Wet Cell Phone: How To Save Your Gadget

Getting your phone wet happens all the time. Falling into the sink or the toilet, washed with your jacket in the washing machine, of simply following you when you swim in your favorite swimwear, the cell phone gets soaked and usually it is lost forever. If you act quickly there is a chance to save it!

Remove it from water. In less than 20 seconds the phone cover will let the water in, so if your fast enough you can prevent this by simply getting it out from the water. If more time has passed, you have to remove the battery while the phone is underwater to prevent a short-circuit.

The battery is next. Stop the power to your cell phone is the best idea. The circuits will survive underwater as long as they have no battery or any type of electric power attached.

Remove the SIM card. Losing your SIM means losing all your contacts, and other valuable stored data. Sometimes losing your SIM is worse than losing the whole phone. Usually the SIM card survives after an underwater experience, but in order to assure this don't rush to heat it, but let it dry slowly instead. CDMA carriers like Verizon, Sprint and such do not need to care about your SIM card and you will not get any cell phone insurance.

Open the cover and dry your phone. Open the whole cover, and make sure that you have as many gaps as possible. Shake the phone to remove most of the water and using a paper towel or a regular one press gently on it to get the moisture out. Use your hand to dry some moisture if needed.

Vacuum versus hair dryer. Vacuum is the best choice as it sucks out the moisture from the inner elements and circuits. A hair dryer will push them more deeper, and, in time, those deep drops of water will corrode your phone circuits. Also the heat from the dryer can permanently damage the phone. When using the vacuum try keeping it at some distance from the circuits as it can have a lot of electrostatics that can also damage the phone. The vacuum is the fastest method of drying out your phone and making it work again in 30 minutes.

Leaving you phone inside a bag of uncooked rice or placed on towels or tissues overnight are another methods. The uncooked rice absorbs water and moisture. If you can, use desiccant instead of rice as it absorbs moisture better. You can find it as "Damp Rid" or "Dry Right" on your local store. The towels also can do the job, absorbing moisture, but make sure to check on them from time to time and change them if they become too wet.

Test-drive your phone. After a day or so, keeping sure that the phone is completely dry, attach the battery and check if it starts. If the phone shows no signs of life try using the charger without the battery as the old one may get damaged and need replacement. If all fails take the phone to an authorized dealer and inform him of the problem, letting him know that the phone was wet (most phones have internal sensors that can prove moisture). In some cases the dealer can fix the problem.

Checking for water damage on a cell phone is quite simple. Remove the battery and look for a white square or circle in the corner near the place where the battery was. That should be white, but if is pink or red, there is a clear sign of water contact.

Author : Pearle
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