What to do if you’ve spilled something on your precious…….
1. Pull the power! Water doesn’t destroy electronics, short circuits from liquid and electricity do, so get that device OFF straight away.
2. Pull the battery (if possible)
3. Get as much liquid as possible OUT! Sometimes that’s as simple as turning the product upside down so it can come out the same way it went in……..
4. Make sure the device is dry- sit it on top of a heater, in an oven on low, use a hair dryer on low, any source of dry air that won’t cause condensation. Don’t try to dry it so quickly that your device melts! Some people have had success putting a wet phone into a container full of dry rice. This is known as a desiccant. Other good desiccants are silica based cat litter and these are pretty much the same as the little packets of gel that come in pill bottles etc. Remember this could take a WEEK- do not plug the power back in until it is completely dry
When you are absolutely sure the device is dry, put the battery back in, power it up and test it. Just remember- most people use their common sense and get to stage 3 by themselves, but they often destroy their own precious electronics by not doing step 4- ‘I’ll just see if it still works- zap!’
If the liquid is something corrosive or sticky like Coca Cola, there’s less chance that the device will survive. If you spill Coke or milky coffee on a USB keyboard, unplug it, then wash it in a sink filled with clean water- no cleaning agents! Then dry it out. Then dry it out some more, and when you think it couldn’t possible have a single bit of moisture inside anymore, then you can test it. But don’t be surprised if you’re heading down the shop to buy a new one, particularly because it can take days to dry out and you need to get some work done, right?
I hope this short article helps, but please keep the most important point in mind- DO NOT try to turn it on until completely dry inside and out!
Also beware, Apple has moisture indicators in their phones, so if you iPhone goes for a swim, they probably won’t honour the warranty. here’s where they are-
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[author_image timthumb=’on’] https://servicemax.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Adam-photo-for-LinkedIn.jpg [/author_image]
Adam is a 20+ year veteran of the Apple market. He is one of the most highly qualified Apple technical specialists in Australia. You can read more about him here or check out his Google+ profile-
Adam Connor
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