A laptop is a popular device in the modern market. It is purchased not only for work in the office, but also at home. Unlike a computer, it is small in size, easy to use, and mobile, which makes it easy to change location.
In terms of power and capabilities, it is not inferior or superior to its counterparts. The most vulnerable point of a laptop is laptops. They are easily damaged and difficult to repair.
Only careful handling will ensure a long service life of the equipment. In practice, this is quite difficult to do. Spilled coffee, tea or water on a device is one of the most common situations and is familiar to many.
When exposed to liquid, the laptop immediately fails. This is the first enemy of any technology that you should be wary of. What to do in this case, how to avoid serious damage, we will analyze further.
Water got on the laptop: what to do?
Liquid spilled on the device is one of the most common reasons why people seek laptop repair; water is destructive for any equipment that does not have special protection. Of course, the technician will figure out how to put the laptop in order, but the user should also know several actions that should be taken immediately after an unpleasant event - this way the chances of saving the equipment with minimal costs will be higher.
Remove remaining liquid with compressed air
Remove remaining stains using toothbrushes, lint-free material, or compressed air. In the latter case, a vacuum cleaner is used, but you need to select the power. This helps remove residue gently as it dries to a powdery state.
It's important not to overdo it. Any laptop, HP 15-ay052ur or MSI GP62-7RDX, requires careful handling. The equipment will also dry in a room with natural ventilation, but in this case you need to be prepared that the gadget will not be able to be used for at least a day (depending on the degree of spillage). But the temperature in the room should not be too high to avoid the formation of condensation.
Fixing a laptop flood depending on the type of damage
First, let's define the situation geographically - which component of the laptop was flooded.
Screen
If, when filling the laptop, liquid got inside the screen, on the matrix, then disassembly is impossible. It is advisable that this be done by an experienced specialist. The process includes the following steps:
The substrate is cleaned with alcohol-containing compounds. But if the stains cannot be cleaned, then the only option left is to replace the part.
Keyboard
Water on the keyboard is a situation familiar to almost every laptop owner. It must be eliminated, and not hope that the moisture will evaporate on its own. Remember a few rules:
And only after that, after 1-2 days, you can try to turn on the laptop. Keep in mind that this only applies to situations where clean water has been spilled. Sweet tea or lemonade will cause the components to stick together, causing oxidation and short-circuiting, so a thorough cleaning will be necessary.
You will need to remove the keyboard for cleaning. Depending on the laptop model, this can be extremely easy or quite difficult. So, there are keyboards with latches - they can be quickly removed without disassembling the case, and there are those secured with screws under the top panel of the case.
Cleaning steps after flooding a laptop keyboard:
Then the laptop keyboard, freed from water, can be put back together. The buttons are inserted until they click. Large buttons (Enter, spacebar) may also have additional metal fasteners. After assembling and turning on the device, check the functionality of each key in any text editor.
Touchpad
In cases where the laptop not only sits on the table at home, but also “travels” with its owner, maximum mobility is important—the touchpad is simply irreplaceable. If you spill water on it, the main danger is that it will flow inside through the cracks and damage the microcircuits.
The first thing after you have flooded your laptop is to turn it off and unplug it and remove the battery. Wipe the touch part and try to blow compressed air under the buttons. But it is best to completely disassemble the case and clean the membrane in the same way as in the situation with the keyboard. If you leave everything to chance, then over time the device will begin to glitch, the cursor will move poorly or the reaction to touch will completely disappear.
Water got under the laptop
In the part of the device that stands on the table, the motherboard and all other working elements are located. Therefore, if a large amount of moisture gets in, the laptop may turn off and stop turning on. In this case, you need to do the following: quickly disconnect it from the network and remove the battery, carefully dry the bottom with a hairdryer with cold air.
The service will dry the insides professionally, but you should keep in mind that if the laptop is seriously flooded with water, then repair may be impossible or involve the purchase of expensive spare parts.
What should you do first? Turn off the gadget
The danger is electrocorrosion and short circuiting. From here, you need to turn off all laptop devices that are connected to the network. Remove the adapter. But, if the Laptop continues to function, you need to turn it off manually. Hold down the Power button for a few seconds until the device turns off. Don't forget to remove the battery.
If this version of the laptop has a built-in battery, you need to turn it off by pressing the “Reset” button. For example, in routers it is located inside, and you can activate it with a thin tool, such as a pin, paper clip, toothpick or needle.
In theory, you can also remove the CMOS battery responsible for the BIOS from the motherboard. It needs to be removed when it is removed quite quickly, without wasting time unscrewing 10 bolts. Otherwise, you can simply waste precious time.
