Hypothetical Question - Accidents with Food/ Drink on ESL panel

[rpokuls]

The other day my wife was walking in front of the ML ESL 13 and tripped while carrying a glass of wine. The wine went
flying out of the glass but fortunately missed the speaker completely.

Disaster averted, but it got me to wondering, what should I have done if the wine actually
landed on the panel stators and membrane?

Unplug I guess and attempt a clean up with paper towels but it's probably impossible to
completely get everything. What else to do?

I'm going to assume that this has probably happened to at least some ppl on this forum. I'd
be interested to see what they did.

Thx

 

[sleepysurf]

After immediately unplugging, if liquid was running to the bottom of the stat panel where the wire connections reside, I would quickly lay the speaker on it's side, grab a towel, and dry it as much as possible. I'd then call ML and ask for further advice.

 

[Robert D]

Nightmare in my mind. How could you ever get the wine off of the panel? I'd think its in there permanently. I'm glad you made this thread. I never thought about this

 

[Russr]

On the older devices, after shutting everything down and allowing for dangerous charges to dissipate, I'd take my beloved panels into the shower with me. For newer series, I have no idea how feasible that is, how the speakers disassemble, etc.

With complex fluids (like wine, some cleaners, etc., it's a total crap-shoot as to how the coating on the diaphragms might be affacted.... that's why I reckon you rinse them off ASAP.

 

[jimbill]

Happened to me.

Wife spilled wine from a coffee table, hitting one of my Ascent's. I immediately tried to dry it. When we turned it back on, nothing. Used a vacuum. Nothing.

Finally, came here and was given the advice that there was probably a small amount somewhere at the base of the panel. So I took off the panel for the first time, and there it was, about a teaspoon of wine in the bottom corner. It was invisible to the eye without taking off the panel. Rinsed the speaker good with distilled water, dried it, put it back in, good as new.

I washed them a few times over the years before I sold them. I'm not sure if this can be done with the 13a's. Anyone know?

 

[Robert D]

Happened to me.

Wife spilled wine from a coffee table, hitting one of my Ascent's. I immediately tried to dry it. When we turned it back on, nothing. Used a vacuum. Nothing.

Finally, came here and was given the advice that there was probably a small amount somewhere at the base of the panel. So I took off the panel for the first time, and there it was, about a teaspoon of wine in the bottom corner. It was invisible to the eye without taking off the panel. Rinsed the speaker good with distilled water, dried it, put it back in, good as new.

I washed them a few times over the years before I sold them. I'm not sure if this can be done with the 13a's. Anyone know?

Wow, so just a small amount of wine in the corner rendered the entire panel dead? Was it near where the wire attaches maybe?

 

[jimbill]

Wow, so just a small amount of wine in the corner rendered the entire panel dead? Was it near where the wire attaches maybe?

Nope, just in the corner. Lower left.

 

[ejspain]

The other day my wife was walking in front of the ML ESL 13 and tripped while carrying a glass of wine. The wine went
flying out of the glass but fortunately missed the speaker completely.

Disaster averted, but it got me to wondering, what should I have done if the wine actually
landed on the panel stators and membrane?

Unplug I guess and attempt a clean up with paper towels but it's probably impossible to
completely get everything. What else to do?

I'm going to assume that this has probably happened to at least some ppl on this forum. I'd
be interested to see what they did.

Thx

I may have to think about getting rid of my wife now before it happens.

 

[Russr]

I may have to think about getting rid of my wife now before it happens.

Been there, done that... now it's the cat's turn...

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

Shower time

Remove the panels and rinse them well, spray them down with distilled water afterwards to make sure you don't get any mineral deposits. Dry them with a vacuum

 

[Robert D]

Shower time

Remove the panels and rinse them well, spray them down with distilled water afterwards to make sure you don't get any mineral deposits. Dry them with a vacuum

One member on here even used a cleaner on his panels, I think it was Simple Green!? He said that the speakers sounded good after that, but that would scare me. Id think it would take the coating right off the mylar?

