P1 is "waterproof"

Just in case anyone was wondering how water resistant the P1 is, I finally forgot to take it out of my pocket this weekend and it went thru the wash. discovered it this morning and turned it on . Truly expected it to be toast with the rechargeablle 123 in it but son of a gun it still works. good enough for me.

That's a pretty good test. I'd put some silicone or Nyogel on your O-rings now as the laundry soap probably washed off anything exposed.

This is indeed excellent news! Thanks for sharing the experience with us.

Glad it still works. When you opened it up was there any moisture inside?

Did it go through the dryer also?

I ALMOST accidentely sent mine through the wash last night but remembered just as I was about to turn the machine on....*phew*.... I'm glad to hear though that it would of survived nontheless. What an awesome little light this P1 is!!

how about tying it to a fishing line with a weight and letting it go down 50m of the pier?

Is the washing machine really such a tough test to pass. Anything that's advertised as "waterproof" or has O-rings should be able to pass it.

tebore said:

Is the washing machine really such a tough test to pass. Anything that's advertised as "waterproof" or has O-rings should be able to pass it.

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Hmmm...considering the strong soaps, bleach, etc used in the wash coupled with the agitation action and the g-forces encountered by the spin cycles, I would consider the laundry to be a pretty good test.

There are varying factors, however...I don't know about high water temperature being a tough test, but certainly the test would be tougher on a flashlight if it is not experiencing the wash in the pocket of heavy pants (jeans, for instance).

I guess a trip through the washer is more of a general environmental challenge than a simple (static) test of water resistance.

Exactly what i was thinking, what would test better i would think is pressure in addition to being surround by water.

tebore said:

Is the washing machine really such a tough test to pass. Anything that's advertised as "waterproof" or has O-rings should be able to pass it.

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While any "waterproof" claim is worthless without a depth or pressure listed, it's nice to know that it'll go through the washing machine without a problem.

I had my first L1P go throught the washer and dryer. Zero problems.

Temperature, agitation, spin cycle and detergents are tough on anything. I have scuba equipment that I wouldn't put in the washer.

amanichen said:

While any "waterproof" claim is worthless without a depth or pressure listed, it's nice to know that it'll go through the washing machine without a problem.

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Yep it is worthless. That's exactly what I meant. A claim of waterproof without exact depth should be able to withstand a washer.

It's when you start to specify the depth that the claim is more useful and a washing machine would be short work for it.

The G forces in a washer isn't that much, it's really the final spin cycle that exerts enough force but for a light that is that small it really shouldn't pose any problems.

Strong chemicals? C'mon it's only cleanser. It's no where strong enough to damage the HA or dry out the O-Rings. In order to do all that your hands would be pretty damaged just handling the soaps and not to mention you'd get skin problems from clothes washed in it.

tebore said:

Strong chemicals? C'mon it's only cleanser.

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I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss chlorine bleach. Even when diluted in the wash, it is still a potent dissembler of chemical bonds. However, I would think that the bigger danger in bleach (in diluted form as in the wash) would be exposure on a somewhat longer duration than in one typical wash cycle.

wholeflaffer said:

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss chlorine bleach. Even when diluted in the wash, it is still a potent dissembler of chemical bonds. However, I would think that the bigger danger in bleach (in diluted form as in the wash) would be exposure on a somewhat longer duration than in one typical wash cycle.

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As much as you like to think that Chlorine bleach is a tough chemical it's hundreds of times weaker than chlorine. You would need to soak you hand in it for a good hour get any kind of chemical burn. Sure short term exposure will cause irriation but it's not dangerous enough to even come close to messing with a flashlight.

My final point is a washing machine isn't a big deal. But it's good to see a Fenix survive it.

that's good to know

now that i don't have to try it myself

Nothing is waterrproof untill you taken it for a dive.

Outdoors Fanatic said:

Nothing is waterrproof untill you taken it for a dive.

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Darn straight.

Well, since I doubt any of us are going to be diving with a P1, and the worst it's likely to suffer is probably going through the wash, which is a lot worse than dropping in a puddle, or having in your pocket if you go for an accidental swim while boating or crossing a river, etc. it's good enough for me. I've been waiting for my P1 to accidentally go through the wash, since my Arc AAA has several times. I wasn't too worried about the P1 anyway, but I'm still glad someone else's was the guinea pig