People would not get as bent out of shape about their cell phone getting wet if it wasn’t for the reason that they were probably using it at the time. Often is the case that electronics cease to function once they make contact with water because the device is powered on when it hits the liquid. If you are one of the unfortunate many who has dropped a electronic device in the drink, don’t worry about it. Just make sure that it wasn’t on when you dropped it in. While water can cause damage to electronics, the electricity that causes it to work is what causes the machine to fry like an egg on the windshield of your car in triple digit weather. Turning on your device after it has been submerged will cause the electric current to run through it and will usually render the device useless.
There are obvious ways to prevent your device from being submerged in water. One such way is called being careful. But this method isn’t always effective. If your device is, let’s say, a cell phone, a cover for it is your best bet. While a cover won’t always, well, cover it, it will be a great way to prevent a good deal of moisture. If, say, your computer has some water spilled on it (and just what are you doing with liquids around your computer, anyway?) you should IMMEDIATELY unplug it and wait for roughly two weeks so that it has dried out, and there is no water to cause its very unpleasant death. It is very important that you keep the device in a cool, dry area that won’t pick up condensation, because that will cause the device to take longer to dry, and additional water damage can be done. It is also important to wait for a week or two, and to make sure that you do NOT shake the device to see if there is still water in it. This can just cause damage to the device, and then you will have waited for probably nothing.
Now, if you are the kind of person who doubts their repertoire of electronics knowledge, it’s best to simply take the device to an electronics repairman. You will have to shell out a few bucks, but not as many as you paid for the device. This can also be taken as a chance to make sure there is nothing else wrong with the device that should be fixed before it is used again.
Showing posts with label cell phone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cell phone. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Repair Water Damaged Electronics Quick For better Results
A lot of people have had their electronic devices come into contact with liquid, whether it’s a glass of milk or a bathtub full of water, but most people do not know what they are supposed to do with these items afterward. Can they be fixed? Is there really anything wrong with them?
Well, depending on how long they were in the water and whether they were on at the time, they can probably be fixed. It also depends on what kind of liquid you drop the device into. A lot of electronic devices switch of automatically as soon as they come into contact with a liquid and this is important, because it is not the liquid itself that causes the damage to the device. It is the electric current running through it when the water hits it. Even if you put a device that is not on in a puddle of clean water and let it stay in it overnight, it is not likely to be irreparably damaged as long as the power was off. You can most likely pull the item out of the water, allow it to dry completely, and it should power back on fine. I would not advise trying this as an experiment, though, because not every electronic device is made of the same material. As long as you do not attempt to power on the device while it is still wet, it should be alright. Allow the device to dry in a dry, cool area, but not so cool that it will let the device pick up any condensation.
Anything that has been submerged in dirty water, such as flood water, will probably require a bit more attention than that. Flood waters have been known to contain just about any kind of pollution that you can imagine. Silt, mud, sewage, and other chemicals could be getting inside your electronic device and it will take a lot more than simply drying the device out to get it to work properly again.
Even computer hard drives have been known to be restored with the proper cleaning procedures after having been flooded. The particle debris that has made its way inside the hard drive has to be cleaned out first and quite thoroughly before the drive will work again. Simply plugging the hard drive back into the computer after it is dry will NOT work and will damage the drive irreparably.
Unless you know a lot about electronics, your best bet is to take whatever water damaged device you have on your hands to a specialist. Depending on what the value of the device is or if it is a hard drive, the importance of the information stored on it, you might want to fork over the cash necessary to have it repaired.
Well, depending on how long they were in the water and whether they were on at the time, they can probably be fixed. It also depends on what kind of liquid you drop the device into. A lot of electronic devices switch of automatically as soon as they come into contact with a liquid and this is important, because it is not the liquid itself that causes the damage to the device. It is the electric current running through it when the water hits it. Even if you put a device that is not on in a puddle of clean water and let it stay in it overnight, it is not likely to be irreparably damaged as long as the power was off. You can most likely pull the item out of the water, allow it to dry completely, and it should power back on fine. I would not advise trying this as an experiment, though, because not every electronic device is made of the same material. As long as you do not attempt to power on the device while it is still wet, it should be alright. Allow the device to dry in a dry, cool area, but not so cool that it will let the device pick up any condensation.
Anything that has been submerged in dirty water, such as flood water, will probably require a bit more attention than that. Flood waters have been known to contain just about any kind of pollution that you can imagine. Silt, mud, sewage, and other chemicals could be getting inside your electronic device and it will take a lot more than simply drying the device out to get it to work properly again.
Even computer hard drives have been known to be restored with the proper cleaning procedures after having been flooded. The particle debris that has made its way inside the hard drive has to be cleaned out first and quite thoroughly before the drive will work again. Simply plugging the hard drive back into the computer after it is dry will NOT work and will damage the drive irreparably.
Unless you know a lot about electronics, your best bet is to take whatever water damaged device you have on your hands to a specialist. Depending on what the value of the device is or if it is a hard drive, the importance of the information stored on it, you might want to fork over the cash necessary to have it repaired.
Cell Phone Companies Use Phone Sticker Squeals On Water Damage And Voids Warranty
If you take a look inside the case of your cell phone, you should see a round white sticker placed somewhere on the device. What is it? This is called a water damage sticker and if your phone is exposed to moisture that makes its way inside the phone, this can be used to completely void your warranty, no matter the reason your phone may stop working. It does not seem to take much, either; a simple drop of water placed onto this sticker is enough to change its color and void the warranty on your cell phone. For honest consumers who accidentally get a small bit of water on their phone and then 5 or 6 months later, suddenly notice that the phone is having problems, knowing about this sticker is quite useful.
