Author Topic: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?  (Read 11603 times)

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Offline serggio

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #25 on: October 31, 2018, 09:03:53 am »
The discussion about contact greases here
Also Molykote Dow Corning® 4 look well.
My Fluke 287 has applied grease under rotary switch from factory
 

Offline coromonadalix

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #26 on: October 31, 2018, 10:23:59 am »
Is it under the dial vs the plastic casing       or      the dial contacts and the pcb traces pads ?
 

Online Fungus

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #27 on: October 31, 2018, 10:33:13 am »
Is it under the dial vs the plastic casing       or      the dial contacts and the pcb traces pads ?

And so the "grease your contacts - it's way better/safer!" movement starts...  :scared:

« Last Edit: October 31, 2018, 11:04:22 am by Fungus »
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #28 on: October 31, 2018, 10:53:14 am »
Someone will eventually ask what the PN# was for that GE product.  See the very last post:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/multimeter-or-oscilloscope-hv-safe-lubricants/msg914477/#msg914477

And so the "grease your contacts - it's way better/safer!" movement starts...  :scared:

This site is loaded with threads about people recommending stuff for the contacts of their handheld meters.  We had WD-40, spit and now we have Vaseline.

Online Fungus

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #29 on: October 31, 2018, 11:07:54 am »
This site is loaded with threads about people recommending stuff for the contacts of their handheld meters.  We had WD-40, spit and now we have Vaseline.

Probably, but this one will add another petroleum based product to the fire.
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #30 on: October 31, 2018, 11:10:31 am »
This site is loaded with threads about people recommending stuff for the contacts of their handheld meters.  We had WD-40, spit and now we have Vaseline.

Probably, but this one will add another petroleum based product to the fire.
Perhaps the most obvious statement I will hear today.

Offline 001Topic starter

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #31 on: October 31, 2018, 03:52:47 pm »
This site is loaded with threads about people recommending stuff for the contacts of their handheld meters.  We had WD-40, spit and now we have Vaseline.

Probably, but this one will add another petroleum based product to the fire.
Perhaps the most obvious statement I will hear today.

Thank You!
And what about Silicone? Silicone is not a sort of petroleum, isnt it?
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Offline 001Topic starter

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Offline Gyro

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #34 on: October 31, 2018, 06:37:12 pm »
From joeqsmith's link:

Quote
Silicone grease should not be applied to (or next to) any switch contact that might experience arcing, as silicone can convert to silicon carbide under arcing conditions, and accumulation of the silicon carbide can cause the contacts to prematurely fail. (British Telecom had this problem in the 1970s when silicone Symel® sleeving was used in telephone exchanges. Vapor from the sleeving migrated to relay contacts and the resultant silicon carbide caused intermittent connection

...as was pointed out earlier in the thread.

Flamability becomes irrelevant.
Best Regards, Chris
 
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Offline helius

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #35 on: October 31, 2018, 06:48:49 pm »
When used properly, a DMM should not have any arcing on its switch contacts—you are not supposed to turn the switch while it is connected to an energized circuit. People do it anyway; for example if there is a separate switch position for ACV and DCV, many users switch between them without disconnecting the meter. Correct operation, not the slathering of lubricant, is the way to avoid switch arcing.
 

Online Fungus

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #36 on: October 31, 2018, 06:56:09 pm »
What about olive oil? Or sunflower? I've got some of that.
 
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Offline 001Topic starter

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #37 on: October 31, 2018, 07:28:31 pm »
What about olive oil? Or sunflower? I've got some of that.
I tryed sunflower oil many ears ago. it is fail. It came muddy and viscous like glue
 

Offline Gyro

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #38 on: October 31, 2018, 07:35:06 pm »
Quote
I tryed sunflower oil many ears ago. it is fail. It came muddy and viscous like glue

 :palm:

Also, that's what happens when you set your country flag to Antarctica.
Best Regards, Chris
 

Offline 001Topic starter

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #39 on: October 31, 2018, 07:36:16 pm »
Can I try some pinguin oil?  :-//
 

Offline Gyro

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #40 on: October 31, 2018, 07:37:06 pm »
Try Troll juice!
Best Regards, Chris
 
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Online ch_scr

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #41 on: October 31, 2018, 08:06:44 pm »
Tangentally related: I had a Mastech M9803R that would give unstable high-ohm readings. Like jumping between 8-12Meg with nothing connected. After taking it apart, I also checked the rotary selection switch. There was a clear, sticky substance found and subsequently removed with IPA. Afterwards meter worked flawlessly again. Construction of casing should prevent ingress to that area and no intrusion witness marks were found. No inside source was apparent as well. Thus I suspected it might have been there since assembly. Meter worked well for a few years, not so sure how the sudden change came about. (Thinking about it, maybe it was slowly spread out by actuating the switch, thus taking time to effect the readings?). Take note it was not spread around over the whole switch, more localised like something dripped on. I oiled the switch axle, but left the contacts alone after cleaning.
 
