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Would you buy flood-submerged equipment?

What proportion of normal resale price has this flood-submerged equipment?

  • 0%

    Votes: 31 43.1%

  • 5%

    Votes: 22 30.6%

  • 15%

    Votes: 17 23.6%

  • 40%

    Votes: 2 2.8%

  • 80%

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    72
  • Poll closed .
sonddek

sonddek

Trade: SUPATRAC
Here's a strange problem. I put together quite a nice separates system for a friend a few years ago. She was always a bit busy to use vinyl much, and eventually had a very unfortunate flood in her home which submerged the whole system. The power must have tripped before the submergence, and it was left for months to dry. To my surprise when I switched it all on, it worked. She and I reached an impasse because my offer to take it back off her for resale was too low, partly because I am determined to be 100% honest about the flood in any sale. She said I was trying to profit form her misfortune and I decided to go no further, so the gear sits here, condition unassessed, but probably mostly working fine.

The system is as follows:
Technics SL-1210
Rega RB300 (Origin Live mount)
Goldring 2500
Dynavector P75 II
Icon Audio remote controlled passive
Airport Extreme
CA DACMagic Azur
Behringer A500
Epos ES14 (cabinets ruined by dissolved glue at bases but drivers look fine)

What do you reckon to flood submersion? What does it make the value if the kit still works?
 
Depends entirely on condition, both cosmetic and internal. I’d certainly not consider anything to be long-term stable unless the boards had been removed, checked for corrosion and ultrasonically cleaned. I have no idea how one would assess transformers etc in this scenario. I’d also be far beyond amazed if a CD player (or any optical drive) worked after being submerged in anything, let alone the utter contaminated filth that is flood water. I’d personally expect it all to be beyond saving beyond maybe salvaging some parts really, e.g. the Rega’s bearings will be shot, as will the pots in everything including the SL1200.
 
Working and reliably working are two different things!, long term and even short term reliability would be my concern, electronics and water have never been the best of friends and that relationship has deteriorated rapidly with the advent of SMD components.
 
I'm sure some of it will be fine if stripped and cleaned and re-lubed where perhaps necessary, though I'm thinking about tonearm bearings and other mechanical aspects, I suppose the obvious thing is to check for any moisture damage or rust on any bare metal.
I assume your friend didn't have contents insurance that covered flooding? It must have been one hell of a flood to cover a complete system assuming it wasn't installed on the floor.
As to value, I'd say pretty minimal, though I guess if the component has been stripped, cleaned and all working 100% with no obvious damage or water marking there's no reason why it couldn't be sold on as a secondhand item.
 
Interesting - thanks. This is pretty much what I told her. She says she will collect it all again. If you see this lot for sale without flood mentioned, you'll know. Friendship does not extend as far as omission to disclose information which would be important to any buyer.
 
It may be worth showing your friend this thread so she’ll be more aware of the potential pitfalls, and also to clarify you’re not attempting to profit from her misfortune.

Mick
 
Why not claim on insurance? Presumably it would be covered under contents?
 
JTC said:
Why not claim on insurance? Presumably it would be covered under contents?
Click to expand...
That’s what I thought. I don’t think that that lot has any resale value at all. No-one should expect a warranty with s/h gear but that should be sold with a proviso that the kit might not last; a kind of reverse warranty!
 
Was it all completely submerged?

Just wondering as you mention the ES14's are only ruined at the bases. Just wondering if whatever was sitting at the top of the stack (if it was stacked) may have just got a soggy bottom.
 
Your friend should surely claim on her insurance. It's general value is zero however there may be a hobbyist / tinkerer who might take a punt. If she is detemined to sell perhaps she should Gumtree or ebay it obviously describing it honestly.
 
There's no 100% option otherwise I would have voted for it. If it all looks fine (no veneer lifting, swollen wooden baseboards etc.) and a thorough strip, clean and internal inspection reveals no nasties, then it will be fine.

A friend of mine recently submerged an amplifier in the bath for a few hours to get rid of the stale cigarette smoke smell and it suffered no ill effects at all.
 
Beobloke said:
There's no 100% option otherwise I would have voted for it. If it all looks fine (no veneer lifting, swollen wooden baseboards etc.) and a thorough strip, clean and internal inspection reveals no nasties, then it will be fine.

A friend of mine recently submerged an amplifier in the bath for a few hours to get rid of the stale cigarette smoke smell and it suffered no ill effects at all.
Click to expand...
Depends what’s in the flood water - sediment, fuel oil, sewage etc. Our town flooded and a lot of IT kit was trashed or beyond economic repair due to the crap in the water. If we get a coffee spill say on a keyboard then dousing in running clean water and extended drying period does work.
 
My house is the furthest one away in the distance - Dec 30th 2015. Historical flooding records going back to 1829, had no idea when purchased in 2010 there was the slightest risk, my bad. Now have flood doors/seals in place, cost a few quid but some peace of mind.

Ruu9sic.jpg
 
Regarding ‘profiteering’ I’d personally not be prepared to sell such a lot unless I had stripped down, assessed, thoroughly cleaned, relubed, contact-cleaned and tested absolutely everything. No way in hell would I do that kind of work (which to do as well as I do it would take hours per component) without taking a *very* substantial cut!
 
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