Slug damage

[Justme]

I just went out to move my backup / spare inverter charger onto a different battery bank. Took a peak inside & the internals have been corroded away by SLUGS. I guess I better check the main unit too now & fit slug guards to the vent holes. One main board is repairable as its just a couple of tracks but the other is toast as there are a few tracks but also some components corroded plus some burnt out components too.

I have asked Victron if they can repair or offer spares, but I am guessing that they will cost far to much. Will have to keep my eyes out for a damaged unit to rip the insides out of. If anyone spots a Victron Atlas 12/1500 please let me know.

Cheers Richard

 

[Wedg1e]

Might be worth trying one dodge that we use in our workshops on corroded boards... spray with isopropyl alcohol and rub it gently with a small brass brush (like you'd use on suede shoes, if you remember those )... takes off most of the crap and you can see if any tracks need repairing. Also removes any current paths formed by the crusty corrosion crystals and quite often the electronics work fine.

A good number of years ago we had a customer whose workshop had been flooded by a leaking roof and they were trying to claim off their insurance for some gear which, once we'd dried it out, worked OK.
They asked us if we could make it 'not OK' for when the insurance assessor came round but of course we couldn't partake in insurance fraud so apparently they poured milk over the track side and aimed a small blowtorch at it.
The milk turned to a sort of caramel and looked just like the board was burned to a crisp - including an 'interesting' smell
Once the assessor had nodded and written his cheque, they washed the caramel off under the tap, dried the board out and the equipment worked perfectly...

 

[Justme]

LOL


There are lots of missing tracks on one board (the other is repairable as its just two tracks). In fact the slug trail has lifted the top surface off in a few places. There are also some signs of over heating & blown components in pic 6.

I guess for a pro it could be fixed, the cost of that might be more than a new board. We will have to see.

 

[Justme]

Thinking about it, all of our welders could suffer the same fate if kept in the shed / garage.