Housing Cleaning - Stuck Buttons

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cfelliot

Contributor
Messages
577
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Location
Portland, Maine
# of dives
200 - 499
After my last trip in October, I soaked my housing for a long time before packing up at the resort. When I got home I soaked it again over night.

About a month ago, I took out the housing to get ready for a trip at the end of this month and the buttons were still sticking, so I soaked it again and ran water over the buttons for a long time.

Last night I was playing with the housing again. I still had a button sticking! When I pushed the button back from the other side, I could see it was still salt crystals!

Would something like a portable water pik be good for cleaning around the controls???

WP-360 Cordless Dental Water Jet >> Oral Health
 
Are you soaking the housing in warm or cold water? Warm (not hot) is best I believe.
 
Yes, warm at home. I was even thinking of using distilled which should absorb salt better!
 
I don't have any specific experience to back up this opinion, but I don't think that the Waterpik would help that much.

The key to getting salt build-up out of the controls is not just soaking the housing in water but moving all the controls and pushbuttons while it is submerged. You can also try rubbing a little silicone on the outside of the pushbuttons and then activating them several times.

Of if you send the housing in for a rebuild that will definitely take care of your pushbutton problem.

Regards,
Jean / Ikelite
IKELITE Underwater Systems
 
After use, I soak my housings in warm fresh water and push all of the buttons repeatedly. I've never had a sticky button. (Knock on wood.)
 
After use, I soak my housings in warm fresh water and push all of the buttons repeatedly. I've never had a sticky button. (Knock on wood.)

It is funny to see that "fresh" statement in there but I would not be surprised if there is someone out there that was upset because they soak their unit in salt water after each dive and still get a darn salt build up :rofl3:

But the point here and from Jean about pushing the buttons while submerged is a good one. I do it on my still and video housings, but forgot to mention it.
 
I don't think that will help because the buttons should be water tight.

Try this.

Place the housing in freash water and press the buttons several times.

Take the housing out of the water and press the buttons while holding the housing in an upside down position so that the water runs out when you press the buttons.

Repeat a few times.

If that does not work, I think it needs to go back to Ikelite to let them remove the buttons and clean them out.

Honestly, I have had the same problem before and what I suggested above has worked for me.

Please keep us posted.
 
It's a concentration thing. You can only really get fresh water into the button areas when pressing (it sucks in on the release). if you've let a LOT of salt accumulate, it's going to take several such 'flushes' to dissolve enough of it to not leave crystals. Once clean, it shouldn't take near as much effort after the next dive.
 
I wonder if salt has worked its way past the seals of the buttons.

Since there is no electronics in the housing, how about this idea: open the housing and soak the whole thing including the inside in distilled water ( you can buy this in large jugs) and press the buttons then. That would dissolve salt on both sides of the seals.

Then leave the housing open and allow to dry.

Adam
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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