 

[jimbill]

Just get a gallon or two of distilled water. Pour it over the panels from all directions. Let them dry for a few hours, rotating a few times, then use a hair dryer at low temperature, moving constantly. Worked great for me the ten years I owned my Ascents.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

One member on here even used a cleaner on his panels, I think it was Simple Green!? He said that the speakers sounded good after that, but that would scare me. Id think it would take the coating right off the mylar?

That was me lol, simple greed has no chemicals, you can drink it if you like. But I only did that because my panels were badly caked with years of nasty buildup from previous owners. If you spill stuff on them and wash right away water should be all that's required if you're lucky.

 

[rpokuls]

So has anyone remove the panel from ESL13a for the shower treatment? I can't remember seeing any threads specific to 13a.

I doubt that there are that many out there requiring refurbishing yet though. Too new a model.

 

[Leporello]

The other day my wife was walking in front of the ML ESL 13 and tripped while carrying a glass of wine. The wine went
flying out of the glass but fortunately missed the speaker completely.

Disaster averted, but it got me to wondering, what should I have done if the wine actually
landed on the panel stators and membrane?

Unplug I guess and attempt a clean up with paper towels but it's probably impossible to
completely get everything. What else to do?

I'm going to assume that this has probably happened to at least some ppl on this forum. I'd
be interested to see what they did.

Thx

Wine residue (mostly sugars) is totally water soluble. About 18%-20% alcohol (been a while since I home brewed wine, so I don't remember the exact figure) which may attack the coating, someone else may know how severely if at all. There are many threads about water-cleaning the panels. Personally, I would avoid using any cleaning agents and use distilled water only. I don't think you need the volume of a shower (though if you have a distilled water shower, go for it). You can get high volume spray bottles. All this assumes you have first disconnected the power and signal drives, as quickly as possible

The speakers should probably be dis-assembled as much as possible and the panels treated separately. The electronics can be cleaned with an electronics spray cleaner of the non-lubricating type, available from places like Newark Electronics. Something you wouldn't want to get anywhere near the panels.

Worst case, you may need to re-panel. But I doubt this would be necessary if all that happened was a wine spill.

My Bosch dishwasher is fantastic and can handle almost anything, but if I've allowed a drop of red wine to dry up in a glass, out of habit I put some water in and swirl it around, and it's almost completely gone, no visible trace. Water is "the universal solvent".

 

[Robert D]

That was me lol, simple greed has no chemicals, you can drink it if you like. But I only did that because my panels were badly caked with years of nasty buildup from previous owners. If you spill stuff on them and wash right away water should be all that's required if you're lucky.

Good point, water would be fine if you clean them right after the spill. I was surprised that the simple green didn't take off most of the coating on your panels. I use it myself, to clean my electrostatic air cleaner cells. I water it down very dilute. It works well.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

Good point, water would be fine if you clean them right after the spill. I was surprised that the simple green didn't take off most of the coating on your panels. I use it myself, to clean my electrostatic air cleaner cells. I water it down very dilute. It works well.

The coating should be bonded to the panels like paint, it "shouldn't" just wash off but that's obviously no guarantee.

New panels were $900 US for the pair plus freight from Kansas to Ontario Canada and mine were popping like crazy from all the garbage stuck to them. Again, I don't really recommend people spray the panels down with simple green but if the panels are going to be junk without heavy cleaning you don't really have much to lose the way I look at it.

 

[Robert D]

The coating should be bonded to the panels like paint, it "shouldn't" just wash off but that's obviously no guarantee.

New panels were $900 US for the pair plus freight from Kansas to Ontario Canada and mine were popping like crazy from all the garbage stuck to them. Again, I don't really recommend people spray the panels down with simple green but if the panels are going to be junk without heavy cleaning you don't really have much to lose the way I look at it.

Yeah, I was thinking about doing the same thing as you. What's to lose if they are already shot. Makes sense. I'd like to know how well bonded the coating is.

 

[amey01]

Unplug immediately. Call ML for advice for sure. My bet would be that while you might help and clean it up - it would never be the same again. New panel time.

 

[Robert D]

Unplug immediately. Call ML for advice for sure. My bet would be that while you might help and clean it up - it would never be the same again. New panel time.

That's my gut feeling too, but if washed with just distilled water it might be close to how it was before. I don't believe it would ever be the same though. I'm a little bit obsessive, and it would really bother me.