MY Hi-FI GOT SOAKED :( PLEASE HELP...

[admin_exported]

Hello people, remember the insane storm a few days ago? I think it was Tuesday, anyway I left my window open in a mad rush to go out in the morning, and when I came home my parents told my that the rain had been blowing in through the window onto my hi-fi all day.

They said there's was water standing on EVERYTHING (amp, speakers etc etc). They unplugged everything and dried everything off with a towel. God knows how it all got that wet just from a small window being open. But it must have been bad because the carpet was soaking all around it, the rain reached almost the other side of the room!!

I haven't turned anything on yet, I am particularly concerned about my amp, because it has loads of holes in the top for the heat to get out, so water definitely got in there

So I don't really know what to do, I would be so gutted if any thing's broken, I can't afford to buy any replacements.

Can I have some advice please?

Thanks,

Paul.

 

[jc.com]

Pmaninit:

Hello people, remember the insane storm a few days ago? I think it was Tuesday, anyway I left my window open in a mad rush to go out in the morning, and when I came home my parents told my that the rain had been blowing in through the window onto my hi-fi all day.

They said there's was water standing on EVERYTHING (amp, speakers etc etc). They unplugged everything and dried everything off with a towel. God knows how it all got that wet just from a small window being open. But it must have been bad because the carpet was soaking all around it, the rain reached almost the other side of the room!!

I haven't turned anything on yet, I am particularly concerned about my amp, because it has loads of holes in the top for the heat to get out, so water definitely got in there

So I don't really know what to do, I would be so gutted if any thing's broken, I can't afford to buy any replacements.

Can I have some advice please?

Thanks,

Paul.

Gentle heat from a hairdrier and check the ins. policy.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Dont plug anything in. Most important thing is not to short-circuit the boards. Put them in a dry place where they can dry properly. Don't use a hairdryer but if you have a fan turn it on and point to the equipment, leave for a 2-3 more days.

If something is not working then, you may be in trouble.

Back when I was at uni a friend of mine walked into a room with a giant water gun and sprayed my room (he got a proper payback later). My hi-fi got wet, speakers suffered the most. There was no damage in the long run (speakers were metal cone, not paper/plastic). A mate of mine dropped a blackberry in the river and after drying that worked fine too.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Assuming the amp wasn't powered up when the rain was coming in, it may just dry out and be fine. But I'd suggest giving it a few days in a warm, dry place, and really you should contact NAD's distributor Armour on 01279 719958, or your local NAD retailer, for further advice before plugging it in.

If you plug it in before it's completely dry, you may well cause damage avoidable by letting it dry out thoroughly first.

 

[hammill]

If it were me, I would take the case off the amp and make sure everything was dry before turning it on again. If the amp has been turned off for a day the capacitors should be discharged, but be careful. Obviously you have disconnected everything from the mains.

 

[Dougal1331]

Whip the casing off, remove as much surface water as you can with kitchen/loo roll, and leave it, with the casing removed, in a warm place for about a week.

Before attempting a powerup, have a look at the components and check for any signs of corrosion. If they're OK, plug each component in separately through an RCD circuit breaker. (Elf 'n' Safety requires me to point out that you should replace the casing before powering up, but most of us human beings can work that out for ourselves...). I reckon, with crossed fingers, it should all be fine. Water damage is obviously worse if the kit is switched on at the time!

The speakers should be fine as long as the drivers didn't get too wet.

Jon

 

[Andrew Everard]

Taking the case off the amp will speed up drying, agreed, but will also invalidate the guarantee - if that hasn't already been done by chucking loads of water into it!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, I really don't want to take the casing off, I'm not too confident with electronics and don't want to invalidate my warranty (assuming that it will work when I switch it on again).

Andrew it was on standby when it was getting wet so I hope it will be okay.

I think I will put a fan over it for a while and just leave it for a few more days to be sure.

I'll let you know how it goes, fingers crossed!

Paul

 

[Anonymous]

Not much to add to the above, but I think patience is the key. Obviously the temptation is to turn it on to see if it works, but you must resist! A good few days in a warm, dry place would be ideal, e.g. an airing cupboard.

 

[Tonestar1]

I accidently soaked an old CRT TV a long time ago. Volume would continually ramp up to max without touching it.

Removed casing, checked for any water droplets, dried off with kitchen towel (probably very dangerous but didn't know any better then). Also put a hairdryer on it at lowest heat setting for a while. All worked fine after that. Probably the only electronic thing I've ever actaully managed to repair!

 

[bretty]

I had the same ordeal, a couple of years back. as long as it wasn't on at the time, give it LOADS of time to dry out (I waited a week), and you'll be fine.

Seriously though, be patient, don't be tempted to rush into turning it on or you'll cause serious damage.

 

[Anonymous]

Well I've been at home all day today and it had been three or four days since it happened so I took the plunge and switched everything back on!!

It's all working brilliantly! Sounds better than ever hahaha

 

[hammill]

Don't say that! Companies will pop up offering to wash your hifi (while wearing a magic bracelet no doubt)

 

[Anonymous]

hahaha, forget blu-tac, this is where it's at!

improved separation, bass sounds much fuller and cleaner, and the highs just seem to go higher! hahaha (I am joking), but it does sound good - just cos I haven't heard it in a few days, I'm so happy it's okay

 

[Big Chris]

Glad it worked out ok, I would say to you or anyone else that has a similar problem in future, collar your friendly neighborhood Openreach engineer and ask if you can have some dessicant packs.

Go home and stick your towel dried item in a bin bag with a few of these dessicant packs. Seal the bag as airtight as possible, then leave it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard.

The dessicant packs should then absorb all the moisture from your equipment.

 

[Anonymous]

Put your amp in the airing cupboard for a week- I has worked for me when my mobile phone fell into the toilet. (Don't ask how!)

 

[Tonestar1]

Big Chris:Glad it worked out ok, I would say to you or anyone else that has a similar problem in future, collar your friendly neighborhood Openreach engineer and ask if you can have some dessicant packs.

Go home and stick your towel dried item in a bin bag with a few of these dessicant packs. Seal the bag as airtight as possible, then leave it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard.

The dessicant packs should then absorb all the moisture from your equipment.

Good shout Chris!

Or buy 25 pairs of new trainers and use the tiny ones that say "do not eat" on them :-D

 

[hammill]

Tonestar1:

Big Chris:Glad it worked out ok, I would say to you or anyone else that has a similar problem in future, collar your friendly neighborhood Openreach engineer and ask if you can have some dessicant packs. Go home and stick your towel dried item in a bin bag with a few of these dessicant packs. Seal the bag as airtight as possible, then leave it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard. The dessicant packs should then absorb all the moisture from your equipment.

Good shout Chris!

Or buy 25 pairs of new trainers and use the tiny ones that say "do not eat" on them :-D

I think that message should be removed. Evolution sometimes needs a helping hand.