Cleaning bias/dc-offset adjustment pots?

[rjsilva]

Is there any benefit to cleaning/deoxit'ing the variable resistors for setting bias and/or dc offset (assuming the contact points are easily accessible)?

 

[Cogsinister]

Is there any benefit to cleaning/deoxit'ing the variable resistors for setting bias and/or dc offset (assuming the contact points are easily accessible)?

I always give them a spray, it cant do any harm, and a lot of those open pots are well dried up.

 

[Adda]

I always give them a spray, it cant do any harm, and a lot of those open pots are well dried up.

x2 cleaning those can't do any harm and might make the pot more accurate.

If the pots are very old, they can get stuck and you might damage part of the tracking surface if you turn it by force.
But if you give it a good spray of contact cleaner before turning it, it might loosen up, preventing any damage.

 

[rjsilva]

Thanks.

 

[jdurbin1]

I always spray the open frame type with no residue cleaner, don't want them to be able to turn easier which a cleaner with lube might encourage.

Blast of zero-res cleaner into the pot, give it a quick back and forth rotation several times, returning to the approx. setting where it was when you started, then blow it dry & you should be good to go.

John

 

[qsaudio]

I pretty much kind-of automatically do that, because after you fix something you don't need to have guessing games, or grief, or worry while trying to set the adjustments.

If I couldn't be sure it would drive me crazy, and wonder if it will come back for a redo, redos suck, I don't want it coming back for repair, so I have always cleaned them for a long time now

 

[Brickbat]

...I always spray the open frame type with no residue cleaner...

Me too.

I'm a Deoxit noob. Are any of their offerings residue-free?

 

[ConradH]

You absolutely don't want bias and offset pots to be intermittent or weird in any way. I always clean 'em with regular DeOxit. I don't think the small amount of lube will make the pots any more likely to go out of adjustment than the residue free stuff. If the pots aren't reasonably stiff and stable, replace 'em with good ones.

 

[rcs16]

I suggest to change them.
If you are going to try to clean them, then you will have to rotate them to get the solvent into the area where the intermittent contacts are.

 

[Cogsinister]

Just put a few drops of Deoxit D5 on the pot, its worked for me for years with no problem.

If the pots are in a real bad state i think changing them to a more modern equivalent could only do good.

 

[avionic]

I usually replace them....