, seems more thorough from the start.

I just realized they make a DeoxIT G-series designed for gold contacts, still not worth it??

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The percent is not that important once you get into the reagent level 85% or better is just fine. Some people just can't get the higher level and besides it gets more expensive!

I still wouldn't use the DeoxIT G-series why spend money of something that really isn't needed. If the connector has already broken down from electrolysis then it needs replacing!

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Let me preface this by saying I work for CAIG Labs, the maker of DeoxIT, so this is not an unbiased opinion. That said, from the conversation, I believe you are really missing the point of using this product.

The DeoxIT will restore and rejuvenate the connection, not just clean it, and it is the only product available that will remove the oxidation down to the microscopic level, even getting to that adhered dendrite corrosion that can get through the plating down to the wire.

That “oily film” as you refer to it is key to the performance of your equipment. Initially, you should wipe of the part after applying the DeoxIT. There will be plenty of DeoxIT left on the surface to effectively restore you connection. By leaving a microscopic layer of on the contact surface, you are getting 3 benefits: (1) the DeoxIT continues to lift the oxidation down to the microscopic level protecting your connector from oxidizing; (2) the layer of DeoxIT left on the part stops future oxidation; and (3) as it is a lubricant, the DeoxIT will preserve your equipment and plating by reducing friction wear when you mate/un-mate connectors.

The DeoxIT is non-conductive, but will not impede your signal in any way. In fact, it will maximize signal strength/data rates. Conversely, alcohol, being conductive, can lead to surges and other problems. Plus, alcohol will dry out plastics and rubbers that house your connectors. While alcohol may be a little cheaper, it is really not good solution.

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Thanks that was great info. Hard to understand how a substance can improve a connection without being conductive but I will take your word for it.

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Conductivity is improved by the chemical removing all contaminants from your connectors. Many connectors are plated with gold which is a fairly porous metal… when the plating is extremely thin, it can actually let corrosion through to the base wire. This is often when you will lose connectivity. The DeoxIT also penetrates the plating and bonds with the base metal, usually copper, and removes all corrosion. The totally clean metal is far more conductive. Using IPA or another volatile chemical designed to leave zero reside is not the answer because it simply evaporates too quickly to remove this adhered corrosion, think of using the hula-hoe in the garden - you are just taking the top of the weeds or in this case corrosion and leaving the root. With data speeds as high as they are, this “root” oxidation is enough to cause a intermittency or possibly a failure of the entire application. The fairly small amount of DeoxIT left on then part seals up the plating, but when a connection is made, it is displaced, allowing pristine metal to metal connections with DeoxIT sealing the around the connect point. This provides you with the highest possible connectivity.

I understand it can be confusing as to which version of DeoxIT to use. Basically, first decide how best to apply the DeoxIT for your application: what is best/easiest - a spray, a wipe, a pen, a needle oiler or a brush. Whichever is easiest to use and works to get the DeoxIT on the appropriate surface is the one to go for!

As to the strength of the DeoxIT solutions, 100% versus 5%, it depends on the application. If the equipment is vintage, created before 1980, use the 100% solution to be safe - newer propellants and solvents do not always agree with older materials. Also, use the 100% solution when you want the DeoxIT to go on thicker for extra lubrication.

The 5% solution uses a propellant and carrier solvent which provide a flushing action and remove surface contaminants like dust and other debris, and then those chemicals evaporate. This is great for getting rid of contaminants other than the adhered corrosion. Once the carrier solvent and propellant have dissipated/evaporated, you have only DeoxIT left on the part. This will remove the adhered corrosion over time, increasing connectivity, protecting your connectors and increasing the life of your equipment.

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