To prevent short circuits, we disconnect all external devices, such as a mouse, speakers, various cards, an external keyboard, and flash cards.
Depending on the nature of the spilled liquid
Actions may vary depending on what exactly was spilled on the laptop - some options can be called more successful, others are simply destructive for the equipment. One general rule can be drawn - the higher the content of sugar and salts in the composition, the more aggressive the effect will be. Mildly aggressive substances in moderate quantities, provided that resuscitation measures are quickly and correctly taken, pose minimal danger to the motherboard.
These liquids are quite harmless, so there is every chance of successfully saving the device. However, we must not forget that in the absence of proper thorough drying and disassembling the laptop, moisture will reach deeply hidden components, where it will cause a short circuit or gradual electrochemical corrosion. The latter is not immediately noticeable, but over time it will lead to the death of the laptop. If water gets on your laptop, we have already explained what to do above, but it is best to immediately take your long-suffering device for repair.
Tea, coffee, beer, drinks with sugar or milk
The listed drinks contain various types of acids. For example, tannin contained in tea gives an oxidation reaction. Beer also contains acids, although not very strong ones. They slowly but surely destroy the components of the motherboard - at first the problem is not visible, but after a few months the device refuses to work.
Sweet tea, coffee, juice
Sugar caramelizes when it dries and causes keys to stick. Juices contain a lot of sugar (even if it is not listed in the composition, fruits themselves contain a type of sugar, fructose).
Another danger of juices is that they contain aggressive acids (fruit, citric). And as already mentioned, acids gradually destroy electronic components, which will lead to failure of individual spare parts or the entire motherboard.
If you spill a sweet carbonated drink on your laptop keyboard, the consequences can be dire - these liquids are highly aggressive, in particular, carbonated drinks often contain phosphoric acid (it is usually used in soldering).
If you spill a large amount of sweet cola, take emergency measures: turn off the power to the device, and if it is not possible to immediately take it to service, then rinse it under the tap to wash off the carbonation and neutralize most of the chemical elements it contains.
If the laptop does not turn on, contact a service center
If the actions are carried out promptly, the gadget will work for a long time. When the equipment does not turn on, this is the first sign that you need to seek help from specialists.
Our technicians will eliminate existing problems and defects. In addition, this is a chance to get guarantees that the equipment, ASUS VivoBook Pro N580VD-DM039T or HP 15-ay044ur, will continue to work without failures or complaints. There is no need to take on solving the problem on your own, given that in the absence of experience you can make the situation even worse.
Content
Where is your laptop now - on the desktop or the dining table next to a mug of tea, on a beach lounger, or maybe even in the bathroom? We all know how dangerous and insidious liquid is for equipment, but many people ignore safety rules. Until the first time. And so, we drink coffee while working on the laptop, cola while watching a TV series, and eat soup over the keyboard. And suddenly this “first time” happens.
What do their hapless owners drown laptops with? Service center employees could tell you a lot about such incidents, since liquid spilled on a laptop is one of the most common reasons for calling for repairs. So, how to provide “first aid” to a flooded laptop?
How can you protect your laptop?
There is a good way to protect your laptop from liquids; it involves purchasing a silicone keyboard cover. The latter will not only prevent drinks from getting inside, but will also protect the keys from dust and wear. The cover is pleasant to the touch, it is very easy to wash and will serve as additional protection for the screen during transportation. Given its relative cheapness, it is a very good option for laptop owners. The ideal solution would be to refrain from eating in the immediate vicinity of the device. It is much easier to prevent an accident than to deal with the consequences.
Invert but do not shake
After turning off the power, you need to open the laptop lid all the way and turn it upside down. It will turn out to be a “house”. The liquid begins to drain, you have half a minute to find a towel, napkin or dry rag. The fabric will absorb the liquid from the body of the device, additionally walk over it with blotting movements. In this case, water should not get on the laptop matrix. Place the inverted laptop in a warm room for at least a day to dry.
A typical mistake: turning on the laptop without preliminary diagnostics. Even if the outside of the case is dry, this does not mean that there is no liquid left inside. Dried sugary drinks are even more insidious: they can cause short circuits or corrosion. Do not turn on the laptop and run diagnostics first.
Wipe liquid from laptop case
The more liquid that gets on the PC, the worse the consequences. The chances of successfully saving equipment increase if no more than 200-300 ml of liquid has been spilled. Quickly turn the body over. Moisture must not be allowed to penetrate deeply. Gently shake out any drops. Wipe the body with a dry cloth.
