Motors Brushless motors + water = ???

[Derek]

I've been browsing through videos on YouTube....and so it begins....another idea for a new build. This time, I'm thinking about venturing to the water. I understand that brushless motors can and will operate when water gets inside the can.

What I'd like to be educated on is:
- is there a certain amount of time, per run, that a motor can run with water getting splashed into it?
- do I need to keep a can of compressed air around to blow the motor dry each time?
- all in all....just brushless motor + water maintenance

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Tony]

The motors, brushed or brushless, will run under water. It's not the water you have to worry about, it's the minerals that are in the water. These can be conductive and/or corrosive.

 

[Derek]

Yes, i understand that. Would some silicone spray be suitable to keep things working?

 

[Tony]

Not sure if I would want to spray anything electronic with that. I would think that if you just keep it from getting "really wet", that is should be just fine. I have run cars and such out in my yard early in the morning in the dew, and they are just fine. Definitely keep it off the ESC though.

 

[Derek]

What about those people that submerge their motors? Any idea how they keep their motors clean and working? I have an upcoming project in mind and, quite honestly, the motor is going to get quite wet.

As for the esc....any and all precautions will be made to keep that sucker dry lol

 

[Tony]

They do make waterproof motors. They just have all exposed metal and electronics potted or at least covered with some kind of wax substance. But if you are running brushless, you can just blow it out real good when you are done with an air compressor or compressed air and then spray a little alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol, not drinking, that would be a waste lol) and that will get rid of any remaining water and it will not hurt the electronics. Of course, this is overkill and you probably will not have any issues at all just running it and blowing it out, but, just to be safe, a little IPA is never a bad thing.

 

[Derek]

Thanks for that, Tony! I've looked around at a few waterproof motors and I'm just not finding anything that carries enough power. I'm not even sure "what kind of power" i'm looking for but the motors that I have looked at just don't seem that impressive for the build that I have in mind. I'm thinking this particular project, once I get the wife's approval lol, will require a good sized Scorpion "powerhouse" motor. If I can go through with this project, I'll post details later on.

 

[RandyDSok]

I'd point out that using alcohol on the motor isn't probably a good idea... it's likely to remove any lubricant used on the bearings and cause other trouble. I'd just blow it out using compressed air and then let it air dry the rest of the way... since it'll likely be warm already, it'll likely dry relatively quick.

 

[Derek]

That makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Tony]

Yea, I went and met up with Randy yesterday and he brought that up to my attention, and I completely forgot about the bearings. I was thinking strictly electronics.

 

[Derek]

I appreciate the thoughts, guys! I'll see what i come up with.

 

[Derek]

So....the more that ive read, it seems that i just need to do what you guys have suggested. After running the motor on the water, use compressed air to blow the water out and let it dry and also be sure to oil the bearings after every run.

I hope to start this new project over the winter months and have it ready next Spring. Thanks for your time!

 

[Tony]

That's what we are here for