Water Damage Restoration For Electronic Gadgets
- By Osmund Aft
- Published 10/26/2008
- Home
- Unrated
Executives, Professionals and even ordinary individuals around the world are familiar with one form of electronic gadgetry or another. From cellular phones, PDA's, MP3 players, voice recorders and other sorts of gadgets and gizmos, a booming market for these devices have reached the distant corners of this globe. These gadgets offer a variety of features and customized functionality that anyone would love. However, having an array of such gadgets at your disposal also has its drawbacks, particularly during times of water-related calamities and even during times of temporary "clumsiness" on our parts. Disasters like floods could cause severe water damage to your homes and properties, including our gadgets. Minor accidents, like cell phones falling into bathtubs or swimming pools or even a bowl of soup, could cause considerable water damage to our equipment. Practical water damage restoration tips are what you need when you are faced with this unforeseen dilemma.
Water damage restoration for these affected electronic gadgets would only be effective if immediate action was done to recover the item and isolate it from the water source. It would be close to impossible for effective water damage restoration if the device has been totally submerged in liquid for a prolonged time. Still, it would be wise to attempt recovery and minimize your losses, particularly in this economically troubled period our society is facing now. It would be impractical to give up and concede loss of an expensive PDA to a bowl of soup.
The most important thing in water damage restoration for electronic devices is to isolate the gadget from the water source. Whether it is a pool, a tub, or even the malfunctioning emergency sprinkler system, act immediately, remove the device, and bring it to a dry location. Use paper towels or dry cloth to remove excess water from the immediate surface. Do not shake the device to shed the water off as this could allow moisture or water to seep in further into the layers of electronics inside your gadget.
Do not attempt to turn on the device at this point. If you do, say goodbye to your beloved gadget and be ready to buy a new one.
After removing the excess water, the next step in attempting water damage restoration for your gadget is to check for seepage into the inner layers. Most gadgets come with an external casing, and this should be removed first. If you don't know how, ask someone who can and separate the casing from
the device. Let the casing dry on its own at on a separate area. Remove and separate the batteries and dry them off with paper towels and safe keep in a dry place.
Using additional paper towels and cotton buds, try to dab and remove visible moisture from the surface. Rubber keypads are usually detachable so these should be removed. Grooves and indentations in the keypads make them prone to water accumulation. Separate these parts and allow them to dry out on their own.
The next procedure is the most crucial part in this water damage restoration tip. You can do this on your own if you have the tools and basic knowledge to perform the procedures. If you are not, or are hesitant for fear of making further damage to the device, then immediately bring the parts to a qualified technician to check and try to perform water damage restoration himself. If you're up to it, then proceed with the next step.
Using precision screwdrivers, try to remove and separate the layers of printed circuit boards or PCB's inside your device. There are specialized screwdrivers for the non-standard screws used on these electronic devices. If available, try to utilize them to avoid risk of damage to the screw heads. Due to the urgency of the situation, if these specialized screwdrivers are not available, small flat-type (minus) screwdrivers could be used, as long as the width of the tip match the slot on the screw heads and allow rotation. After the screws are removed, separate the PCB layers, taking note of the order as these were assembled.
Visible water droplets and excess water on the PCB layers can be removed by cotton buds. Proceed with the drying by using a low-power air blower or a hair dryer against the PCB layers. After the parts are completely dry, spray the layers with a non-corrosive contact cleaner if available. Re-assemble the parts according to its original sequence of assembly. Mount the screws to keep the layers in place. Finally, attach the casing and put on the batteries.
Depending on the extent of the water damage, most electronic devices exposed to such moisture could still work after drying. If the device would not turn on, try to recharge the batteries as the power could have discharged when it was short-circuited by water. If this would not work, try to replace the battery (for practicality, do not buy a new set of batteries yet. Try to borrow from a friend who has a similar working gadget). If this still would not work, bring the gadget to a qualified technician and have it thoroughly checked. There is that slim chance that it would still function.
Otherwise, accept your losses and finish that bowl of soup.
Water damage restoration for these affected electronic gadgets would only be effective if immediate action was done to recover the item and isolate it from the water source. It would be close to impossible for effective water damage restoration if the device has been totally submerged in liquid for a prolonged time. Still, it would be wise to attempt recovery and minimize your losses, particularly in this economically troubled period our society is facing now. It would be impractical to give up and concede loss of an expensive PDA to a bowl of soup.
The most important thing in water damage restoration for electronic devices is to isolate the gadget from the water source. Whether it is a pool, a tub, or even the malfunctioning emergency sprinkler system, act immediately, remove the device, and bring it to a dry location. Use paper towels or dry cloth to remove excess water from the immediate surface. Do not shake the device to shed the water off as this could allow moisture or water to seep in further into the layers of electronics inside your gadget.
Do not attempt to turn on the device at this point. If you do, say goodbye to your beloved gadget and be ready to buy a new one.
After removing the excess water, the next step in attempting water damage restoration for your gadget is to check for seepage into the inner layers. Most gadgets come with an external casing, and this should be removed first. If you don't know how, ask someone who can and separate the casing from
Using additional paper towels and cotton buds, try to dab and remove visible moisture from the surface. Rubber keypads are usually detachable so these should be removed. Grooves and indentations in the keypads make them prone to water accumulation. Separate these parts and allow them to dry out on their own.
The next procedure is the most crucial part in this water damage restoration tip. You can do this on your own if you have the tools and basic knowledge to perform the procedures. If you are not, or are hesitant for fear of making further damage to the device, then immediately bring the parts to a qualified technician to check and try to perform water damage restoration himself. If you're up to it, then proceed with the next step.
Using precision screwdrivers, try to remove and separate the layers of printed circuit boards or PCB's inside your device. There are specialized screwdrivers for the non-standard screws used on these electronic devices. If available, try to utilize them to avoid risk of damage to the screw heads. Due to the urgency of the situation, if these specialized screwdrivers are not available, small flat-type (minus) screwdrivers could be used, as long as the width of the tip match the slot on the screw heads and allow rotation. After the screws are removed, separate the PCB layers, taking note of the order as these were assembled.
Visible water droplets and excess water on the PCB layers can be removed by cotton buds. Proceed with the drying by using a low-power air blower or a hair dryer against the PCB layers. After the parts are completely dry, spray the layers with a non-corrosive contact cleaner if available. Re-assemble the parts according to its original sequence of assembly. Mount the screws to keep the layers in place. Finally, attach the casing and put on the batteries.
Depending on the extent of the water damage, most electronic devices exposed to such moisture could still work after drying. If the device would not turn on, try to recharge the batteries as the power could have discharged when it was short-circuited by water. If this would not work, try to replace the battery (for practicality, do not buy a new set of batteries yet. Try to borrow from a friend who has a similar working gadget). If this still would not work, bring the gadget to a qualified technician and have it thoroughly checked. There is that slim chance that it would still function.
Otherwise, accept your losses and finish that bowl of soup.
Osmund Aft
Osmund Aft distributes information on water damage issues for Dallas Water Damage Restoration and San Francisco Water Restoration
View all articles by Osmund Aft