Water got in-- do I need DeOXit?

So I was diving with my 4Sevens QPA probably a little deeper than the 3 metres it is rated to (or maybe the o-ring wasn't on correctly, I'd appreciate if someone would tell me where it is supposed to sit) and some water got in. there is some minimal corrosion to the flashlight tailcap and the head of the battery was slightly brown. dried it out. light still works.

i live in Canada and it looks like DeOXit will be hard to get and expensive. is there another solution, or do I even need to do anything, given that the light still works? I want to maintain the function of this great little light.

thanks

A little W-D40 spread around on a cotton ball or a Q tip does displace water and might be your best quick bet. Salt water is especially corrosive...freshwater not so bad. I have had lights that seemed to work fine after water intrusion...but stopped working some days later. Good luck. Keep in mind many "O" rings do not like petroleum based lubricants...and W-D40 is.

Hmmm, if it was salt water and it reached hidden areas, even drying it out may still result problems down the road if you can't manage to wipe it all down or flush it all out. Crystallized salt will absorb air humidity which re-moistens it into an acidic cocktail.

That said, Foursevens CS is exceptional and may bail you out anyway if the light were to ever fail.

it was fresh water. so far the light is working perfectly. come to think of it i don't think i was below 3 metres, maybe i had the o-rings on wrong? does one just put them to where they naturally sort of 'settle' then screw on both tail and head?

I would let the disassembled flashlight sit in the sun for several days. Then lubricate the o-rings with Super-Lube or other thick non-petroleum grease (like silicone). If the o-rings appear flattened or damaged I'd replace them and lubricate them. On some lights you can add another o-ring in a second groove.

I've heard people suggest throwing cell phones into a bag of dry rice to extract moisture.

Poppy said:

I've heard people suggest throwing cell phones into a bag of dry rice to extract moisture.

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I've just wanted to add that... that's the best and cheapest way to remove moist out of electronics...

However... if salted water got it, then even after dried off, salt crystals will still be trapped inside (like reppans said)... and collect moist with time... fingers crossed it's not on vital places for light to fail...

OP said fresh water, so I'd go with the rice bag trick for a few days and not worry about it.

As far as why it leaked, IXP8 ratings are static water tests (completely still water) - movement introduces different hydrodynamic pressures that the rating is not designed for, and then a lot depends on the condition of your O-ring lube and perhaps even if you had it in tight or loose bezel. Also, turning the on/off underwater can create a vacuum which will actually draw the water in.

You shouldn't swim or dive with an IXP8 flashlight (except perhaps McGizmos) - that rating basically means you can use it in the rain.

dantecubit said:

i live in Canada and it looks like DeOXit will be hard to get and expensive.

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US$5.00 per tube (including shipping to Canada) at Foursevens.com. Listed under Accessories at the very bottom.

I bought something at Home Depot called "OX Gard" which is an "antioxidant compound" that "penetrates aluminum oxide to maintain connective paths". it "guards against oxidation, improves conductivity" and is for aluminum-to-aluminum or aluminum-to-copper.

would this be similar to DeOXit? I am try not to admit that I don't know what the metal on the inside of my flashlight head/tailcap is...

bump for an answer

The rice thing is a myth. Strip it down and leave the parts in the airing cupboard for a week then re lube.

in the lower 48 -- guitar center sells caig products & may have caig deoxit. in lieu of deoxit try 99% isopropyl alcohol. i use it for cleaning all my electronic contacts & flashlight threads. 91% isopropyl leaves a residue & i avoid it. you may have to search around for 99%. rat shack & Safeway used to stock it but now I have to special order it at a mom & pop drugstore.

London Lad said:

The rice thing is a myth. Strip it down and leave the parts in the airing cupboard for a week then re lube.

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Thanks so much for pointing that out. I HATE being taken in by myths. Of course, I couldn't take your word for it, so I did a LITTLE checking, and based on my very brief research, I think that you are correct!

Personally whenever I want to dry something quickly, I use a hair dryer. It generates hot, dry air.

Yup, the rice thing is definitely an urban myth. Rice will only absorb moisture from moist surfaces, not from the air. You can easily prove this by leaving some rice on a dry surface in a humid room. The rice will not expand, thus it does not absorb any moisture from the air.

The only thing rice will dry out is the surface of something it is in direct contact with. But that is much easier and safer to dry with a towel. You run the risk of rice chaff working its way into electronics.

Just because 90% of people believe a myth, doesn't make it true. Unfortunately, the rice myth gets spread because it usually doesn't harm anything, and something left to dry for a couple of days eventually dries out by itself. People think the rice does it, but it's just the plain air.

I bumped this thread because I wanted to know if the "Ox Guard" would be similar to DeOXit. the specs are here, would appreciate a reply:

an "antioxidant compound" that "penetrates aluminum oxide to maintain connective paths". it "guards against oxidation, improves conductivity" and is for aluminum-to-aluminum or aluminum-to-copper.

Bump again for an answer. Is "OX Guard" going to help?
it is an "antioxidant compound" that "penetrates aluminum oxide to maintain connective paths". it "guards against oxidation, improves conductivity" and is for aluminum-to-aluminum or aluminum-to-copper.

Here's the thing. If it isn't pure water, it's bad. Moisture isn't what causes damage, it's the minerals and other stuff that conduct electricity. Removing the moisture won't solve anything, if there's crap left behind, just waiting to absorb moisture from the air. And when it absorbs enough, it conducts electricity, and burns stuff out. Get 100% distilled (NOT DRINKING) water and flush it out with that. Use lots and lots of water. It will dissolve the minerals and flush them out. Once that's done, you can remove the water/moisture and leave it clean.

When they take stuff off the bottom of the ocean with value, such as carvings, paperwork, safes, etc. They flush them with PURE DISTILLED water. Several times in separate containers. Once they're sure all the salt and other minerals are removed, they dry it. If it dries in the middle of removing minerals, it causes damage. Same basic principle applies to electronics. I'd flush it with distilled water many, many times, then use clean, dry, compressed air, nitrogen, or argon to dry it out. Co2 would probably work, but you run the risk of carbonating the water and making it slightly acidic, so I'd leave that for the last choice. Even compressed air in a can would work well for this. Then relube it and you should be good to go.

Fixing water damage is something I do fairly often, and if I have access to the boards and such I'll do the above, then disassemble and use a toothbrush and alcohol (100% ethanol) to clean it up, then dry it with compressed air.

If you can't get deoxit, I wouldn't bother with the one from home depot. I'd just use plain dielectric grease, which is pretty much what deoxit is, with the addition of anti-oxidant compounds. I use dielectric grease by the bucket full, every connector or wire I touch gets dielectric grease put on it, always. It keeps water, moisture, and air out of what ever you put it on. On cars, any connector I remove gets brushed, then filled up with dielectric grease, then pushed together a few times. It makes a clean, waterproof connection (especially useful for offroad vehicles, and spark plug wires on both sides).

Goodluck!

areet said:

I'd just use plain dielectric grease, which is pretty much what deoxit is, with the addition of anti-oxidant compounds.

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Nice post! Thanks for the information. What is a brand name and source for dielectric grease? Does it come in quantities smaller than buckets?

Yes, if you're in the US, absolutely any auto parts store will have tubes of it for 5-10 bucks. You either get .5oz for 5 bucks, or 6oZ for 10.. Buy the big one.

Permatex is one brand any store will have

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