Monday, March 08, 2010

Fixing Worn or Cracking Potentiometers, Switches and Connectors

Kontakt Chemie explains on their Website how to repair old and worn out Potentiometers, Trimmers, Switches, Contacts or Connectors.

As Vintage Hifi specialists we found this very interesting for ourselves and our customers. We made sure to provide all the necessary chemicals in our Webshop and we outline the Kontakt article below:

There are 3 steps:
  1. Remove all corrosion with Kontakt 60
  2. Clean the contacts with Kontakt WL
  3. Put an anti-oxydation film on the contacts with Kontakt 61

From the Kontakt-website:

"The cleaning and oxide-dissolving action can be improved by mechanical support. If switching or connector contacts are readily accessible, they can be carefully wiped, for example, using cellulose, leather or cotton swabs.

If it is impossible to provide mechanical support, allow Kontakt 60 some 10 to 15 minutes to penetrate.

Optimum results are obtained, if dissolved dirt and corrosion products are then rinsed off with Kontakt WL.

After that, Kontakt 61 is applied as a protective film. Kontakt 60 works in many cases even without after-treatment. However this increases the risk that corrosion damage will appear again after a short time."

Stefaan


3 comments:

  1. Good advice, thanks
    It shall be mentionned also that quite often potentiometer noises are down to DC current flowing through them. In that case the (eletrolytic) coupling capacitors should be chacked and renewed too.

    Thierry

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  2. Anonymous7:49 AM

    Yes as a matter of fact potentiometers will act as voltage divider. A 3 thermal resistor. It called resistor coz it comprises a conductive resistor. It is most commonly used in electrical devices as thierry said.

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  3. Thanks for the information that you are sharing.This is very advantage to all the people who have a potentiometers.

    ReplyDelete