Mobile Phones: How to Rescue a Wet Mobile / Cell Phone
Introduction
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Mobile Phones: How to Rescue a Wet Mobile / Cell Phone
Introduction
It's happened often... you had your phone in your shirt or jacket pocket and as you bend over the phone sips out. But it drops into the sink or the toilet! Usually the situation is fatal and you have to get a new phone. But if you're fast then you can sometimes save the phone...
What you Absolutely Have to Do
Fish the phone out of the water immediately and without even thinking take out the battery. Even better, take the battery out whilst the phone is under water!
The plastic covers on most modern phones are fairly tight (indeed the phones are built to withstand showers) but over time water will enter the phone... So the quicker you get it out of the water the better. Unfortunately, the one section of the phone which isn't watertight is the battery compartment. After all it's intended to give you easy access to the battery and your SIM card.
As a result water will enter the battery compartment and it will short-out the battery. This is why you need to get the battery out as quickly as possible. Indeed, many circuits inside the phone will quite easily survive immersion in water as long as they are not attached to a power source. Also water is a very good conductor of heat. So even if you do have a short it may not necessarily damage the phone because of the water.
So, what you absolutely must do is to remove the power source, the battery, as quickly and as safely as possible and this is why it may be best to do this when the phone is still immersed.
Never, ever, try heating the battery to dry it otherwise it could leak, or at worst, explode. Lithium-ion batteries are particularly expensive. If you are going to use any method to dry your phone, ensure that the battery is disconnected and stored safely away.
Now that the phone isn't connected to a power source life the phone and the battery from the water. Set the battery aside on a towel to drain. Now remove your SIM card from the phone. If you phone is a GSM one then the chances are that you will have saved some (if not all) your contact details to the SIM card. Indeed, these data may be more valuable to you than the phone itself. SIM cards are solid state components and very resilient in general so the best thing for you to do is to pat it dry then place it somewhere safe to dry.
Now turn your attention back to the phone itself. What you need to do is to get the phone as dry as possible as quickly as possible. Use a towel, paper towels, tissue paper etc to blot away as much of the surface water as you can. Now you will need to get the remainder of the phone as dry as possible as quickly as possible.
What you can't do is so simply leave the phone to air-dry by itself as prolonged exposure to water will damage a number of the components and if the water itself isn't particularly clean, or you come from a hard water area mineral deposits left as the phone dries will cause even more damage.
Remove as many of the phone's covers as you can and open any slots so that air can pass through the phone. Now stand your phone next to a hairdryer. Set this on the lowest setting (or just blow air) and don't set it too close to the phone (too much heat will damage the phone's components just as surely as too much water will). Leave the phone for about 5 hours. Come back to the phone and prop it up on tissue paper so that one of the phones openings (speaker jack, charging port, data port etc) lies directly above the paper. Leave for a few minutes and check to see if any moisture has dripped out. If any moisture can be seen repeat the hair drying step. Continue this process until you see no more moisture.
You can also use a can of compressed air to blow through the phone. Make certain you hold the can vertical and that the air coming out is cool and not cold. Blowing this through the phone will shoot out any water droplets from inside. If the can gets cool to the touch allow to warm up before continuing. Never use the can when its cold and never hold at an angle otherwise you will blow chilled air through the phone and this will cause even more water to condense on the inside.
Now place the phone somewhere warm but not hot (a warm room or an airing cupboard are ideal) and leave for at least a day to make sure any of the last traces of moisture are gone.
Note that excessive heat can damage your phone even more than the water. Use only gentle heat and make sure that your phone is completely dry before applying any kind of power otherwise if you get a short the heat created may well damage your phone's components beyond repair.
Now comes the brave part. After you have left your phone for at least a day (longer might be better) re-attach the battery to see if it works. If your phone does not work remove the battery but plug the phone into the mains. If it works then you're in luck, but your battery is dead and you need a new one.
You should now take the phone to an authorized dealer. They may be able to fix it for you (though they may not). Tell the truth about what has happened to the phone and don't try and conceal the fact that the phone became wet (there are indicator strips inside the phone that change colour if it ever comes in contact with water). Sometimes they may be able to fix your phone, particularly if you have undertaken the steps above.
If your phone has dropped in the sea (or other salt water) then remove the phone's battery as above and immediately immerse the phone in fresh water or run it under a tap otherwise, as the salt water dries crystals of salt will form and these are sure to short-out your phone as soon as any power is applied.
If All Else Fails
Most modern phones have several liquid damage indicators inside them. One is usually beneath the battery and the other is hidden inside the phone's case. Generally these turn colour from white or clear to either red or blue. If these have changed colour then your warranty of the phone is voided. Warranties don't cover water damage — insurance does and even then not all insurance plans cover accidental damage of this kind.
However, as your warranty is probably voided anyway you could always open your phone (several guides on opening various mobile phones can be found at the Celtnet Mobile Phone Repair Tools pages. You will need the appropriate screwdrivers and tools (usually a torx screwdriver, but these can vary with phone type. You can get these cheaply on eBay and I have a list of suppliers Mobile Phone Repair Equipment
Once you have opened your phone get a can of electrical contact cleaner and douse the inside of the phone. This is very volatile and dries extremely quickly. Now use a soft toothbrush and scrub any remaining residue away. Spray with compressed air to remove and debris and put your phone back together. In many cases, as long as you pulled the battery out in time, cleaning the inside of the phone will actually get it working again. However, if you have even the tiniest droplet of water left inside this can cause a short-circuit and ruin your phone.
If, after cleaning your phone it comes on, but still behaves oddly, then you have probably missed some water. Take out the battery instantly and repeat the process above to make sure you remove any last traces of water.
The problem is that most mobile phones are somewhat watertight (to prevent shower damage in the rain etc) and once water enters your phone it's often extremely difficult to get it out again. This is why your only bet is to open your phone and to try cleaning and drying it thoroughly. There are complete disassembly instructions for many brands and makes of mobile phones at Mobile Phone Disassembly Guides.
Never, ever, place your phone in a microwave to dry it as this will cause sparks across the electronic components in the phone .You will definitely destroy the phone and may well end-up destroying the microwave.
Don't be tempted to play with any of the liquid change damage indicators as most manufacturers put some kind of sticker there that will display 'Void' if peeled. With water damage your warranty is void already and there is nothing you can do about it.
The tips above will give you the best chance of recovering your phone, but it's dependent on removing the power from the phone as quickly as possible and taking the phone out of the water immediately.
If none of the tips above work then your only solution is to get a new mobile phone.