4805 Got a Bath (1 Viewer)

[drobbins]

About 6 weeks ago my 4805 got a good 4-8 hour bath when I had a water filter break. I opened it up and found some corrosion on connections. They asked me to get a professional to look at it, and he recommended that it be replaced. But it still seems to work fine. Being as it still works, the insurance company does not want to cover it's replacement. They say that if the water was going to damage the unit, it would have already occurred. Now that it is dry, it is OK. The fact that it HAD water in it does not mean that it's life has been shortened. (It was only 3 months old) I can not prove that it will be shortened, and they can not prove that it won't.

Can anyone give me technical reasons why it should or shoulden't be replaced? Please refrain from the general "I pay for insurance, so they should cover it" responses. I am looking for facts that I can talk to them about.

Thanks
Dave

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I would have my suspicions regarding the remaining life of the power supply, the motor for the fan, and the motor for the color wheel.

If it were me, I'd have it replaced irrespective of whether or not it seems to be working at the moment.

 

[Evan M.]

Not to be a jerk but I think you answered your own question. I am not a professional on the working of insurance companies by any stretch.......but I think the purpose of the insurance is to cover you in case of an accident if merchandise is damaged and unrepairable. Your 4805 still "works fine" so I don't see a reason why it will get covered. Would it be a nice thing for them to cover it....of course.....but unfortunatley insurance companies get burned A LOT if they are nice. That is why it is such a pain sometimes to go through the process.......because they need to make sure they are absolutely consistent with their policy. If they wonder a bit off from that they get burned. I whish you luck and hope it all turns out ok.

 

[drobbins]

Joseph - Those are my concerns also. There are many moving parts that could be affected. I understand that the chip has thousands of hinged mirrors as thick as a piece of paper flipping back and forth hundreds of times per second. I don't know if the hinge can rust.

Evan - I don't think your a jerk. I agree with you also, but heres what I asked them. "I could have driven a car into a lake and totally drenched it. Just because I dry it out, clean it up, spray air freshener, and change the oil, it does not mean that there isn't sand in the engine that will wear it out prematurely". My projector "seems to work fine", but I am wondering for how long. :frowning:
Nether them or myself can see into the future and tell if this affected it or not. I don't want them to replace it if it isn't damaged, but I don't want it to have a premature failure after my claim is closed.

Once corrosion has started, does it continue? slowdown? or stop completely now that it has dried out? Will humidity in the air continue what has started?

 

[Gerald LaFrance]

Hi Drobbins Did you get pics of the water damage or a Video would be better??

Was the Projector on your damage report? You should of filled out a damage report for whatever was under water or which you think was damaged for instance, If you had a computer in the basement the SPEAKERS did NOT get wet but the Power Pack DID you have to Replace the WHOLE set they wont send you just a powerpack so put all items no matter how trivial it may seem. All items on the Damage report will be covered for up to 1 year so if it goes in 2 month they HAVE to reinburst you for it, if it was on the Damage report.

If you already filled out the Damage report and it is NOT on the list you are out, they DONT have to replace it but if it is on a damage report they have to reinburst you for what it is worth.

The Guy from the insurance company DONT listen to him he will say anything for you not to put on the report or Cover said item.

if you still have problems with the insurance company get a Lawyer.

 

[terence]

Hi Drobbins,

I say for peace of mind, replace it! You will always have the doubt factor eating away in the back of your mind, telling you maybe i should have got another unit. The doubt is already there, hence the thread.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Tell them about rainbows.

 

[Adam]

What I would do, is get the professional who looked at to give me a report. In the report have him put down that there is extensive water damage to the inside of the unit. Have him list a few parts that are bad and should be replaced. Have him give you an estimate to replace the bad parts that is higher than the cost of the unit. Therefore, they would have to replace the projector. He could also state that the unit is not safe to operate in its present condition.

 

[BrianMe]

>>>Not to be a jerk but I think you answered your own question. I am not a professional on the working of insurance companies by any stretch.......but I think the purpose of the insurance is to cover you in case of an accident if merchandise is damaged and unrepairable. Your 4805 still "works fine" so I don't see a reason why it will get covered. Would it be a nice thing for them to cover it....of course.....but unfortunatley insurance companies get burned A LOT if they are nice. That is why it is such a pain sometimes to go through the process.......because they need to make sure they are absolutely consistent with their policy. If they wonder a bit off from that they get burned. I whish you luck and hope it all turns out ok>>>


Actually, you are very much entitled to a replacement. "works fine" does not mean "was not damaged." If you are bumped into in a parking lot, causing superficial paint/metal damage to your car, but your car "works fine," should your insurance cover it or not? I would think they should. The damage diminished the useful life of the product significantly. It may also cause further damage (fire due to shorting in the electronics, etc.). Your insurance company would most likely be more than willing to cover this.