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Offline coromonadalix

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #42 on: October 31, 2018, 10:21:54 pm »
001  why do you still insist to put oil, grease  etc etc ...
 

Offline BradC

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #43 on: November 01, 2018, 02:30:08 am »
Someone will eventually ask what the PN# was for that GE product.  See the very last post:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/multimeter-or-oscilloscope-hv-safe-lubricants/msg914477/#msg914477

Interesting. Very sparse info available on line for that particular product. It  seems to have a lot better high temperature stability than the other dielectric greases (or food grade silicone greases) I have around here.
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #44 on: November 01, 2018, 08:31:58 am »
Someone will eventually ask what the PN# was for that GE product.  See the very last post:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/multimeter-or-oscilloscope-hv-safe-lubricants/msg914477/#msg914477

Interesting. Very sparse info available on line for that particular product. It  seems to have a lot better high temperature stability than the other dielectric greases (or food grade silicone greases) I have around here.
That tube is more than 35 years old now but still pretty decent stuff.   I had looked at what Dow offers.  You may want to check their product line.   I continue to use MSD spark guard on my ignition parts which also seems to hold up well with higher temperatures. 
 
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Offline 001Topic starter

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #45 on: November 01, 2018, 08:39:39 am »
001  why do you still insist to put oil, grease  etc etc ...

I saw few video owerviews  about dmms
If no grease at lamels all autors says what it is "chinese cupidity" and adds a lot of grease
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 08:42:09 am by 001 »
 

Offline joeqsmith

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #46 on: November 01, 2018, 09:10:37 am »
001  why do you still insist to put oil, grease  etc etc ...

I saw few video owerviews  about dmms
If no grease at lamels all autors says what it is "chinese cupidity" and adds a lot of grease

Post the links for these videos.  They sound entertaining.

Offline 001Topic starter

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #47 on: November 01, 2018, 10:19:20 am »
001  why do you still insist to put oil, grease  etc etc ...

I saw few video owerviews  about dmms
If no grease at lamels all autors says what it is "chinese cupidity" and adds a lot of grease

Post the links for these videos.  They sound entertaining.

It is hard to look out all of them
But easy to google new


  - WTF?


 

Offline coromonadalix

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #48 on: November 01, 2018, 10:52:43 am »
Anyways  I wont argue with 001 

I will never grease the pcb traces with any dielectric grease or what ever you may end with,  I have flukes 189-187 and Gossen meters they have build it that way and they stay that way, they are classified as old meters and do still work perfectly. I dont recall Sanwa doing it, nor Brymen, Fluke, Gossen, Keysight, Thongui ? even in bench meters who have front rear slide switch on pcb's ?

Simply clean and decontaminate the pcb for any residues, dust  etc...  You may add some non petroleum grease (some grease will dry /crack or deteriorate plastics) for the dial vs the casing, but a smal drip thats all i do.

Some good meters brand are made with ''chinese stupidity'' and they have never failed ??

@001  do it if you want for yourself and play with your security or the meter security, i have talked yesterdays with master electricians, they dont ever recommend to do something like that, they call it "sloppy job" ?  They work in 640v panels, as they add more ventilation in our company.

They do use Intrinsically safe meters : i saw a fluke 28 II and a beautiful red Fluke 87v. droll  loll  love the "RED"
 
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Offline Gyro

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Re: Can I grease my DMM selector with SILICONE oil?
« Reply #49 on: November 01, 2018, 11:04:42 am »
I can't see anything relevant to applying grease to DMM selector switches in any of those videos.  :-//

They keep changing, but...

- The first is a guy changing fuses on a meter
- Is second a comparison of cheap meters
- The third is a guy cleaning muck off the yellow holster of a working Fluke 177 so he can sell it on ebay
- The fourth is a guy slapping excess grease all over the plastics of a Brymen meter so he can get that "quality potentiometer feel" - knob and case in isolation, no detents or contacts.  :palm:
- The fifth is a meter comparison, where he does smear some vaseline on a spade connector when measuring its resistance (2 wire)
- The Last is using anti-corrosion / dielectric grease to protect crimps and connectors in an industrial / automotive environment.

Don't waste your time, we're being trolled!


EDIT: I think the links have stabilized now!
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 11:24:43 am by Gyro »
Best Regards, Chris
 


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