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Author Topic: water-soaked electronics solutions  (Read 9436 times)

bit

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water-soaked electronics solutions
« on: September 27, 2013, 10:28 AM »
If you accidentally spill water on your mobile device and it goes dead, there are several ways to deal with the problem.
First, here's an article citing the use of a bag of rice.
It also cites using a special absorbent packet called Bheestie Revive pack, which at $18 a whack seems expensive, but can possibly absorb the water from your device.

I wanted to mention my own method, used on non-waterproof but only 'water-resistant' watches.
Every time I get a bottle of vitamin supplements that contains a little pack of gel absorbant, I save it in a zip-lock baggie.
Over time, I end up with quite a few of these.
Interestingly, once they've absorbed their allotment of moisture, they can be revived.
Just put them on a tray in the oven and bake them at a low heat for a few hours.
With this method they can be reused all over again an unlimited number of times.

Last but not least, if you limit yourself to drinking only purified water, pure H2O doesn't conduct electricity, so if you spill some of that on your device there's a chance it won't short it out, unless the water picks up impurities inside the device itself (which admittedly is possible), and you can just let it air out with a fan (not a heater) aimed at it for a few hours or a day or two, or use the above method.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2013, 10:33 AM by bit »

ibay770

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Re: water-soaked electronics solutions
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2024, 10:22 PM »
You're referring to silicon gel I packs I think.
Kitty litter works fine but a food dehydrator works fast I think.

goatdriverHOU

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Re: water-soaked electronics solutions
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2024, 01:14 AM »
My first step to get the device back to its state before the splash is to position the printed circuit board's longest edge downward. begin the process of separating the water from the board components. 

Do NOT, use compressed air. That blow action will drive water into some components, attachment points, close spaces between bd and component bellies. 

Locate a low-pressure vacuum (drawing power) and a pencel-size pickup nozzle (empty non-matelic ball-point plastic tube) and begin working each board point you think may harbor a spec of water.

Place the recovering device in a slow warm air draft, as maybe a home heat register, not to get any warmer than moving air of 74 degrees.