Question
How to save a wet cell phone?
My friend dropped my cell phone in the ocean about a month ago. Its a LG Rumor and costed about . Is it possible to save it now? Any remedies? Anyone know how I can save it? Plz help! I really dont have the money to buy a new phone!
Answer
Youre about a month too late unless the battery was removed almost immediately at the time and has remained out ever since.brbrThe first thing to do with a phone or any battery powered device that gets dunked is to remove the battery and resist the temptation to turn it on or charge it to quotsee if it still worksquot. Rest assured that it soon wont work if its on and wet. Even if the battery is not intended to be replaced by the user, you must to get it out anyway. brbrIts the combination of electricity and water that causes the most damage. Turning it on only increases the chances of electricity reaching a section of the circuit that is wet. The result is rapid corrosion of tiny but essential parts of the circuitry.brbrDisassemble the device as far as you can and soak up any water you can reach. In the case of salt water, fruit juice, or some other beverage, you may want to rinse out the salt or sugars with fresh water. The idea is to leave absolutely nothing wet or corrosive behind when you finally restore power. Let everything air dry completely before reassembling and reinstalling the battery. brbrDont rush it. Remember Its the combination of electricity and water that does the damage.brbrIt could take as much as a week for water trapped between a circuit board and a surface mounted part to completely evaporate. Dont use excessive heat and never place anything electronic that you would like to save in the microwave.brbrForget the quotrice advicequot. Whoever originally came up with that dumb idea might have meant well or perhaps they are in the business of selling replacement phones. Such irresponsible advice has allowed the ruin of equipment that could have been saved if the proper procedures had been started in time. You dont need rice which is not even a very good general purpose desiccant, silica gel, or any other hydroscopic agent for that matter. All they do is absorb some of the moisture that has already left your device and is now in the surrounding air. Who cares? A continuous availability of fresh dry air is far superior. You certainly dont want your phone trapped in a bowl or plastic bag with high humidity when your goal is to get rid of all the moisture. That makes about as much sense as stuffing wet clothes in a plastic bag with a handful of rice rather than hanging them up to dry when caught in a downpour.brbrDon
