dishwasher + mainboards

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Mon Oct 12 18:02:21 1998

< Your esophagus, on the other hand, might object to your drinking HCl (de
< on how dilute, I guess).

Actually a fairly powerful acid is the citric acid in lemons and limes
that people can and do eat/drink. Most pharmaceuticals use citric,
hydrocloric and some preps even nitric acid to get a the required PH.
This is really way off track for cleaning boards unless they have been hit
with a strong alkli (leaking nicads!), in which case a good dousing with
vinegar (acetic acid) or lemon juice (citric acid) will neutralize that.

Anyhow the PH and total acidity of a dishwasher unless useing something
strange is fairly mild. Electrolytic corrosion (usually from ionic
solutions and dissimilar metals) is prevented by quickly drying the board
either with mild heat or forced air. Unless your water is bad (unsafe
to drink) it is likely fine for washing a board.

I've done this to 10-15 qbus cards, a Micronta DVM, and several s100 cards
with the expected result, clean. I do it on boards I'll have to work on
as it's less messy and in one case it cleared a short!

FYI: I used to service marine radios when I lived on LI,NY and the
procedure for dunked electronics was toss it in a barrel of clean water
ASAP to get the salt out. This is repeated with several barrels of clean
water to get all of the salt. Then the equipment is than opended, cleaned
and repaired as needed (speakers, microphones, buzzers, enclosed coils).

Generally speaking potable water is ok, mud worse (abrasive), salt
is real nasty.

Allison
Received on Mon Oct 12 1998 - 18:02:21 BST