Hello saly2,
You won't want to hear this, but I?m not sure your ultrasound machine
*can* be restored. According to my research, if extensive smoke damage
is not cleaned immediately, most electronic equipment, including and
perhaps especially, medical electronics, is permanently damaged. Most
sites state 24-48 hours are the most critical for cleaning soot and
smoke damage from electronics, barring heat damage, which renders
equipment unsalvageable. While most damage will be evident rather
quickly, you were probably told that damage may not show for some time
due to a slow form of corrosion. The acids from smoke and soot can
take a longer time to react if humidity is low, but eventually you
will encounter shorts or electrical resistance that can spark another
fire!
1) Potential Damage
=====================
According to this site, BMS CAT?THE FIRST 24 HOURS of exposure to the
effects of Fire or Water could determine if electronic equipment can
be saved. This plan is intended only as a guideline for deciding if
professional restoration services maybe required. Testing will help to
determine the extent of exposure from the following potential sources
of damage:
??electronic equipment must be meticulously cleaned, and just about
every surface must be scoured or replaced?
http://www.bmscat.com/were/articles/columbia_7_99.shtml
?The most important step is to control the humidity !! Corrosion
occurs very slowly if the relative humidity is below 50%. Testing will
help determine which dehumidification process is best suited;
Refrigerant or Desiccant, both have advantages if properly utilized.
·Maintain the electronics in an area where the relative humidity is below 50%.
·Move to another area if necessary to maintain the humidity and
temperature balance.
·If you cannot move the electronics, seal each piece from the outside
elements. Be careful not to trap moisture inside the chassis.
Desiccants may be required.
·If water or liquids from the fire suppression systems are visible,
perform the steps outlined under the heading "Water Damage" first.
?Besides heat, a fire generates combustion byproducts. These
byproducts are locked into the soot which condenses on all cool
surfaces. Smoke exposure during the fire for a relatively short time
does little damage, but the particulate deposited may contain active
corrosive components. These components in the presence of humidity and
oxygen will corrode metal surfaces. Irreversible damage can occur in
the time period of a few days.?
http://www.bmscat.com/were/articles/whattodo_electronics.shtml
According to the Disaster Plan site, combustion by-products contained
in soot is highly corrosive and damaging to electronics, causing
irreversible damage in just a few days.
?Equipment which has suffered thermal damage as evidenced by cosmetic
aberrations in plastic components may not be restored. Besides heat, a
fire generates combustion by-products. These by-products are locked
into the soot, which condenses on all cool surfaces. Smoke exposure
during the fire for a relatively short time does little damage, but
the particulate deposited contains active corrosive components. These
components, in the presence of humidity and oxygen, will corrode metal
surfaces. Irreversible damage can occur in the time period of a few
days.?
http://www.disasterplan.com/tips/24hours4.htm
Page 8 of this Florida International University has some excellent
advice, particularly about having your machine being analyzed by a
professional.:
?1. Move the exposed equipment into a humidity-controlled environment as soon as
possible. Relative humidity of 40-50% at 65-70 degrees F will
generally prevent an acceleration of corrosive activity.
2. If moving the equipment is not possible, make sure the equipment
area is sealed off from outside elements. (Caution: Do not wrap the
individual pieces of equipment in any material that tends to trap
moisture inside the chassis).
3. Follow-up with a non-petroleum lubricant spray to stabilize metal
contact surfaces. This will leave a thin but easily removable coating
to help prevent oxygen and moisture from activating the corrosion
process.
4. After the corrosion process is stabilized, an analysis can be made of the
contaminants and appropriate decontamination processes can be applied by a
professional restoration organization.?
http://www.fiu911.org/hurricane/docs/restoration.pdf
?Electronics, as well as finished products, should always be carefully
examined and, if necessary, tested by experienced technicians to make
sure they still meet the manufacturer?s original operating and
performance specifications, as well as general cosmetic appearance.
