EMERGENCY! LED Light Fell into Tank!

[JLynn]

Basically, I was just doing a water change, and in the process my light was knocked into my tank. It was completely submerged, for like 5 seconds, with electricity still running through it. I've unplugged it now, and gotten as much water as I can out of it without disassembling the unit. I have stuck my hand in the water and felt no charge, but that's no guarantee that one doesn't exist. How can I make sure to rid the tank of any lingering electricity?! I don't want to turn back on any of the electrical things in the tank until I can be sure it won't incur any damage!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The electricity is gone once the source is removed. It will not linger.

 

[JLynn]

Okay. Thanks. That's a huge relief.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup. No worries.

 

[Barrett]

The only thing that would be damaged is the light. I would remove the outer case and let it completely dry out. Then check for and clean any corrosion.

 

[Jlentz]

Dunk the light in rodi. Make sure it's unplugged first. I'd leave it overnight to let it soak to get the salt out. then dry it out for a week before trying to plug it back in.

 

[Barrett]

I don't think soaking it in water would be the best idea IMO.

 

[Scarybo]

Dunk the light in rodi. Make sure it's unplugged first. I'd leave it overnight to let it soak to get the salt out. then dry it out for a week before trying to plug it back in.

?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Do not place it back in water!!!!!!
Keep it unplugged!!!!'

If possible, remove the case and blow air at it with a fan. When it's dry, place in a bag with some rice tie it off tight and leave it there for a day.

Of course this means no light for a day or two, but if you have corals, it should be fine.

When you plug it back in, don't touch the fixture and make sure it's plugged into a GFCI outlet.

 

[Velcro]

I don't think soaking it in water would be the best idea IMO.

The biggest issue with dropping electronics in saltwater is the corrosion that follows days after if the salt is left in place. I have dropped an LED in saltwater before as well and you know what I did? I filled a bucked full of RODI, dunked the light in it, swished it around a few times and pulled it out. I then disassembled it and sprayed everything with electrical contact cleaner to speed up the evaporation of water and placed it in front of a fan for a couple hours.

The light still works.

 

[Barrett]

The biggest issue with dropping electronics in saltwater is the corrosion that follows days after if the salt is left in place. I have dropped an LED in saltwater before as well and you know what I did? I filled a bucked full of RODI, dunked the light in it, swished it around a few times and pulled it out. I then disassembled it and sprayed everything with electrical contact cleaner to speed up the evaporation of water and placed it in front of a fan for a couple hours.

The light still works.

Hence why I said remove cover and check and clean corrosion. Putting electronics in water once isn't good and I would never do it again to rinse it off. That is just my opinion and the OP is free to do what they would like.

 

[Jlentz]

Exactly.

You need to get the saltwater out of it if you want to have any chance of it ever working again.

In order to do that you'll need to dunk it in something.
It needs to be rodi, or if you're worried about that isopropyl alcohol. That's silly and expensive though since reefers should have rodi on hand anyway.

If you just dry it out it will still be full of salt, which tends to be conductive. Then it's guaranteed not to work for long.

It's still a slim chance though. I'd be shopping for another light.

 

[Barrett]

I am a mechanic for the city I live in and deal with corrosion on a regular basis since we spray salt brine and sodium chloride on our roads and had never fixed a module by rinsing it in water. I clean the corrosion with a good electrical contact cleaner and make sure it does not ever get wet again. If it can be fixed.

 

[Jlentz]

Hence why I said remove cover and check and clean corrosion. Putting electronics in water once isn't good and I would never do it again to rinse it off. That is just my opinion and the OP is free to do what they would like.

0 tds rodi is non conductive therefore the easiest way to clean the light out. Just unplug it first just in case. Rubbing alcohol is possibly better but a lot more expensive.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

0 tds rodi is non conductive therefore the easiest way to clean the light out. Just unplug it first just in case. Rubbing alcohol is possibly better but a lot more expensive.

Your saying water is non conductive.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I get the corrosion issues here, but I'm in the camp that I wouldn't immerse it again. If it wasn't electronics, I'd says sure, but water intrusion twice wouldn't set well with me.

If it can be taken apart and even subcomponents removed, which would be best for drying, then any corrosion could be addressed at that time.

 

[Flippers4pups]

0 tds rodi is non conductive therefore the easiest way to clean the light out. Just unplug it first just in case. Rubbing alcohol is possibly better but a lot more expensive.

Sorry to disagree on "non conductive"!

 

[jason_mazzy]

rodi followed by denatured alcohol. unplugged the rodi tds 0 will not mess with the electronics. gotta get anything that will corrode off.

 

[dragon99]

Sorry to disagree on "non conductive"!

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Di+water+resistivity

More importantly, make sure the light is unplugged when you rinse it. Then it really doesn't matter how conductive the solution you are using to clean is.

 

[Flippers4pups]

If and I say if any electronics have capacitors and they haven't been fully discharged, they could discharge while immersing in water. Bad idea! Shock (depends on the size of capacitor) or rupture of the capacitor could occur.

Water, even the cleanest water on the planet, will allow current to travel to ground.