What exactly can you do to stop this little devil from voiding the warranty on your phone should is accidentally get a little damp? The best thing that you can do is to take a piece of satin finished scotch tape and put it over the sticker to keep the color from changing if it gets wet. If you drop your phone into the toilet or the bathtub, this probably isn’t going to be that effective, but if you are just worried about general moisture problems or an accidental quick spill of something on the phone, this should work just fine. If your phone stops working for some other reason, remove the tape and take it back to the manufacturer for repairs or a replacement.
It is was not exactly a bad idea for these stickers to be put on the inside of phones, though; a lot of phones get returned that are supposedly not water damaged, but are. At the same time, though, it is bad for the consumer because having such a sticker can completely void the warranty regardless of whether the liquid was the reason the phone stopped working or not. The phone could have just been a defective model and it would make no difference.
Hopefully people will use the information presented here honestly and not try to defraud the phone company into giving them a new item after their phone was irreparably damaged by having a hot cup of coffee spilled onto it or something like that. For honest consumers just having a bit of bad luck, it is great to know these kinds of things about our electronics just in case. Unfortunately, there are those that will attempt to misuse this information.
What exactly can you do to stop this little devil from voiding the warranty on your phone should is accidentally get a little damp? The best thing that you can do is to take a piece of satin finished scotch tape and put it over the sticker to keep the color from changing if it gets wet. If you drop your phone into the toilet or the bathtub, this probably isn’t going to be that effective, but if you are just worried about general moisture problems or an accidental quick spill of something on the phone, this should work just fine. If your phone stops working for some other reason, remove the tape and take it back to the manufacturer for repairs or a replacement.
It is was not exactly a bad idea for these stickers to be put on the inside of phones, though; a lot of phones get returned that are supposedly not water damaged, but are. At the same time, though, it is bad for the consumer because having such a sticker can completely void the warranty regardless of whether the liquid was the reason the phone stopped working or not. The phone could have just been a defective model and it would make no difference.
Hopefully people will use the information presented here honestly and not try to defraud the phone company into giving them a new item after their phone was irreparably damaged by having a hot cup of coffee spilled onto it or something like that. For honest consumers just having a bit of bad luck, it is great to know these kinds of things about our electronics just in case. Unfortunately, there are those that will attempt to misuse this information.
Water Damaged Cell Phone Tips That May Save Your Phone
If your cell phone has been submersed in water recently and you have managed to save it yourself, then good for you. But, there are some other tips that you might want to know just in case.
Another method for helping the phone dry out (if you do not have any rice on hand) is to put it on top of the vent on a monitor or a television for at least 24 hours. The low amount of heat put out by these devices should be enough to gently dry out the phone.
If you are the kind of person who keeps the silica packs that come packed in electronics, coats, shoes, and etcetera, you can put the phone into a plastic bag with a couple of these and let them absorb the moisture over a couple of days. If you do not have these on hand, a local craft store should have a flower drying kit that will contain a silica sand-type mixture. Put it in a Tupperware dish, use a dryer sheet, lay the phone on top of it, and seal it.
Corrosion is a definite threat to cell phones and other electronics and some people have suggested that you wash the phone in distilled water to wash away any kind of minerals that might have existed in the water or other liquid the phone was originally submersed in. If you choose to try this, do it only after you have removed the SIM card and battery.
If the battery is wet, do NOT heat it to try and dry it out. Batteries, especially lithium-ion ones, are quite sensitive and they very well may explode if you try to speed up the drying process in this manner.
If you choose to use alcohol to clean off parts of the phone that are sticky with soda or another similar liquid, do not apply heat to the device in any way. Do not reattach the battery until the smell of alcohol is completely gone.
This might also seem like common sense, but do not put any electronic device into the microwave. You will probably destroy not only your device, but even your microwave could be put at risk.
You should be aware that most phone warranties do not cover water damaged phones and that most phones today have special stickers inside them (only one visible to you) that will tell a technician if the phone has come into contact with water or even just too much humidity. Be careful when taking your phone outdoors when humidity is very high. It is possible to void your warranty.
Another method for helping the phone dry out (if you do not have any rice on hand) is to put it on top of the vent on a monitor or a television for at least 24 hours. The low amount of heat put out by these devices should be enough to gently dry out the phone.
If you are the kind of person who keeps the silica packs that come packed in electronics, coats, shoes, and etcetera, you can put the phone into a plastic bag with a couple of these and let them absorb the moisture over a couple of days. If you do not have these on hand, a local craft store should have a flower drying kit that will contain a silica sand-type mixture. Put it in a Tupperware dish, use a dryer sheet, lay the phone on top of it, and seal it.
Corrosion is a definite threat to cell phones and other electronics and some people have suggested that you wash the phone in distilled water to wash away any kind of minerals that might have existed in the water or other liquid the phone was originally submersed in. If you choose to try this, do it only after you have removed the SIM card and battery.
If the battery is wet, do NOT heat it to try and dry it out. Batteries, especially lithium-ion ones, are quite sensitive and they very well may explode if you try to speed up the drying process in this manner.
If you choose to use alcohol to clean off parts of the phone that are sticky with soda or another similar liquid, do not apply heat to the device in any way. Do not reattach the battery until the smell of alcohol is completely gone.
This might also seem like common sense, but do not put any electronic device into the microwave. You will probably destroy not only your device, but even your microwave could be put at risk.
You should be aware that most phone warranties do not cover water damaged phones and that most phones today have special stickers inside them (only one visible to you) that will tell a technician if the phone has come into contact with water or even just too much humidity. Be careful when taking your phone outdoors when humidity is very high. It is possible to void your warranty.
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