Uh oh! I dropped my light!

[LiamPM]

Glad it wasnt completed dead when you dried it out.

I had the same situation myself - Dropped a Radion into tank and a good quarter of it went under. Was told to rinse it with RODI etc but just didnt fancy that - Was in the frame of mind that i would replace the unit anyway - Dried it out with a hairdryer and left for a good day in the sun before attempting to turn on.

About 4 years later and the unit still works perfectly. Now just a backup but still, works fine.

Funny thing is - Its not the only unit ive dropped in the tank either

 

[Spare time]

Yes, when I say RO water I mean RO/DI. My bad.

I posted mine right before I saw yours

 

[All_talk]

I think many of us have done something like this, I have had good luck with doing the following steps as quickly as possible...

1. Pull the item out of the water and unplug the power. (Might be safest to unplug first, but our natural reaction is to yank it out as quickly as possible and pulling the plug usually comes second).

2. Flush with RODI. Its best to disassemble first but if that is going to take too much time do it whole. I feel what's important here is to flush the salt away before it starts to dry. If you disassemble after the flush, flush the electronics again with RODI.

3. Flush with alcohol to remove the water. Compressed air is helpful before and after the alcohol flush if you have it.

4. Dry thoroughly before testing. Hot sun, heater vent or hairdryer are good to bake the water/alcohol out. Even after you think its dry, leave it in a warm, dry place and test it tomorrow.



FYI on the coating discussion, Kessil lights have coated boards. I once pored saltwater right in the side of my A360WE while doing a water change. Still works to this day (and I didn't even flush it, just blew it out with compressed air.)

 

[Tavero]

I dried it and then sprayed generously WD

Heh.
"Water Displacement formula 40" is pretty much the gold standard here as long as you dont have to look for your spray bottle for hours in a chaotic garage.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Heh.
"Water Displacement formula 40" is pretty much the gold standard here as long as you dont have to look for your spray bottle for hours in a chaotic garage.

The residue from WD 40 is really not that reef friendly next time the light gets dunked. Hey it happened once already, right?

You would be better of using some denatured alcohol which is commonly called methylated spirit in Australia, if you want speed the drying process.

I'm not sure what it is called in the USA, but it is not the same as isopropyl alcohol.

I would still recommend simply rinsing with RODI and then letting air dry for a few days.

 

[Tavero]

The residue from WD 40 is really not that reef friendly next time the light gets dunked.

Well sure, but you aren't supposed to leave it there anyway. It is only meant to displace the water and creep into every tiny crack due to its low surface tension. Then you can still wash it away with alcohol and cover the contacts with acrylic resisin spray to protect it during the next accident (which should have been done by the manufacturer anyway)