Tbh, I see a lot of techs skip the simple step of cleaning flux off old boards

Honestly, I've fixed at least five laptops from a local college this month where the main issue was just leftover flux causing slow shorts. Ngl, it's easy to miss, but a quick clean with some 99% isopropyl and a brush can save you a ton of time chasing weird power issues. Anyone else run into this a lot, or am I just getting all the messy repair jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jake10d ago

Honestly depends on the flux used. The no-clean stuff from good brands shouldn't cause issues if you apply heat correctly. Maybe they're using the wrong type?

alex_hall9110d ago

My buddy Chris had a board fail last year because of cheap no-clean flux. He bought a generic bottle online and the residue was slightly conductive. After he reflowed a BGA, the board would just randomly reset. We spent a week troubleshooting before we cleaned it with alcohol and the problem went away. He only uses name brand flux now, says the extra few bucks is worth not chasing ghosts.

riverm489d ago

But come on, how much of a problem is it really? I've used cheap flux for years and never had a board fail from it. Maybe @alex_hall91's friend just got a bad batch or didn't heat it right, like the_jake said. If the board works after you fix it, why add an extra cleaning step that just wastes time and alcohol? Feels like people are making a big deal over something that hardly ever happens.