"Cheap" ultra sonic cleaner

[FireHazard51 | 2,043]

So I bought a massive "cheap" ultra sonic clearer (30L from AliExpress for $239 shipped) to clean PS3 boards and plastic parts.  Well last night I finally got around to using it and I have some comments and some lessons learned.  For the general metal & plastic parts I used Branson DP2300 General Purpose Cleaning Power for the PCB boards I got Branson EC Electronics Cleaning Solution.  I've heard of some repair shops & other DIYers use household cleaners like Simple Green for general cleaning.  PCB boards I'm not messing around with like 100% IPA because it's a flammable fluid.  FYI I did end up getting distilled water for the cleaners to mix, per the manufactures instructions.  5 gal buckets add up so something to keep in mind if you get a big ultra sonic cleaner.  You're not suppose to run the ultra sonic cleaner with less than half filled.

1.   Heater takes FOREVER to head up.  Like if you are serious about getting the water temperature up you might want to look into a cheap supplemental water heater.  Maybe a sous vide cooker???  Hot water/cleaning solution is always more effective than room temp so something to keep in mind.
2. As the tank heated up, thermal expansion cause the drain port to move and a small leak formed.  Luckily the boards are lifted off the base with brass stand offs so unless the water drips directly on top of the board you'll be fine.  In the end I turned the drain a quarter turn and now I think it won't leak.
3. Keep spare fuses on hand.  I blew a fuse when the sonic clearer turned off from the second usage.  I'm guessing there was a surge from the circuit opening up and that just cause the issue.  I think the issue I had is the heater still going while doing the sonic cleaner and I can tell from a thermal viewer that the heater turns on in short burst.  So I'm guess the first time it turned off when the heater was off.  And on the second time the heater was on which cause it draw too many amps.  I'll test this out but glad the glass fuse blew instead a fuse on one of the 5 boards within the ultra sonic cleaner.
4. Ultra sonic cleaner will remove dust/organic crap.  It will not remove tar stains (smoker's console) on the mental/plastic.  100% IPA cuts through that crap pretty easily so you'll need a follow up cleaning if you want it to look like new.
5. Ultra sonic cleaner isn't too harsh on stickers but given enough time it will do enough damage to be very noticeable.  I was doing 5 minute cleanings per part.

I still need to test out the ultra sonic cleaner with the painted parts of the outer shell.  But I feel it's a low risk given the stickers not being too damaged from the 5 minute cleanings.  I'll post the before and after photos and maybe even a video montage of the cleaning when I'm finished with the project.

[CMR | 519]

I have a cheap jewelry cleaner I use for smaller stuff.  It heats up well and came with a plastic basket.  No drain, you just pick it up and dump it.  I guess it holds a little more than 2 liters.  I just use purple power degreaser, diluted about 10 to 1.  It doesn't hurt plastic or silk screen and works great on rosin flux.  This one is just like mine, but you can get it cheaper if you shop around.

https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Jewelry-Stainless/dp/B08V8M4DB7?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Edited September 21, 2022 by CMR

[ProtonX | 69]

I use this cheap one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/282725692532?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MyfyUymTTg-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=lJ_nzwIbTAi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The heater isn’t great (sometime it can take an hour to get warm). However i use it quite a bit and it seems to work. I typically just throw whatever I need to clean and let it sit while it warms up. Sometimes I still need to use an electric toothbrush afterwards to clean some deep grooves, but it’s gets most loose junk off. And I use it with Palmolive soap. But I’m mostly cleaning controllers and plastic pieces.