How to save a wet cellphone:

How do that many people drop their phones in toilets?

 

Actually that is true. I don't frequent those places very often.

 

Could happen at a Ballgame also.

 

Yup...whenever I am "out" I almost always play with my phone while I am standing at the urinal.

 

If my phone is ringing in a restroom I don't touch it. That's gross. Since the phone is safely secured to my belt, or in my pocket I have never, ever gotten a phone wet.

-Jay

 

Why is it gross if all you did was walk into the room and haven't touched anything else yet? A bathroom door is no dirtier than a $5 bill.

Depending upon what "stage" you are at in your bathroom visit, then yes it is gross and I wouldn't mess with my phone either.

 

Usually I just read texts. I am too paranoid of dropping my phone to do anything else!

 

Getting somewhat back on topic, my co-worker unknowingly dropped his phone in a pile of snow while he was cleaning his car. When he fished it out a good 10 minutes later , it was soaked. He said he turned it off and put it on his dashboard near the defroster vent for his 45 mins drive back home and left it off that night and it worked fine the next day.

 

I have found that it's usually the long term damage of corrosion that eventually kills a phone from liquid damage. Most times it can be dried out an work just fine. Sometimes for quite awhile but eventually the creeping corrosion makes it start acting 'wiggy'.

Personally, I'm like Jay. I keep mine secure and so far have been fortunate enough to avoid such tragedies.

I admit I do text/surf on the toilet but the phone goes back to a secure location before, uh... finishing.

Am I getting a little too personal? :O

Oh well, I don't do MySpace so I guess I have to expose my embarassing personal facts somewhere on the 'net right?

 

soory to interupt but ive saved a wet phone by taken it apart and letting it sit for wa while

 

I'm always hesitant about advising people to dis-assemble their phones but I think you're right. That would be the best way. Maybe a shot of contact cleaner to drive out the moisture from the circuit boards and then a blast from the compressed air can too. As soon as possible after immersion to avoid the dreaded corrosion.

Anyone reading this please, please, please! If you are not mechanically/technologically inclined enough to dis-assemble your phone do not do it!

If you do it anyway and add physical destruction to liquid inundation don't say I didn't warn you!

 

I'm a scuba diver, and we've found several cell phones while diving (Lake Erie, freshwater). One we found last fall in October. My buddy took it home and slowly, carefully dried it out in the oven (set on warm or the lowest setting, of course), just to see if it would work.

It worked! He called the owner and he had dropped it overboard back in July! That phone was underwater eight feet deep for 3 months and it still worked after being carefully dried out, so I know it's possible (but usually probalby not) to salvage cell phones that have got "wet."

Text

 

If the phone is off while dunked, there is a much greater chance it will survive.

 

the key is to leave it off for at least 48 hours and let it fully dry out. worst thing to do is turn it on while its wet inside. DONT leave it in the sun tho

 

Almost had a close call with my cell phone getting wet today. Left it in the car with my sunroof open overnight and it poured. Amazingly not a drop got on it. My car seats on the other hand were a different story.

 

Wish, I had found this earlier. Would've saved me a bunch of heart ache.

 

Again, I would advise caution. The hair dryer will heat up the housing and may cause problems. Also, it will not remove moisture from inside the phone. Even if you do disassemble the phone the hair dryer can heat up the internal components and that can damage circuit boards as well as loosen some of the solder connections on components. Heat drying will not prevent corrosion. These are some of the reasons why I recommended the contact cleaner to remove moisture and prevent corrosion.

 

I agree, using a hair dryer could be downright dangerous. It could damage your phone as well as who knows what else could happen.

 

Again, this method may be effective but the life of the phone will probably be greatly reduced. The corrosion is slow but deadly!

 

I had a RAZR and a SLVR, both of them got submerged in water on more than 3 occasions and i just air dried them with the help of a hair drier and always came back to life with everything working.

 

not kidding! break it down and bury it in a cup or bowl of dry white rice. leave it there for 2 or 3 days,

 

1.The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone in a short period of time, perhaps only 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly! If you can't get to it in time, your best bet is to remove the battery while it is still under water. Water helps dissipate heat from shorts that can damage the phone, so most damage occurs when the inside of the phone is wet and connected to a power source.
2.Your phone will probably not be too damaged if you take it out of the water right away.
3.Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people, this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. don't heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network.
4.If moisture is driven deeper inside, corrosion and oxidation may result when minerals from liquids are deposited on the circuitry. Using a hairdryer might be a temporary fix, but this will eventually cause component failure inside the phone. Instead, remove all residual moisture by drawing it away with a vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas for up to 20 minutes in each accessible area.
5.Leave the phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice overnight. The rice would absorb any remaining moisture. If available, it is preferable to use desiccant instead.
6.Remember that the goal is to evacuate all the moisture and humidity, not to trap it or add even more. Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours.
7.If you feel comfortable doing this, try taking it apart. First, make sure that you have ALL the right parts and know exactly where they go. Be sure to put everything back in its proper place once finished.

 

The best way is to remove the battery immediately , open the handset and dry it completely. If you follow this, than no need for instructions and guides.

 

I've never thought of using rice, that's an interesting solution. Will definitely try that if I ever get my phone wet.

 

Its weird but rice works. Who would have thunk it...lol