My house was struck by lightning. They left my claim open for 6 months because they said a lot of aftereffects come into play (shorts, worn components, etc.). About 3 months later the HV splitter in my big screen went out. They happily replaced it.

Your 4805 is not good as it was, it should be replaced and that is what insurance is for.

 

[John S]

I vote replace....

As a tech for many years. I have never seen a computer or piece of electronics involved in a flood, working or not. NOT BE REPLACED.. never ever...

 

[KenLeBlanc]

Did you open a claim for anything else ? Just wondering because I know we have a $500 deductible so if that is the case for you, it may not be worth your while to open a claim just for the projector. (especially where it's still working)

Also if they won't replace the projector I would definitly take my business somewhere else. Insurance companies are supposed to be there to help in cases such as yours. If they give you any hassle over this, they would most likely do it again if something bigger happened (fire etc...)

 

[drobbins]

Thank you all for your input. I am definitely of the mindset that it should be replaced. All in all they have been fair The whole house suffered about $15,000.00 in damages it total. Here is a link to the theater damage : Water World The pictures don't tell the whole story. I have to totally gut the whole basement and start over. (Bigger Screen! ) I don't know why they are sticking on this point. They gave me $1,500.00 for my leather seats and we get to keep them. We paid just under $2,500.00 for them three months earlier. They don't look brand new now but for $1,000.00 they will do fine. We settled everything else and she said that she will talk to her supervisor about the projector. We will see.
Dave

 

[brac]

Well,
A bigger screen is good but I would get paper work stating internal corrision and make them give you a year on it if they say it is OK. Don't get bullied...

 

[Steve Berger]

I've been servicing for 33 years and I can say that ... Sometimes things survive just fine ... and sometimes they don't. I've saved camcorders from seawater in a diving pack and falling off of a water tower -- and lost them to 2 foot fall on carpet and spittle from a child.

Sight unseen, it's impossible to say for certain but corosion on connectors, power supplies (not high voltage), A/V input switching, are generally recoverable problems; on motors (color wheel), integrated circuits (especially BGA and SFP chips), the light engine (DLP chip) will soon cause failures and they are unrepairable circuits. (factory only or board replacement)

You pretty much have to trust your tech, assuming he has some experience on surface mount component level repair (many don't and wouldn't know the servicability differences between BGA, PLCC, FP, SFP and the other chip types currently in use). It sounds like the agent did the right thing, when in doubt, let a higher authority decide, don't say "no" yourself.

 

[Earl Simpson]

My 01 cent! Does the unit have any particle board or paper in it? If so, you are hosed on those parts. If water actually got to the internal parts of the unit, to me this is a no brainer. Water leaves conductive deposits when it drys unless it is distilled H2O. When stores sell H2O damaged units, they sell them as is and at your own risk and will not let you turn them on in the store. Potential fire hazard.
You need this unit replaced! Period! IMHO

PS! Was it plugged into the wall when it was soaked with current on the receptacle? If so then there is definitely electronic parts damaged.

 

[trey-m]

Perhaps you can ask your insurance company to put a special document with your claim saying that if your unit dies within a specified amount of time, then they will replace it. Infocus may be able to tell you the average life expectancy of that model, which may be a good starting point. The insurance company might be happy to do this because it could save them money, and more importantly you'll have the peace of mind you desire.

Although if Earl is correct about the fire hazard, then that consideration should probably take precedence.

 

[Evan M.]

BrianMe - Auto Insurance and Homeowners Insurance are 2 TOTALY different entities. Insurance companies also vary quite a bit as I am sure we all know. I was basing my opinion on what he said. He said they were not going to cover it. I explained why they may not be since I have friends who were in a VERY similar situation. They have since changed companies. A lot of companies also cover different things and different ways for accidents. IE. Lightning may be handled differently than a flood. Yes it sucks but it is life with a lot of insurance companies. That is why it pays to research the insurance a ton before getting that plan. (I am not saying the OP did not do his research.....I am just generalizing)