Not a good weekend! for the shop or me!

[dhmeiser]

Sat Morning go down to the basement, OH NO there is about 5 inches of water on the floor! What happened to the Sump pump and the battery backup?

Pulled the pump out of the well, the submersible pump and battery backup comes our but the top of the main pump had corroded off, Battery backup ran so long battery completely depleted, can't even sound alarm. Besides that the impellers on the backup pump are broken. Run to the hardware store and pick up a new stainless steel pump (no more Orange store pumps for me!)

While in the water and other "stuff" I slip and cut my hand, Off to the emergency ward covered in dirty water and blood. Get 10 stitches in hand and a tetanus shot. Wife has to do the hard parts as I can not use my hand. Finally get the pump in and drained the water after 12 hours. Now the fans are drying the bacement out.

The only one of my tools, a screw gun was in the water, anyone know if it can be saved? and if I should spray the motor and bearings with something to prevent corrosion?

Chinese proverb "You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back"

[Chuck Hoffman]

Water is not automatically "bad" for electrical tools. It is the stuff suspended in the water that causes damage (mud, silt, minerals, etc.).

If you can open the case of the drill, rinse it thoroughly with clean water from a garden hose to remove any sediment. Follow that by drying the insides THOROUGHLY with an air compressor. (Be careful not to dislodge small parts with the water or air streams.)

If the tool has sealed bearings, that's probably all you need to do. Reassemble the case and you should be good to go. If it doesn't have sealed bearings, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for re-lubricating them.

A caveat: it is possible that very fine sediment may have even worked its way into sealed bearings. You may want to replace them as a precaution. If you do not, it MAY (not definite) somewhat reduce the life of the tool.

[mp]

WD-40

[Robert Galloway]

Air compressor - OK. A hair dryer might also be a good choice. A jet of compressed air can drive water into ball bearings where it might not otherwise seep on its own.

bob g.

Chuck Hoffman wrote:

[Larry Jaques]

On 15 Nov 2004 09:14:02 -0800, [e-mail] (dhmeiser) calmly ranted:

Suckage, but you're lucky it wasn't worse.

Remove the battery and blow it out with air. Dismantle it if possible and dry the parts well. It should be OK. WD-40 is a water displacer and can help parts (like the bearings) from rusting. Now might be a good time to renew the wax on your saw tables.

"Woman who fly upside down have big hairy crack up." (I hope it doesn't hurt to laugh.)

Heal quickly!