What should I do if the remote control falls into water?
Switch it off, rinse with fresh water, dry at room temperature. The IP67 claim covers 1 m and 30 minutes; salt water and pressure washing are out of scope.
First take the device out of the water, switch it off and do not use it before it is dry. The IP67 declaration of the ST series remote controls covers immersion at 1 m depth for 30 minutes; falling into deeper water, for longer, or into salty or chemical-laden water is outside that scope. Rinse the outside with clean fresh water and wipe it with a dry cloth, dry it completely at room temperature, and do not use the charging connector before it is dry.
Step by step
- Switch the device off. Leaving it energised while wet increases the risk of corrosion and a short circuit on the board if there has been any ingress.
- Rinse it. If the water contains sea water, dirt or chemicals, rinse the outside with clean fresh water. As salt residue dries it leaves a conductive layer behind and wears the seal as well.
- Dry it. Wipe it with a dry cloth and leave it to dry completely at room temperature. Do not use a hot air gun, an oven or a radiator — the seal and the Li-Po battery are damaged by heat; for Li-Po the charging temperature is 0-45 °C and operation is typically in the 0-40 °C range.
- Check the charging connector. Do not charge the AXI-Link 3-pin charging input of the ST100/ST200 before it is completely dry.
- On battery-powered models (SF100/SF200, the LF200 remote control) take the cells out, dry the compartment and clean the terminals if there is corrosion on them.
What the IP67 declaration covers and what it does not
| Situation | Within the declaration? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Immersion in fresh water down to 1 m, up to 30 minutes | Within scope | Dry it and verify it |
| Deeper or for longer | Outside scope | Consult service before operating it |
| Sea water, chemicals, oil | Outside scope | Rinse with fresh water, leave no salt residue |
| Pressurised water or steam washing | Outside scope | That is a separate test matter |
| A housing that has been dropped, cracked or has a crushed seal | The declaration loses its basis | Do not use it |
The IP figures define not the kind of liquid but the test condition; exactly what the second figure measures is explained in the definition of the IP protection class.
On battery-powered (IP64) remote controls the situation is different
The LF200 remote control in the SF series is IP64; that class expresses protection against splashing water from every direction, it does not cover immersion. There is a high probability that water has got inside an IP64 device that has fallen into water: take the cells out, dry the compartment and the terminals, clean off any corrosion and test the device before using it under load. The difference between the two classes is given in detail in the comparison of IP64, IP65 and IP67.
Verification after drying
Once it is dry, try the device first with the machine de-energised; verify that the buttons are not sticking and that they respond. If the feel of a button has changed, if there is a crack in the housing or if water can be seen inside, do not use the device and send it to service. IP protection cannot be assumed to be preserved on a housing that has taken a knock. If the de-energised test comes out clean, carry out a loaded verification; the real fault usually shows itself under load.
Frequent mistakes
- Putting it on charge while wet. Water left between the pins of the AXI-Link connector is where corrosion starts fastest.
- Rice, the oven, hot air. Heat spoils the seal and the Li-Po cell; drying happens at room temperature and takes time.
- Assuming that it works, so there is no problem. Water damage often shows up days later as corrosion; record the event and keep the device under close watch for a while.
- Leaving the battery to sit as it is. A Li-Po left uncharged for a long time after getting wet is damaged; the rules for extending Li-Po life apply in this situation too.
The order is this: switch it off, rinse with fresh water, dry at room temperature, test de-energised, then try it loaded. If in doubt do not keep the device on site; the most dangerous state of a wet remote control is looking as if it works and then sticking on one key.
The full topic: Wireless Crane Remote Control Selection Guide