For example, if electronic equipment has suffered thermal damage, as
evidenced by melted plastic components, or been exposed to heat far
beyond the manufacturer?s recommendations, it normally cannot be
restored and re-certified. However, if equipment has been exposed to
just smoke from the fire for a relatively short time, there may be
very little damage, except for the corrosive components of the
particulate.?
http://www.disaster-resource.com/articles/when_physical_moore.shtml
?In moderate-to-heavy fire losses, technicians never should operate an
electronic component (TVs, stereos) before restoration is complete.
Heat produced during operation could accelerate the corrosive effect
of acid residues on internal surfaces, causing substantially increased
damage. Further, advise insureds not to operate these components until
a full evaluation has been made.? (This is a cached page. The ?live
page is no longer available.
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:JJ1bifMmDCkJ:www.icsmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,3035,75693,00.html+how+smoke+corrosion+electronics+damage&hl=en
2)How is the damage caused?
===========================
?Smoke residues can contain acids that will corrode metal surfaces
when moisture is also present. If the residues are not removed,
corrosion eats away at metals and causes electronic failure in the
device.? And ?It is very important NOT to turn on electrical equipment
that may have been damaged.?
http://www.servpro.com/services/electronics.htm
Smoke damage resulting from burning different materials can cause
different types of damage. This site gives the example of hydrogen
chloride being released form burning PVC. HCl, when mixed with water
becomes hydrochloric acid, which is very corrosive, and casues pitting
and etching on crystal and glass, degrading some metals, and causing
faults in electrical components such as circuit boards and any
soldered joints and components. The corrosion can cause resistance to
electrical flow, creating heat, which can cause more damage, and even
a fire.
?To prevent damage through hydrochloric acid equipment should be oiled
down using protective chemicals and then shrouded in special sheeting,
while dry air is injected inside to create a microclimate around the
machinery to prevent it deteriorating any further.?
?In low voltage electronic equipment, such as computers and telephone
systems, the low voltage can accelerate the corrosion process due to
electrolysis.?
http://www.munters.co.uk/www/UK/home.nsf/FS1?ReadForm&content=/www/UK/home.nsf/ByKey/AHON-5W4D2E
?The fuel that was consumed in the fire has a direct effect on the
ease or difficulty of a
restoration effort. Wood and paper soot is not as greasy or oily as
soot produced from
the burning of plastic furniture, carpet, insulation around electrical wires, etc.
2. Burning of plastics, Teflon, and Halon products can produce
hydrochloric, hydrofluoric,
and/or hydrobromic acid fumes in varying amounts as well as other reactive agents.
Even a light acid exposure may cause corrosion. The higher the humidity the more
active the corrosive elements will be.? Page 7
http://www.fiu911.org/hurricane/docs/restoration.pdf
?Smoke residue contains combustion products which vary
according to what was burned. Foam rubber, petroleum, and
synthetic products which contain petroleum produce toxic
smoke and leave an oily residue that is difficult to
clean.?
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod02/01500001.html
?Primary damage to electronic equipment is caused by smoke that
contains corrosive chloride and other acidic combustion by-products.
Smoke exposure during the fire for a relatively short period of time
does little apparent immediate damage. However, the residue left after
the smoke has dissipated, contains the active by products that will
corrode metal contact surfaces in the presence of moisture and oxygen.
The smoke consists of a greasy matrix of carbon, oxidized organics,
and contaminants.
The objective in restoration is the removal of all fire by-products
from the equipment returning it to the specified cleanliness, which
the original equipment manufacturer required. Since all the equipment
cannot be cleaned simultaneously, it is important that immediate steps
be taken to arrest the corrosion process.?
http://www.steamatic.com.au/disaster/spectech.htm
?Water and acidic soot can corrode electronic components and render
them useless if not restored in a timely manner.?
http://www.stanley-restoration.com/cleaningandrestoration.htm
3)Cleaning procedures
=====================
This cached site has some good information about cleaning soot and
smoke damaged equipment. (The ?live? site is no longer available.)
