NWB - Community Blog

29 Dec 2010

Flood Damaged Gear ?

Filed Under : Gear

Posted By : Colin H | Comments : 11

Any Advice , Please ?

Bit of a blow ...weve had a burst pipe in our practice room - resulting in water spraying all over our gear .
Our P.A. speakers have got wet inside , and our bass amp is piss wet through , with water pouring out of it when you tip it up .
Just wondering if anyone has had experience with trying to salvage gear in such circumstances . Weve dried things out as best as we can , and left the stuff in a drying room with de-humidifiers running . We havent tried switching anything on yet - thought it best to leave it for a bit .
Any ideas anyone ??

Merry christmas and happy new year , Col

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wasted-Age/157266997627632

Comments

# Posted by IainRkid - 29/12/2010, 16:17 (GMT)

If it wasn't powered up when it got wet and you get it thoroughly dried out you may have a chance, how long ago did you start drying it out? You really do need be sure it's fully dry before you try it.

# Posted by HAPPY DAIZE - 29/12/2010, 16:18 (GMT)

It sounds like you've done everything you can. Make sure that it's all had plenty of time to dry out as naturally as possible before attempting to switch anything on.

Rob

# Posted by NIGHT TRAIN - 29/12/2010, 16:22 (GMT)

Insurance! (and dont forget the speakers were Nexo and the amp was an Ampeg 1200w imported special)
oh and dont forget my Gibson J200 and my 55 telecaster which must have shot into the street when the flood doors opened

# Posted by TEX & THE HARDCORE TROUBAD... - 29/12/2010, 16:23 (GMT)

Speakers should be ok once fully dry but ffs get the amp checked out by a professional before attempting to use it
Tex

# Posted by Colin H - 29/12/2010, 16:27 (GMT)

Cheers guys -

"Insurance! (and dont forget the speakers were Nexo and the amp was an Ampeg 1200w imported special)
oh and dont forget my Gibson J200 and my 55 telecaster which must have shot into the street when the flood doors opened "

Like your thinking , Night train . Think it could be an insurance job !!

# Posted by Bass Bloke - 29/12/2010, 17:01 (GMT)

Take the amp part out if its a combo and place it in your Aireing Cupboard or near the boler etc , and forget about it for a month or so mate , speakers should be ok but only when they are completely drym even a bit of staining on the cones even when dry may just weaken them and when you pump them up they may tear more , but good luck mate

# Posted by Colin H - 29/12/2010, 17:09 (GMT)

Thanks - I`ll give it a try ...

# Posted by VANKWISH - 30/12/2010, 10:13 (GMT)

the electrics should dry out pretty good, that could just be luck of the draw, but if your cones have got wet there is a very good chance they will be knackered. think you may well rip these once they start vibrating. hope it's not too costly bro, good luck.

# Posted by Crazy Train - 30/12/2010, 12:24 (GMT)

Take the speaker drivers out of the cabs and store them flat face down in a normally heated room but leaving a gap to let air circulate. This will reduce the risk of the weight of the voice coils distorting the cones if they are wet.
If nowt was switched on, electronic equipment will often recover quite well from fresh water flooding as long as it's dried thouroughly. Don't forget transformer windings, connectors, toggle switches etc. Get a hair drier on it and make sure it's correctly fused before attempting to switch on.

# Posted by Colin H - 30/12/2010, 14:22 (GMT)

Thanks Crazy Train - We`ll give it a go !

# Posted by Drum Bloke™ - that bloke that... - 30/12/2010, 18:29 (GMT)

As Crazy train and others suggested make sure all is bone dry...

Amps etc should be OK, but have a look at the circuit boards to make sure there's no little pools or dampness that could cause short circuits. If Valve check for condensation residue on them.

If the Water was clean should be OK.

Get an RCD circuit breaker and fresh power leads too before plugging in and testing.

Google 'water damaged amplifiers and speakers' for further advice on blogs / forums.

Or alternatively get an elctro buff / geek to check them over and test bits (AC supply circuit board etc) before hand..

Best of luck

You need to be Logged in | Registered to add a comment

Blog Search

Follow NWB on Facebook and Twitter

Help Support NWB - Find out how.

Shopping online? - Select your stores, enter search text, and click go!

Cottam Guitars

10% Discount for NWB members, email max@cottamguitars.co.uk

Bakehouse Studio

Accrington's cosy project studio. Book online 24/7. Use code NWB20bc110301 for NWB members special 20% discount.

Pinned Posts

Who's On?

Latest Comments

Hot Posts

Community Blog Guidelines

Be nice: Even if you disagree with someone, you need to keep your tone civil and reasonable.
Keep on topic: Please keep discussions relevant to each topic and avoid multiple topic posts.
Don't Spam: Show restraint with your posting frequency. We're all doing cool stuff on NWB, but if we post about it too much, it can be distracting.
Respect the Moderators: The entire Community Staff were users once, just like you. We try very hard to answer everyone's questions, so please be cool.