[c-nsp] smoke and condensation damage to routers

[Andrew Girling]

On Aug 20, 2008, at 7:44 PM, Darrell Root wrote:

> From my standpoint I don't want to trust any of this gear in  
> production.  Of course, the insurance
> adjustor sees gear that appears undamaged and is now completely dry.
>
> Anyone have experience running gear that was subjected to smoke, and  
> possibly some
> condensation?  Did it result in abnormal outages in the future?

Darrell,

I've dealt with a fire in an academic building that affected a  
communication closet in close proximity.  Due to cleanup efforts and  
health regulations, it was about a week before the building and floor  
was accessible for service.  Our first priority was to replace data/ 
telecom cabling and resume service to floors above/below the fire  
damaged by heat and water.  By the time the gear was replaced, it was  
running for several weeks caked in soot.  We had sent the equipment  
out to a local disaster/environmental cleanup company that specialized  
in electronics.  The switches were returned, tested, and redeployed in  
other areas without incident, and have been in service for a number of  
years since.

Safety is the number one concern.  The potential for the gear to catch  
fire, electrocute someone, etc are all risks that NEED to be  
addressed.  The gear should be cleaned/certified by the vendor, an  
electronics disaster recovery company, or replaced by your insurance.   
As Ian said, ask the adjuster to provide certification paperwork,  
which will likely make them reconsider their decision that "it is fine".

Regards,
Andrew
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