Drop-Top said:
My apartment was recently involved in a fire. My A/V system was not directly in the fire, however the sprinkler system did soak the entire apartment rug. My speakers did soak up a small amount of water, and all my components had a small amount of smoke damage. At this point, I am unable to see/smell significant damage to the components/speakers, but I am concerned in the long haul I might have issues. The insurance adjuster told me the tv and Audio components should be fine, and he will look at the speakers for damage. I am not an audiophile by any means, so I am curious what your thoughts are so I do not get screwed by the adjuster.
When you say: "all my components had a small amount of smoke damage", do you mean merely that they were exposed to smoke, that there is visible smoke residue on them, that there were signs of excessive heat (e.g., melting or warping of plastic, etc.), or something else? If only the first, then you might be okay, though any optical device (e.g., DVD & CD players) may need their lenses cleaned. If the second, you might still be okay, though you are more likely to need to clean the lenses on optical equipment (if they still seem to play everything as before, then you probably need not worry too much about cleaning the lenses, though if you know how to do such things, I would recommend doing it yourself). If there is any melting or warping of the plastic parts, it may even then be okay (but, obviously, don't count on it), but they should be paying you something for the esthetic damage if nothing else.
