FLOODED Inon.... URGENT!

[InDaWata]

Not to be picky or anything but Ryan who gave the advice is from Reef Photo, while Reefnet is Keri Wilk and crew. Both are good guys.
Bill

Thanks for pointing that out! - I didnt even realize I made the mistake! (moment of panic and all. If I have to buy another strobe my wife will KILL me!)

 

[slowhands]

Even though the battery compartment is separate from the electronics compartment, of necessity the two battery leads must pass through the body via a screw. There is an O-ring to prevent leaks, but if there was salt water in the battery compartment, it creeps down the screw and corrodes it over time. This typically causes the delayed cracking, due to the buildup of corrosion.

Salt water is the culprit -- fresh is not so bad. But you can never be sure. The best fix is to proactively change out the screws and Orings with new ones and really clean the area. This is a job for a tech who knows what they are doing and who has the exact parts.

 

[Reef Photo]

Even though the battery compartment is separate from the electronics compartment, of necessity the two battery leads must pass through the body via a screw. There is an O-ring to prevent leaks, but if there was salt water in the battery compartment, it creeps down the screw and corrodes it over time. This typically causes the delayed cracking, due to the buildup of corrosion.

Salt water is the culprit -- fresh is not so bad. But you can never be sure. The best fix is to proactively change out the screws and Orings with new ones and really clean the area. This is a job for a tech who knows what they are doing and who has the exact parts.

Not necessarily true - the battery contacts do have o-rings, but they are no more susceptible to saltwater exposure than the o-rings on any of the other button controls on a housing. If you left saltwater in the compartment, and it were allowed to sit there for a very long time, you'd get some corrosion on the terminals, but I'd be really surprised if it would cause a leak.

Leaks from the battery compartment are common - but this is due to small cracks in the case. When saltwater meets the batteries, a very alkali solution is created, which weakens the case wall. This and the hydrogen gas created will cause the case to crack - sometimes small cracks, and sometimes huge holes.

After a flood, even one which does not cause a leak from the battery compartment to the main compartment, we recommend the contacts at least get evaluated - not for leaking, but for conductivity. Hi impedance on these can reduce strobe performance and cause agonizingly long recycle times.

I would not recommend the layperson change these out. It's actually a complicated process which requires most of the strobe to be mostly disassembled and a huge shock risk.