Flood Damage Repair

Cleaning Products for Flood Recovery of Sensitive Electronic Equipment

When a catastrophic flood occurs, millions of dollars of equipment is drenched and covered and filled with all kinds of dirt and muck. Some may be replaced with insurance covering the tab, but much of the equipment will need to be repaired and brought back into service as soon as possible. Believe it or not many electronic and electrical components can handle exposure to water, and it is in fact a common way to clean assemblies in manufacturing processes. Some components, like power supplies, can’t be recovered but much of it can.

Spray components with E-LINE™ IPA cleaner (part #1610-12S) or soak them in a bath of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) (part #1610- G4). IPA has the benefit of being hydrophilic, so it attracts moisture and removes it. To speed the drying process, use Vortex™ Duster (part #1697-10S). The high pressure of the Vortex™ Duster performs as a “portable compressor” to blast away moisture and solvent, even out of tight crevices. After the equipment has been rinsed thoroughly, stand it on end and allow it to drain.

It’s important to remove all oxidized oil, grease and other contamination. Most contacts and connectors contain sensitive plastics that will be destroyed using heavy degreasing solvents. For plastic-safe precision cleaning, use Precision-V™ Cleaner (part #1651-16S), or for heavy-duty nonflammable degreasing use G3 Blue Shower Maintenance Cleaners (part #1630-16S). Techspray aerosol cleaners feature a powerful spray force that helps dislodge any remaining trapped contaminants. Spray the equipment thoroughly or dip and agitate it submerged in the solvent.

Click here to download Application Guide to cleaning flood damage