On Sat, 15 Dec 2001, Matthew Sell wrote:
> How do you think the boards were cleaned by the manufacturer?
>
> Boardwashers!!!!! (big versions of dishwashers - usually with conveyors for
> constant operation)
<snip>
> Don't take my word for it; take a board that you know is operational, of
> little value to you, test it out, and run it through the dishwasher using
> the steps outlined above. After a few days of drying, test it out. It'll
> work. And - I severely doubt that you get it any cleaner using any other
> method.
I've washed box after box of boards after the flood we had in Houston back
in June. Some boards went thru a dishwasher 8-10 times before they were
totally clean. Most of the boards went thru a cycle with a half cup of
bleach and a cup of 'washing soda' (made by Arm & Hammer) to kill bacteria
and other nasty stuff that they were contaminated with. Some boards even
needed a scrubbing with baking soda and a *very* soft plastic brush. So
far, every single board I salvaged has worked after completely cleaning
it. Nearly all switching power supplies were fried, all due to the fact
they were powered up when hit by flood water. If boards full of surface
mount chips can survive this kind of abuse, there is no reason a board
populated with tons of dips or other components can not safely be washed
in a dishwasher.
A good many systems brought to me for salvage/rescue were located in the
basement shown in this page:
http://www.uthouston.edu/FORMEDIA/NEWSRELEASES/NR2001/MSB-FLOOD-story.HTM
Those boxes had been under 20 feet of water for a week and a half or
longer, and so far have been the most dirty and disgusting systems I've
ever salvaged.
If you want to see other images of just how bad the flood was overall,
this page has quite a few photos:
http://www.iisrp.com/Theismann/2001-Flood/houston-flood-of-2001.htm
-Toth
Received on Sat Dec 15 2001 - 02:37:56 GMT