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DeoxIT D5 bad for pots? Is your gear damaged?

jobrewer1983

jobrewer1983

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The video probably won’t play unless you cut the link and post it to a browser. May have to click on “play on YT” was told the poster doesn’t want his videos on other sites.


Anyway, looking for the deoxit contact on the site, I know they are sponsors of the site and comment at times. Deoxit what say you?

I can’t find their user name.... @deoxit @caig

Anyway, I’ve used Caig products for a good while, at least 10-15years now, and will continue to do so. This is not a D5 bashing thread. So any negative comments about the new applicator tip ect will be reported as negative comments. Caig is a fantastic company. Let’s start off on the right foot! I’d like to get some factual informant that could be of some help to the folks who love audio.

Recently started researching some gear I have and that lead me to research how to properly clean open pots. Not the sealed carbon ones like a VR style but the switchable kind that are not in housings. You don’t really want to just spray the thing with a can of D-5. Usually I just use 91% alcohol and scrubs the traces clean, figured there would be a better method. So I asked the fine folks on AK.

One of the videos that was suggested was one of a gent I’ve watched on YT prior and I respect opinion. Tony knows his stuff, he’s one among others like 12voltvids that I love to watch.

Ok that said... we all have been using D5 on pretty much everything. I watched the video and Tony talks about the compound in D5 breaking down the carbon in the older carbon pots. Essentially wearing out the contact point and killing the pot. If this is the case, why isn’t anyone suggesting using F5 or even F100 in a spray can?

I can say the D5 works great on standard switches, I’ve never used fader lube on a pot , but I’m about to try it.


C98B53C3-BB0C-4862-9E22-93984A9D7E2C.jpeg 09AC0078-FD62-49C3-B993-8FF48FE51689.jpeg

I should have enough left to hit the 12 or so sealed pots with it.... the amp doesn’t have much static so I hope it cleans them enough to kill the slight oxidation.

Anyway, can anyone expand on this topic or suggest something for carbon pots, OR is fader lube the best for it?

Lastly, has anyone came across a damaged pot due to D5? We should know if D5 is bad for pots and if so, people should be re-educated on the topic.
 
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I'll admit it can be quite confusing trying to choose WHICH Deoxit to use.
If it switches or clicks use this one...
If it slides use this one...
Sometimes use this one followed by this one..
I've even read the Deoxit Guide and been left scratching my head...
Plenty of threads here at AK concerning using the proper Deoxit for the job. I've read a few and am still confused sometimes.
But I am easily confused it seems.
 
goodolpg said:
I'll admit it can be quite confusing trying to choose WHICH Deoxit to use.
If it switches or clicks use this one...
If it slides use this one...
Sometimes use this one followed by this one..
I've even read the Deoxit Guide and been left scratching my head...
Plenty of threads here at AK concerning using the proper Deoxit for the job. I've read a few and am still confused sometimes.
But I am easily confused it seems.
Click to expand...

Right, and I have read there site too but the real question is this -

Will the chemical compound in D5 or the “D” series spray damage a carbon pot?

I’m not confused as what to use, I want to know if the D series stuff will break down the carbon traces on the contact pads.

If not, cool I’ll keep at it, if so, I’ll use fader lube.
 
I'm not much help, but I'm pretty sure there is at least one Deoxit product that is not good on those carbon tracks, don't know which one though.
If I had to guess, it's Red/D5. If it's not I'll delete that part of my post once someone specifically answers that question.
I would think someone will post an accurate answer to your question regarding carbon tracks.
 
goodolpg said:
I'm not much help, but I'm pretty sure there is at least one Deoxit product that is not good on those carbon tracks, don't know which one though.
If I had to guess, it's Red/D5. If it's not I'll delete that part of my post once someone specifically answers that question.
I would think someone will post an accurate answer to your question regarding carbon tracks.
Click to expand...

Thanks man :) I really do appreciate the traction :)
 
I also saw that video. After watching tons of xraytony videos, I'm inclined to trust what he says based on his experience.
I've used D5 on pots without any problems, but like he says, it could be a factor of time.

I'm going to use F5 from now on to play it safe.
 
