Many of you, it appears, have dealt with one of the more dreaded BlackBerry scenarios. For some reason or other*, your BlackBerry got wet. This is a moment of panic. We know that getting electronic devices wet can prove disastrous, and our BlackBerry smartphones are near and dear to us. That, and they’re expensive to replace. We will go through lengths to save our devices if they do get wet, hanging on until the bitter end. In case the previous, popular post on what to do if your BlackBerry gets wet doesn’t answer all of your questions, today we’ll run down a step-by-step method for saving your BlackBerry. 1. Remove it from the water. This might seem obvious, but you’re not saving your BlackBerry if you don’t get it out of the moisture and onto dry land. 2. TAKE OUT THE BATTERY. Once the device is out of water, immediately take out the battery. Do nothing else before you remove the battery. This is so important, yet it seems that so many people who have questions have neglected this step. Damage occurs when power is flowing. When the battery is out, power does not flow. Take the battery out. Repeated for emphasis: take the battery out. 3. Dry the device. There are many ways you can dry your device. The important thing isn’t which method you pick, but instead that you do it properly. My personal recommendation is to stick the device in a container of uncooked rice. The rice will absorb the moisture from the phone. Letting it sit out works, too. Just don’t apply extreme heat or cold. That is: do not blow dry your BlackBerry. That will rarely make things better, and can potentially make matters worse. 4. LEAVE IT ALONE. This is only slightly less important than Steps 1 and 2. If your BlackBerry is going to dry, you’re going to have to stay away from it. Don’t let it dry for two or three hours. That will do nothing. The water has to evaporate, and that takes time. If you turn on your BlackBerry within 24 hours, you’re asking for trouble. It’s recommended that you leave it alone for at least 48 hours. That’s tough for a BlackBerry addict, but it’s the surefire way to save your device. 5. Inspect the BlackBerry. After you’ve waited 48 hours, it’s time to inspect the state of your BlackBerry. Do not turn it on yet. First make sure that the battery prongs — and the entire battery area, really — is free of moisture. Make sure there isn’t water dripping out from the keyboard. Take a paper towel and wipe any area with buttons: areas where water can collect. Shake it out. Make sure there is no water remaining. If there is, leave it longer. Sorry, but if you try to power it up when it’s wet you’re just asking for trouble. 6. Power on your BlackBerry. Only now should you power on your BlackBerry. If there are hardware related issues, you’re going to have some trouble. Someone recently reported that there was no volume on outgoing calls. Others have noted faulty screens, or some keys not functioning. This is not good. If you’re under warranty or have insurance, it’s time to cash in. If not, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to tell you. If your BlackBerry is suffering from hardware damages after getting wet, there’s not much you can do. Water is that harmful to your device. Other wetness factors Here are a couple of tips you might need if your BlackBerry gets wet. If a non-water liquid gets into your BlackBerry: This will be a long and tedious process, and you could be without your BlackBerry for a week. You’ll have to rinse your BlackBerry with distilled water. Do not use tap water. Do not use purified water. You can buy gallons of distilled water at the grocery store. Clean the device using a smooth pad (not cotton or a q-tip, since they can leave behind residue) and let it sit for days. Make sure the water is completely evaporated before you try to power on the device. Condensation under the screen. This is quite a pain. I hate dealing with it, and recommend that you let it evaporate as normal. That is, keep the battery out and don’t use the device until the condensation goes away. If you’re savvy enough, you can take apart your device and wipe down the screen. But you’ll probably void your warranty, and that’s never fun. Also, if you can’t put it back together you’ll have a problem on your hands.
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It just happened to me last week. You want a sure recipe? Forget about rice and stuff:
1. take the battery out asap
2. try to dry it as much as you can
3. run to the nearest phone repair store.
Every piece of the phone needs to be taken separately and dried. Oxidation occurs very fast. Leave it in one piece, and you may still have water even after 3 days (like it happened to me).
Most important: don’t put the battery back after a while (be that 1 day or 1 week)and hope for the best. If the water is still there, even a drop is enough to short circuit the motherboard.
I know the net is full of “success” stories, and there may be some truth in them. But i would suggest spending a few bucks and leave it to professionals. You are protecting an investment of a few hundred, anyways.
i have done all of this for about a week as my phone fell down the toilet. my phone still wont turn on… what do i do?