Can I rinse off bridge electronics?

[MichaelB1969]

Maybe a stupid question, but can I lightly house down the electronics on the fly bridge with fresh water?

I have not done so yet.

Thx,
Mike

 

[Pure pleasure]

I would us a damp cloth

 

[kapnd]

You should be able to do that, however, the plugs on the back are probably the most vulnerable spot. Make sure they are protected by design as well as put together with a liberal dose of corrosion block grease.

 

[Pau Hana]

Yes- hose 'em down. Marine electronics are designed to be at home in a covered fly bridge or in the elements on a center console sport fisher.

 

[Bruce B]

I would suggest that a call to the manufacturer(s) of the said electronic components would yield the best answer(s).
In all likelihood, things will be fine but without knowing exactly what is up there, the age of the gear or the actual history of the components every answer here is simply a guess...
I like speaking to tech/repair service as they tend to know the "issues" that their gear tends to have...
That's my .02$ worth,
Bruce

 

[boomerang]

It depends on what electronics you have You could lightly rinse some modern electronics but older electronics ,i.e. those with CRT picture tubes or adjustment knobs, not buttons, cannot be subjected to moisture. Conventional wisdom says just take a damp cloth & wipe the stuff down.

 

[FF]

Water resistant and water proof are different.

Think of spilling a brew vs a hose spray., or submerging.

A damp rag with some Dawn should not be too risky.

 

[psneeld]

The real question is how old and how much sun have they endured?.....also are they vertical or laid nearly flat?

New electronics usually have a certification for a direct hose test....they certainlty take heavy rain just fine.

However, as they age, the seals around the screens historically deteriorate, crack...etc.

If laid flat enough for water to pool on the screen...that can be bad..

But if relatively new, a misting spray, immediately wiped off should do no harm.

As to the plugs in the back, as long as they aren't loose in the case, they often benefit from a touch of mist, followed by a q-tip swab bing with a little water dispersing sprayed in before reassembling. Or skip the mist and just swab with some water displacing fluid.

 

[MichaelB1969]

Thanks everyone. I ended up spraying with a mist then wiping dry with an absorbent microfiber towel.

The electronics are all relatively new and are installed at an angle. Raymarine plotter and autopilot, lenco trim tab switch, quick thruster controls, Volvo penta engine controls (small LCDs for starting/stopping and status and throttle controls), various plastic toggle switches, tachometers and a search light control. I think that's it.

 

[alormaria]

When they were new they could probably handle anything mother nature could throw at them. Now....not so much.

Wiping them down with a damp cloth is a great idea.

 

[diver dave]

Agree with ps and most others here. Note the worst case here which is hosing down semisealed boxes that are warmer than the hose water. What that will do is reduce the air pressure inside the box, tending to pull in water thru seals.

 

[dhays]

My FB electronics are weather proof. As such they "should" be able to stand up to a hose. However, given that they have been there for almost 7 years, I'm certainly not going to put them to the test. They get rained on occasionally if I don't have the Sunbrella cover over them, but I think your misting and wiping is the best idea.