# Remotes (for appliances) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513 "2015-12-27T23:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/1 "2015-12-27T23:05:24Z")
I live in a climate with moderate humidity. This often wrecks havoc with the remote controls for the tv, ceiling fans, etc. Specifically, condensated water forms a barrier between the rubber button and the electrical contact. (FWIW, a remote on the fritz can be brought back to functionality if the back cover us inscrewed, the layers separated, wiped clean and dried, and reassembled.) Can a perfect fix be found if an application of dielectric grease is put on the electrical connections? ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/2 "2015-12-27T23:36:37Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > I live in a climate with moderate humidity. This often wrecks havoc with the remote controls for the tv, ceiling fans, etc. > > Specifically, condensated water forms a barrier between the rubber button and the electrical contact. _Moderate_ humidity?! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/3 "2015-12-27T23:40:11Z")
I don’t think it’s a barrier. The water is shorting the contacts, causing the remote to malfunction. You might want to try silicone spray. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/4 "2015-12-27T23:53:22Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > _Moderate_ humidity?! Moderate, but _constant._ ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/5 "2015-12-28T02:15:26Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I don’t think it’s a barrier. > The water is shorting the contacts, causing the remote to malfunction. > You might want to try silicone spray. Just tried silicone spray, and found it to be an electrical insulator which rendered button pushing inoperable, so I wiped everything down with acetone and buffed the contacts dry…now it works at an acceptable level. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remotes-for-appliances/741513/6 "2015-12-28T03:06:32Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > Specifically, condensated water forms a barrier between the rubber button and the electrical contact. > > Can a perfect fix be found if an application of dielectric grease is put on the electrical connections? Dielectric grease works great as waterproofing on permanent (non moving) connections. However, it is by nature an insulator… Smear it between movable contacts and your circuit will tend to fail.