Electronic Contact Cleaner Spray

[passingas]

Does anyone know if this is available here and where I might find it? Would a computer parts shop have this? Thanks for any input. pg

[FolkGuitar]

I don't know about that specific brand, but Electronic Contact Cleaner is available in all of the electronic parts shops. I don't think computer shops sell it. You can find two different brands at Amorn, in the plaza across from the moat on the north-west side of the Old City. ( Google map 18.796081, 98.979636)

[rawhod]

Amorn under BigC Extra sell contact cleaner...

[Oscar2]

they all have it but it is not very good. i bought Deoxit Gold on-line. went through the post just fine.

[MadMac]

WD40 and Sonax are available everywhere. Or local brands like Threebond. It's just a type of oil with penetrating characteristics, thus removing water. No rocket science and expensive magic stuff needed.

[ClutchClark]

1 minute ago, MadMac said:

WD40 and Sonax are available everywhere. Or local brands like Threebond. It's just a type of oil with penetrating characteristics, thus removing water. No rocket science and expensive magic stuff needed.

 

Perhaps I am misunderstanding your suggestion but it is a bad idea to use WD40 as an electronic parts cleaner. 

 

The OP should be able to find what he needs at an auto part store if he can't find it elsewhere.

[MadMac]

Why it is a bad idea? As I said it is an oil and works by removing water and moisture. The rest are just brand names and people who don't understand physics. WD40 may have other (secret) incredients that may cause side effects. For general "big" electric stuff (cars, switches etc.) it will just work fine though. They have a WD40 specialist contact spray, whatever that is.

 

I regularly use for instance Sonax, Philips and Threebond stuff that stands around for ages and the first best I grab does the job as the other. No need to spend a lot of money. Just search for "penetrating oil". Any type will work.

Edited August 27, 2016 by MadMac

[ClutchClark]

8 minutes ago, MadMac said:

Why it is a bad idea? As I said it is an oil and works by removing water and moisture. The rest are just brand names and people who don't understand physics. WD40 may have other (secret) incredients that may cause side effects. For general "big" electric stuff (cars, switches etc.) it will just work fine though. They have a WD40 specialist contact spray, whatever that is.

 

I regularly use for instance Sonax, Philips and Threebond stuff that stands around for ages and the first best I grab does the job as the other. No need to spend a lot of money. Just search for "penetrating oil". Any type will work.

 

You don't want to leave any residue, including oil, on electronic parts. It will affect micro-voltages terribly, it can cause short circuits, it attracts dust and grime and it will destroy wiring insulation as well. 

 

Even brakecleen is a better spray to use than a lubricating fluid for cleaning electronics and displacing moisture, etc.. But a genuine electronics contact cleaner is by far the best. 

 

I love WD-40 for many things but electronics is a no-no.

 

cheers

[MadMac]

Ok, agreed. The problem with oil is that it can dissolve rubber and certain plastics. So it really depends what you want to do with it. I used it for instance in all kind of microswitches (like a computer mouse) or scratchy potentiometers and it works perfectly fine. The oil part is important here to get it creeping inside.

 

I'd not use it in a computer keyboard with rubber pads under the keys. If you have higher power electrical switches or connectors (power line or car) it does not matter. 

[Dellboy218]

1 hour ago, MadMac said:

Why it is a bad idea? As I said it is an oil and works by removing water and moisture. The rest are just brand names and people who don't understand physics. WD40 may have other (secret) incredients that may cause side effects. For general "big" electric stuff (cars, switches etc.) it will just work fine though. They have a WD40 specialist contact spray, whatever that is.

 

I regularly use for instance Sonax, Philips and Threebond stuff that stands around for ages and the first best I grab does the job as the other. No need to spend a lot of money. Just search for "penetrating oil". Any type will work.

Contact cleaners and motor cleaners completely evaporate leaving no residue.  Oil left on electrical components will create hotspots, as in a frying pan they will cook.  Oil also attracts dirt compounding the problem.

[Dellboy218]

I should perhaps have added that for switches you use switch cleaner which incorporates a light oil to help keep the contacts clean and teduce arcing prolonging the life of those contacts.  Using a normal water dispersant is not to be recommended

[FolkGuitar]

WD-40 'will' clean electrical parts, but..... it will also leave them oily.

There are two ingredients in WD-40, neither of which are magic. One is ordinary mineral oil. The other is Stoddard Solvent (also known as 'Odorless paint thinner,' 'mineral spirits,' and 'white spirits.') It's the stuff dry cleaners used to use. It's a great solvent for many things, and it's the part of WD-40 that does the cleaning. But again, the rest of it is plain mineral oil which is not all that great inside your computer...

 

There are electrical contact cleaners that do have trace amounts of oil in them to lubricate switch assemblies, but just 'trace' amounts. WD-40 is MOSTLY oil. The solvent is just to dissolve the oil so it can penetrate more easily before it evaporates.

There are also electrical contact cleaners that have NO oil at all in them, and leave no residue.

 

Liquid lighter fluid is a good choice. It's pure Naphtha, another really great solvent, and it leaves no residue at all but don't get it on insulation.

Alcohol is the next best. It's a good solvent and it too leaves no residue.