If you have just moved into your first home, you may not realize just how much work and effort it takes to keep up a house, even if it only has one bedroom in it. People who live in condominiums and have homeowner’s association fees do not generally have to deal with the maintenance of the building’s structure, but those who have houses are responsible for the entire thing from the ground up. Living in a condo can have its benefits and its downfalls, but if you do not want to have to take care of the structure of the building (if it is an apartment-style complex), then having one of these instead of a house may be for you.
If you are considering renovating a condominium inside a larger apartment-style complex, then you should realize that there are things that you can do and things that you cannot. For instance, replacing the tub and tile in the bathroom is acceptable, but moving the plumbing around to suit your new design is probably not. Structural changes to the inside of a condo are generally something that you need to have approved first. Changing the location of a light in the room also should be inquired about, since this will involve having electrical work done.
Mold growth and water damage in the condominium, though, will be your responsibility. Everything inside the walls of the condo belongs to you and you can do as you wish with most of it, but any mold growth and water damage that occurs inside it will also be your responsibility, especially if it is your fault that it is there. If you have allowed the bath tub to overflow or the dishwasher malfunctions, then that would make it your responsibility to have the problem fixed. If it is due to bad plumbing in the complex, though, you may have a claim.
The condo that you are purchasing should come with exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom and if it does not, look around for a window in both these areas. The kitchen and bathroom are areas that are prone to mold growth and water damage if the humidity stays too high. As with any home, you do not want to have appliances that use a lot of water and malfunction on a regular basis. You will be better off purchasing new ones in the long run.
The exception of mold growth being your responsibility is only if the mold spread into your condo from another part of the building. If the entire complex has a problem, then you are not liable. Have a clause on mold inserted into your purchase agreement to protect yourself from mold damage that already exists in the condo.
Showing posts with label water dryout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water dryout. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Preventing Water Damaging in Electronics
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.
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.
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.
Fixing A Water Damaged Laptop
You might not it, but the circuit board in your laptop and any other electronic items in your house were rinsed in clean water and dried before they were put into use? As long as the water is clean, the device will not be irreparably damaged. If something is allowed to soak in dirty water, however, with different particles and other mineral content, then the device will become damaged.
If you have a laptop that has gotten wet, the first thing to do is to turn it off immediately and remove all sources of power from it including the A/C adapter and batteries. Set these aside while you take the laptop and turn it upside down. This will stop any more liquid from seeping further into the computer.
After you do that, use paper towels or a rag to mop up the liquid that was spilled, wipe the liquid off the keyboard and the outside. Also wipe down anything else electronic nearby that got wet, too, like an external CD-ROM or external hard drive.
Disassemble the laptop (take a look at your user’s manual, too) and allow the insides to air out for at least a full day. Most people who have gone through this procedure recommend longer, especially if the liquid got further down into the computer. The best thing to do is let it sit and dry until you are confident that the interior is completely moisture-free.
If the only liquid it came into contact with was water out of your faucet, then allowing it to dry should be all that is necessary, but if it was something like soda, tea, or coffee that was spilled onto it, then you will want to clean it with some rubbing alcohol. You can use cotton swabs for this. Do not apply any heat to the device while you are cleaning it with alcohol and wait until the smell of alcohol is completely gone before you try to power it up.
Put the device back together after you are finished letting it dry or cleaning it up. Reattach the battery and see if it powers on. If it does, wait and see if it starts up as it should. If it does not, then attach the A/C adapter and plug it up. If you can turn the device on after trying this, then all you should need is a new battery. This should be pretty easy to obtain, as long as you have the money to purchase it with, either from the manufacturer or from a site like eBay.
If you have a laptop that has gotten wet, the first thing to do is to turn it off immediately and remove all sources of power from it including the A/C adapter and batteries. Set these aside while you take the laptop and turn it upside down. This will stop any more liquid from seeping further into the computer.
After you do that, use paper towels or a rag to mop up the liquid that was spilled, wipe the liquid off the keyboard and the outside. Also wipe down anything else electronic nearby that got wet, too, like an external CD-ROM or external hard drive.
Disassemble the laptop (take a look at your user’s manual, too) and allow the insides to air out for at least a full day. Most people who have gone through this procedure recommend longer, especially if the liquid got further down into the computer. The best thing to do is let it sit and dry until you are confident that the interior is completely moisture-free.
If the only liquid it came into contact with was water out of your faucet, then allowing it to dry should be all that is necessary, but if it was something like soda, tea, or coffee that was spilled onto it, then you will want to clean it with some rubbing alcohol. You can use cotton swabs for this. Do not apply any heat to the device while you are cleaning it with alcohol and wait until the smell of alcohol is completely gone before you try to power it up.
Put the device back together after you are finished letting it dry or cleaning it up. Reattach the battery and see if it powers on. If it does, wait and see if it starts up as it should. If it does not, then attach the A/C adapter and plug it up. If you can turn the device on after trying this, then all you should need is a new battery. This should be pretty easy to obtain, as long as you have the money to purchase it with, either from the manufacturer or from a site like eBay.
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