Many instruction booklets for domestic electronic equipment say do not use cleaning solvents such as alcohol.Is this advice given simply because they are trying to prevent possible marking of the plastic casing?Or can domestic cleaning solvents actually damage the electronics inside in some way?

It is my impression that they dodge the entire gamut of liability this way.If you used alcohol under their good graces, and disfigured the appliance,or started it up and it caught fire, they would be liable.It is your appliance...do what you wish, realizing that if you screw up,it is on your own account.

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 01:24:13 GMT Roy L. Fuchs:One of the great unexplained mysteries of my life; why I have not yetkillfiled you.

"Do not use solvents on electronic equipment"

Mar 17, 2006 47 Replies

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Roy L. Fuchs 20 years ago

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:20:37 GMT, John Savage Gave us:

Not true. Chlorinated solvents, yes, but alcohol, a resounding no!

If your PCB maker is using a component silk screen ink that solves in alcohol, I would question a lot about the quality of other aspects of his manufactured product as well.

All of the inks I have EVER heard of were all enamels that were hardy to weak solvents like alcohol. It is actually a UL requirement IIRC. Same holds true for the makers of heat shrink wrapped and labeled parts like EL caps and the like.

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Roy L. Fuchs 20 years ago

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:20:37 GMT, John Savage Gave us:

A PCB is ALREADY hygroscopic unless it has been conformally coated.

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John Savage 20 years ago

An effective goo remover is peanut butter (aka peanut paste). In the absence of peanut butter, use WD-40. Both leave a smudge of oil, but that's easily cleaned up with a drop of detergent on a damp tissue.

On a metal or glass surface, tea tree oil and mineral turps are both good at removing sticker goo, but these can attack paint and plastics so don't use on such surfaces unless you are willing to accept some surface spoilage.

-- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

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Roy L. Fuchs 20 years ago

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 05:21:55 GMT, David Peters Gave us:

Also, bought in store tube of "RTV" The acronym means "Room Temperature Vulcanization". It isn't rubber, and there is no heat or sulfur involved.

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Roy L. Fuchs 20 years ago

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 05:21:55 GMT, David Peters Gave us:

It appears that it firms up rubber, and makes it stronger and better, but it seems to "firm up" plastics, and make them brittle or even cause micro-fractures in their molecular lattices.

I am sure the chemistry group boys could explain it a lot better than a lay person such as I as it relates to plastics and their interactions with various solvents. If they are even reading the thread.

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JW 20 years ago

One of the great unexplained mysteries of my life; why I have not yet killfiled you.

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Roy L. Fuchs 20 years ago

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 06:08:33 -0500, JW Gave us:

You're a retard, You're a retard, You're a retard, Yes you are... You're a retard, You're a retard, You're a retard, Stay outta the bar.

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David Peters 20 years ago

Peanut butter? Heh! Now that will give me an excuse to keep a jar of peanut butter in the house.

Must try the peanut butter because although I haven't tried the tea tree oil you suggest for removing sticker glue, I have tried eucalyptus oil and it works rather well. Presumably eucalyptus oil is quite similar to tea tree oil in this respect.

Now here's another: if you are a sweaty sort of person then I find that skin oil (say, from the brow) works remarkably well!

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