ultrasonic cleaner

How can you tell if a cleaner is working?

Any immediate effects visible on the fluid?

Rick

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 01:25:30 GMT, in rec.crafts.jewelry Rick
wrote:

How can you tell if a cleaner is working?

Any immediate effects visible on the fluid?

Rick

Usually you can hear a buzzing or humming sound, from the circuitry. That's not
the operative frequency of the cleaner, just other noise. and the surface of
the liquid (never run an ultrasonic cleaner without liquid in the tank) will
show signs of vibration, jumping around and perhaps standing waves.

If you're still unsure, or want to check how effective or powerful a running
ultrason is, cut a piece of ordinary kitchen type aluminum foil, long enough to
go corner to corner across the tank diagonally, and wide enough to extend out of
the liquid when this piece is placed, in the vertical plane corner to corner in
the tank. After 20 or 30 seconds or so, take it out and hold it up to the
light. It should be punched full of tiny holes. They may not be evenly
distributed, especially in less expensive ultrasonics, which will have "hot
spots" and dead spots for relative strength of the activity, but you should see
at least some holes generally distributed around the foil. A more powerful
ultrasonic might not, after 30 seconds, leave much of the foil, especially it's
it's standard weight, not heavy duty foil. Some of the more powerful ones can
turn a piece of foil into shredded tatters in ten seconds or so... These,
actually, aren't as common in jewelry cleaning, as that powerful an action could
easily damage softer metals, especially silver.

Hope that helps.

Peter Rowe

Peter W. Rowe wrote:

Hope that helps.

Excellent response, thank you very much.

I guess the question was one of those "if you have to ask" then it
probably isn't working and that was the case ... I found a capacitor
blown up on the circuit board. Will replace and retry.

Thanks again,

Rick