I think my Kid is leaking?

[chris]

  So....as strange as this sounds, my Kid charge controller seems to have some kind of white residue leaking out of it.

I have it mounted on the bedroom wall inside my travel trailer, so there is no way it is getting wet.
I first noticed a little white crusting around the bottom of the plastic bezel about a year ago and didn't think much of it...but the weekend when I was at the trailer it looked like every opening on the bottom had a little crust. 

Upon opening the little access door and peering up inside with a flashing light, it looks like something up inside of the kid's electronics is leaking?

   Anyone ever hear of or see anything like this?  is my Kid going to melt down?  LOL

[ClassicCrazy]

Sounds like you would need to take the cover off and look at the circuit board . Two things I could think of that it could be . One is a bad leaking capacitor . The other would be heatsink compound that is applied between mosfets and the heatsink . I wouldn't think that there would be enough heatsink compound or a type that is runny like that.

Maybe someone else will have a guess.

Larry

[Westbranch]

If it is not one of Larry's ideas,  I have another one but it may not be probable...
Does the trailer sit closed up for long periods, like the winter?

[FNG]

What is the serial#? I would pop the back cover off and look inside, maybe snap a picture. I suspect either capacitor fluid but pictures would help. Also do the pv wires run down from above and loop in or do they come from below?

[ClassicCrazy]

If it is not one of Larry's ideas,  I have another one but it may not be probable...
Does the trailer sit closed up for long periods, like the winter?

Are you thinking maybe condensation coming down the wires ?

Interesting thing is I had some cat five internet cable coming in from outside - went up a tower. It was indoor cable. But whenever it rained water would drip out of the end inside . There were drip loops up top where it began and no water could get in the end outside. I think it is called diurnal pumping ? It finally quit doing that when some of the outside sheathing cracked from sunlight . Before that is was like a big straw and never did figure out how the moisture got in there - maybe condensation ? Never effected the internet though!

But I doubt electrical wiring would do something like that since the insulation is tight on the wire. But if there was conduit involved there is a chance I suppose but it would have to come from the top and drip down I think.

Larry

[Westbranch]

Close Larry. I was thinking  of condensation in  a salty climate with a sealed up space. the insiide of the KID is cast Au Oooops Al... and might be corroding.

[RossW]

the insiide of the KID is cast Au

Crikey, I better buy a heap of kid's then. Gold is worth much more than Aluminium!

[Westbranch]

Me too... though the Kids and Classics are quite dear up here North of Forty Nine degrees

[chris]

If it is not one of Larry's ideas,  I have another one but it may not be probable...
Does the trailer sit closed up for long periods, like the winter?

  it does...but the first thing I looked at was the wire coming down threw the roof. 
It actually has a drip loop inside a closet before going threw the wall into the back of the Kid...the residue is for sure coming from inside.

[chris]

What is the serial#? I would pop the back cover off and look inside, maybe snap a picture. I suspect either capacitor fluid but pictures would help. Also do the pv wires run down from above and loop in or do they come from below?

I wasn't able to get out to the trailer over the weekend....but I'm hoping to get out there this weekend coming up.

I'll open it up and snap a pic or two of the inside and the serial#