Cell pjone water damage

If this was salt watercor contaminated water, then the only chance is to immediately remove the battery and rinse the Phone several times in clean pure water to remove the conductive salt / contaminated water. Then leave it to dry out in the sun or in a warm place for a few hours until all the residual moisture evaporates & drys out. With any luck the phone will turn on and work. If it was left with salt water or contaminated water for a long period before rinsing this may lead to permanent internal damage.

Remove the battery and let the unit sit for a day or two. It takes a lot longer to dry out than it seems. If it doesn't work after that amount of time, the water probably did permanent damage. The cell company's regular warranty covers defects, but their premium insurance should cover even water damage. If they don't cover it at all, the repair cost probably isn't worth it if you can get a deal on a new phone. Definitely worth a shot to call or stop in your cell company's physical store and chat them up.

Once a phone has been water damaged it will never work properly again. Water - even fresh water - contains salt. And, salt is an excellent conductor of electricity. When the water evaporates, salt deposits still remain. This causes the phone's electronics to short circuit causing a variety of problems.

The cost to repair the phone will far outweigh the cost to replace it. Repairing it does not mean that it will continue to work properly.

My advice is to sell the phone on eBay for parts. Let the buyer know it has suffered water damage. And, replace it with a new phone. You'll be much happier in the long run.

Unfortunately, all water - even fresh water - contains salt. And, salt is a very good conductor of electricity.

When cell phones get wet, trace amounts of salt will collect and then dry on the phone's circuit board causing circuits on the board to 'short out'.

We use to repair cell phones with water damage here at the shop. Many times, they would begin to work again - only to become very problematic a few days later.

Keep in mind, even if you pay for your phone to be repaired, chances are it will not stay trouble free for very long.

Your best bet is to replace it. It's better than wasting good money on a phone you'll soon need to replace anyway.

Remove The Phone From The Water

The first step is to remove the phone from the water as soon as possible. The less time the phone spends submerged, the greater chance it has of being saved. The plastic covers that come with cell phones do provide some protection, but it takes a mere twenty seconds or less for water to get through these barriers and start causing damage to your phone.

Once you pull the phone from the water, remove the battery immediately. Cutting power is a crucial step when attempting to save a wet cell phone. There are many circuits inside cell phones that can survive getting wet, but only if they are not attached to a power source.

If your cell phone comes with a SIM card, remove it promptly. Do not heat the card, simply pat it dry with a soft towel, and put it aside until the rest of your phone is dry and back to working order. The good news is that SIM cards recover well from water damage. If for some reason, your phone doesn't survive the accident but the SIM card does, there are plenty of places that sell unlocked cell phones. Simply place your SIM chip into the new phone and go.

Salt Water Accident

Please take note; if your phone was submerged in salt water, you must rinse it in fresh water before the drying process begins. Even after the phone is dry, crystals can form and continue to cause damage and erosion.
Let Your Phone Dry

The next step you must take to save a wet cell phone is to allow the phone to dry. A great method in providing an optimum drying environment is to set the phone on the vent found on the back of a television set or cable box. The low heat emitted will gently dry your cell phone. Another trick to help speed drying is to place the phone in a bowl of dry rice. This will help draw out the moisture. You can also try placing the phone in a plastic baggie with a few silica packs that come in purchases such as shoes and electronics. Silica, like rice, absorbs moisture.

The important part of the drying process is to place the phone uncovered, in a warm, dry place and allow the moisture to evaporate completely. Another alternative is to place the phone on an air conditioner. The cold air will not damage the phone and the air from an air conditioner is very dry allowing the water to evaporate quickly.

Drying should take approximately three days at which time you can check to make sure the phone is clean and dry. It is at this time that you can re attach the battery and check if the phone works. If it doesn't, wait a few more days and try again. If the phone still doesn't work, take it to your local dealer, they may be able to repair it. Be prepared; getting a cell phone wet will void your warranty and most cell phones are equipped with a water damage indicator so the dealer will know the phone has been H2O compromised.

Alternative Drying Methods

There is an alternative way to save a wet cell phone that includes an alcohol soak. Alcohol is hygroscopic which means that it attracts water. Soaking your phone in denatured alcohol, or a 95% alcohol solution (regular rubbing alcohol is about 75%), soaks up all the water in the phone. When the liquid is dumped out, only alcohol, which will evaporate, remains. Make sure that the alcohol you use is denatured with only methanol as the chemicals found in other types can be damaging. This kind of alcohol can be purchased at your local hardware store. The alcohol soak may work best for phones that have been damaged by salt water or other liquids such as coffee.

Battery Caution

When attempting to save a wet cell phone, make sure you do not heat the battery as it could leak or even explode. Lithium-ion batteries are especially sensitive. In addition, many cell phones have plastic parts that can melt. Above all, do not try to save a wet cell phone by placing it in a microwave. You will destroy the electronic components and possibly the microwave in the process.

The above steps will help to save a wet cell phone, but be prepared. Often the phone will survive but the battery will not and the purchase of a new one may be in order. Good Luck!

You do not do anything unless your phone doesn't work.... The little paper inside turns a color when it gets wet because if your phone is under warranty it usually does not cover damage from wetness and when you send it in they will see this and usually will not fix the phone, but if it is not working you can try to dry it out by first taking out the battery, and then putting the cell phone with the battery cover off in a ziploc bag with those little packets you get in shoe boxes or in a purse that say DO NOT EAT or when I needed it I did not have those and my daughter washed her phone and I put in a ziploc bag and completely covered it with rice which will absorb the moisture. I have done this with her ipod also.... I was always taught to put rice in a salt shaker living in the south with the humidity to keep the salt from clumping and that the rice absorbs the moisture.... Good luck

Wouldn't suggest putting it under any sort of heating device (hairdryer, oven, etc). Just isn't a good idea to heat up electrical items...

Placing it in a closed container (ie a jar) filled with uncooked rice should draw out all the moisture. Remove the battery and any covers on the phone and place it in the uncooked rice. BE SURE TO LEAVE IT THERE 72 HOURS....and do not place the battery inside the phone. You may need to replace the battery if it was damaged from the water.

Hopefully the rice will have dried it out before any damage was done by mixing the water and electricity with the phones circuits.

Good luck

Turn your phone off for at least a day. Dry off your phone if you haven't already. Take out the battery, dry out the inside of the phone. If you have a sim card, take that out and leave to dry. Leave the battery out of the phone for a day as well. Put it back together after a day and try to power it on. If it doesn't come on, try plugging it in without the battery in. If it works that way, you simply need a new battery.

If this doesn't work you're probably going to have to get a new phone. Your cell phone provider will be able to tell if it's water damaged, so check with them to see if they replace water damaged phones.

To anyone who drops their phone in salt water. Get the battery out immediately. When you get home or sooner if you can put the phone in something that will allow fresh water to immerse it entirely. Keep water running in the container for about 3 days continually flushing the phone. Now take all of the water out and fill the container with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Let the phone dry out for at least 2-weeks before trying a fully charged battery in it and turn it on. Should work and you have just saved yourself buying a new one. Then don't leave it in your pocket when you go to the beach, drop it in a Ferry Salt Water Toilet, etc., where it it is immersed in salt water. If it is most cell phone providers will refuse to even look at it from their tech depts. A Radio Tech/Inspector in Canada.