The main example I've experienced with regards to negative effects DeOxit can have on a carbon track potentiometer has to do with a particular piece of equipment, my Zenith Royal 500H transistor radio from the early '60s. When I first got my Royal 500H, the volume control was a little scratchy, so I sprayed a little DeOxit into the control as I've done to many other potentiometers. After working the control, I powered it up only to find that the volume control no longer had any nuance, playing either silence or full blast. The control in this radio (made by ClaroStat, IIRC) was the kind which could be taken apart in situ without removing it, and once I removed the switch, I found that the carbon track had been obliterated by the DeOxit. :eek:

Since the type of controls used in these radios are damn near impossible to find true replacements for, I ended up buying a parts unit on eBay for $40. Once it arrived, I brought it to a friend of mine who has a bit more experience with radio repair than I do to swap the control from the parts radio to my nicer one. In spite of my warnings, he proceeded to apply contact cleaner (not sure what type) to the replacement control, and it suffered the exact same fate as the original control in my radio. :no: My friend tried to repair the carbon track with silver paint, but to no avail. Fortunately, we found that an eBay seller offered a modern part which had been modified to fit in place of the original control (after further modifications to the radio itself); it cost about $50, so a rather expensive lesson overall in why you should be careful about using contact cleaner in some potentiometers. Anyway, here's a photo of the radio in question:
royal500h_2.jpg
And a view of the inside with the new modern potentiometer in place of the original part:
royal500h_4.jpg
 
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AdamAnt316 said:
The main example I've experienced with regards to negative effects DeOxit can have on a carbon track potentiometer has to do with a particular piece of equipment, my Zenith Royal 500H transistor radio from the early '60s. When I first got my Royal 500H, the volume control was a little scratchy, so I sprayed a little DeOxit into the control as I've done to many other potentiometers. After working the control, I powered it up only to find that the volume control no longer had any nuance, playing either silence or full blast. The control in this radio (made by ClaroStat, IIRC) was the kind which could be taken apart in situ without removing it, and once I removed the switch, I found that the carbon track had been obliterated by the DeOxit. :eek:

Since the type of controls used in these radios are damn near impossible to find true replacements for, I ended up buying a parts unit on eBay for $40. Once it arrived, I brought it to a friend of mine who has a bit more experience with radio repair than I do to swap the control from the parts radio to my nicer one. In spite of my warnings, he proceeded to apply contact cleaner (not sure what type) to the replacement control, and it suffered the exact same fate as the original control in my radio. :no: My friend tried to repair the carbon track with silver paint, but to no avail. Fortunately, we found that an eBay seller offered a modern part which had been modified to fit in place of the original control (after further modifications to the radio itself); it cost about $50, so a rather expensive lesson overall in why you should be careful about using contact cleaner in some potentiometers.
View attachment 2443736
Click to expand...

So we do have actual cases of it damaging those style of pots. The word damage doesn’t seem correct.... nonetheless, I’ll be using fader lube for those style pots from now on! Thank you for sharing some good info!!
 
jobrewer1983 said:
So we do have actual cases of it damaging those style of pots. The word damage doesn’t seem correct.... nonetheless, I’ll be using fader lube for those style pots from now on! Thank you for sharing some good info!!
Click to expand...
I'm not sure whether or not I still have the remains of the damaged control. It was a modular design, with tabs on the top and bottom which could be spread apart to allow the sections to be removed. Here's a photo of the board with the original control in place:
Zenith_Royal-500H-ch.jpg
As I recall, the carbon track was almost completely obliterated from the surface of the phenolic wafer it had once been applied to. I'm not sure if applying D5 or D100 from a dropper bottle would've had the same effect, or if using F5 would've prevented the carbon track from being destroyed in the first place, as I believe it was the solvents in the spray which did it in. I do know that F100 "FaderLube" is a rather different beast; I have it in dropper bottle form (which set me back $20), and it's not the end-all-be-all, as applying too much can cause contact to be impeded. I had once instance where I tried applying FaderLube to the contacts of the SIM card in my old iPad (used to give me "No SIM Card Installed" errors all the time, and applying DeOxit would fix it for awhile), and it didn't register until I took the SIM card back out and blasted it with D5.
-Adam
 
I have never had D5 damage anything on quality pieces of equipment. Deoxit is petroleum based so cheap components not made to withstand that base will probably be a problem.

Doug
 
The Caig comments makes sense
If your not sure- best to try Fader Lube first.
If it doesn’t work then go with the D5.
The D5 can no doubt wipe out some carbon pots-why risk it?
Especially if they aren't easy replaced.
Perhaps they may be a continual problem-b- or intermittent-but destroying them doesn't make much sense to me.
 
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I've never damaged a pot with D5 but it did "loosen" the volume knob on a Harmon Kardon 330c that I bought. I've read here on AK that D5 can dissolve the lubricant in the pots, I'm thinking that's what happened. It sounds fine, no more static, but the knob is looser than before.
 
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