What does it mean when we say that a motor, drive, or inverter was washed? Today we walk you through the proper procedure and helpful tips for washing and cleaning electronics. We have also included a video that demonstrates the correct approach.
Your Basic Electronic Washing Procedure
- Washing
- Motor Stators – Combination of copper and steel
- PCB – Combination of glass epoxy, copper, silicon, and other washable material
A cleaning solution can be used: verify the chemicals in the solution wouldn’t harm components on the item being cleaned
- Drying
- Most crucial step – making sure all water is completely removed from the washed item before applying power
- If water remains, short circuits and potential damage can occur
- Some components, transistor modules, for example, hold water better than others and extra drying time may be needed to fully evaporate any excess
- Most crucial step – making sure all water is completely removed from the washed item before applying power
- Applying Power
- Only attempt to apply power once certain that no water remains from the cleaning process
- When unsure, drying for longer periods of time can be beneficial
These are the minimal essentials when it comes to washing and properly cleaning electronics, and a short video can be found here or at the end of this post that reiterates these points.