?When smoke residue is heavy, hot or extremely oily, the appliance may
have to be removed from the structure for more thorough wet cleaning
(light pressure washing), or for processing by a specialized
subcontractor.? And ?Finally, operate appliances that sustained severe
smoke and heat damage under the supervision of service technicians,
company personnel or insureds for a few hours, just to confirm that
nothing has been overlooked.?
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:5RtMlZz8ieIJ:www.icsmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,3035,65483,00.html+soot+smoke+residue+damage+electronics&hl=en
You can buy products to clean the equipment yourself, but it can be
risky, and not recommended.
?IMPORTANT NOTE! Before attempting the interior of any component, be
certain that the unit has been unplugged from the wall for at least 24
hours! The large power supplies in today?s electronics can store
prodigious amounts of energy for long periods of time. These supplies
must be allowed to discharge before removing the cover. It is best to
avoid contact with the large filter capacitors (especially in
amplifiers) to eliminate the possibility of shock hazard.
Additionally, there are many sharp edges inside most components. Be
careful not to cut yourself.? This site is addressing the cleaning of
electronic equipment, primarily audio/recording equipment, but the
principles are the same. The site gives good detailed tips for
cleaning electronics. Because of copyright constraints, I can only
provide a snippet here.
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/eqptcleaning.html
DEGREASE-ALL "E"
?A highly concentrated cleaner and degreaser specially formulated to
remove smoke damage and fire related residues from electronic
equipment. Designed for use in spray systems or ultrasonic cleaning
equipment. Leaves surfaces residue free after proper rinsing.?
http://www.unsmoke.com/fire-degreaseallE.htm
AC-40
?AC-40 is a powerful yet mild alkaline, nonbutyl polymeric cleaner
designed for safely cleaning electrical equipment and electronic
components. AC-40 will not harm soft metals and is also ideal for
cleaning delicate items and painted surfaces. AC-40 is environmentally
safe,non- toxic, biodegradable and super concentrated for economical
use.?
http://www.sonicpro.com/chemicals.asp?id=0
?If the cooling fan is running, it will circulate the soot
contaminated air through the equipment
which will then require disassembly and detail cleaning.? Page 6
http://www.fiu911.org/hurricane/docs/restoration.pdf
Consider calling a professional:
================================
?Clean the machine thoroughly. There are numerous restoration
companies that know how to do this work well.?
http://www.warren-group.com/articles/guideline100.html
BMS CAT
http://www.bmscat.com/what/disasterrecovery.shtml
Contact Information
http://www.bmscat.com/who/responsecenters.shtml
US Filter
http://www.usfilter.com/water/Business+Centers/Davis_Products/Davis_Products/davisprocess_bioxide_odor_control_product_page.htm
Servpro
http://www.servpro.com/services/electronics.htm
?Crystal's special ultrasonic cleaning methods offer fast, safe and
complete cleaning of smoke, soot and other contaminants that can cause
total equipment malfunction. Various solvents are also used in
painstaking hand cleaning of each piece. Careful matching of the
correct solvent with the type of material being cleaned is critical,
since wrong solvents can cause irreparable damage.
Once restored, all equipment is reassembled and tested. Crystal will
then contact a manufacturer's representative to have the units
recertified as operational before being delivered to the homeowner or
the storage facility.?
http://www.crystal1.com/services.html
Additional Information:
If you have Power Point installed on your computer, you can view an
interesting slide show on cleaning soot and smoke from electronic
equipment here:
www.1800clean54.com/downloads/ppt/BBS_Electronic_E-Brochure.pps
Tips on recovering from a disaster and filing a claim
http://www.adjustersinternational.com/adjustingtoday/propertyclaims.html
To summarize, smoke and soot damage to electronics can cause immediate
damage, as well as a slowly developing fire danger. I would recommend
getting your equipment cleaned by a reputable professional.
Experienced professionals have experience in these matters, and will
guarantee their work. Should you attempt to clean it yourself, you may
cause further damage and you may not have the tools or expertise to
open and handle delicate circuit boards and electronics.
If any part of my answer is unclear, or if I have duplicated
information you already had, please request an Answer Clarification
before rating. This will allow me to assist you further, if possible.
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