The situation is worse when a lot of liquid has been spilled. The water needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Place the housing on its edge with the ventilation holes facing down to allow liquid to drain out. Wipe with a rag or napkin until the water is completely absorbed.
Debriefing
To diagnose a laptop, you will have to disassemble it. There are two possible options here - self-diagnosis if you have the appropriate skills or visiting a service center. At this stage, it is important for us to make sure that the spilled liquid is completely removed from the housing and contact with live elements is excluded. Through the joints between the keyboard and the case, the liquid penetrates to the motherboard, and this, as they say in the scientific community, is the goal of our research.
A typical mistake : wait until corrosion slowly but surely destroys your device. Carry out diagnostics immediately after drying the laptop if you spilled water or an unsweetened drink on it. Remember: the more salts and sugar there are in a liquid, the more aggressive it is on equipment. Therefore, when bathing a laptop in carbonated drinks or brine, do not wait a day after drying, contact a specialist as soon as possible.
How to minimize damage?
Even if water leaks through the case, it will not be able to immediately penetrate into the “vital” parts of the laptop. From here, you need to remove it before it gets there. The weak point is the display. From here, when you remove the battery, be very careful. Try to prevent moisture from getting into it.
It is advisable to open the laptop wider and place the device from top to bottom on a plane that has a hard surface. Then, cover the laptop with a towel or delicate paper napkins (you need to put more of them). In addition, you can place the laptop on small brackets for faster drainage of water.
If the appearance of the laptop cannot allow the matrix to be folded out completely, then it is advisable to place it so that the laptop looks like a pyramid of 3 corners. But, a new threat may appear that water will begin to accumulate in the corners. From here, you can place the gadget so that the input device is on the surface and the monitor is below.
Don’t forget that everything needs to be done quite quickly, and, most importantly, with accuracy. Otherwise, instead of protecting parts of your laptop (most importantly, the motherboard), the user can further intensify negative actions.
Please use caution. If a wet laptop begins to spark and smoke or fire appears, but unplugging it from the outlet has become problematic, you need to save the external situation. First, remove flammable items. Next, if there is a fire extinguisher (made of powder) in the house, try to remove the flame. Otherwise, you need to run out of the building and report it to 001.
Self-diagnosis of a flooded laptop
So, you know the difference between solder and chorus, and disassembling the laptop will not present any difficulty for you. The sequence of actions depends on the brand of laptop.
Typical mistake : acting like a bull in a china shop. You need to disassemble a flooded laptop with the utmost care, following the principle “do no harm.” To avoid causing further damage to your equipment, use the correct tools and do not touch components unless you are confident that you can remove and reinstall them. Often, after disassembling and reassembling yourself, laptops end up in service with torn cables, torn connectors, damaged SMD components and an incorrectly installed cooling system.
A typical mistake: not understanding how to properly dry spare parts. This must be done after disassembling and washing the laptop components. That is, placing a solid, flooded laptop on the battery or blowing a hairdryer on it until the keyboard buttons melt is not the best idea. Disassembled and washed components can be dried using suitable equipment if you act carefully. In particular, a vacuum cleaner operating at low power and a can of compressed air will help to thoroughly remove excess moisture. Do not use the vacuum cleaner if there is a soldering defect.
Typical mistake : the laptop turned on, and in your happiness you forgot to conduct at least a couple of tests to check the stability of its operation.
After checking, cleaning and drying all components of the laptop, you can return them to their place. We carried out all resuscitation measures and tried to minimize the damage. Now is the time to press the power button and check the functionality of the laptop. If the laptop does not turn on, the damaged components may need to be replaced at a service center.
If you are not ready to disassemble the laptop yourself, it is better to entrust this to specialists right away, without waiting for your computer equipment to turn into Frankenstein. And, of course, keep your mugs at a respectful distance from expensive laptops. Warned - don't flood.
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Source
Features of the impact of various liquids on the condition of the keyboard
Recommendation: After unscrewing all the bolts from the body, do not rush to turn it over.
How to disassemble a mechanical keyboard?
To dry keyboards, there are special devices whose task is specifically to dry keyboards. They are called “Vacuum Cleaners”. I offer a snapshot of one such device:
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What you spill is important!
Here it is immediately worth noting that all of the listed liquids spilled on laptops, from the point of view of potential danger to the components of their composition, can be divided into two groups: aggressive and slightly aggressive.
Postulate 1 sounds like this: the higher the content of sugar and salts in a liquid, the more aggressive it is.
Accordingly, running water, unsweetened tea, etc. can be classified as mildly aggressive.
Mildly aggressive liquids in limited quantities, subject to short-term contact and correctly carried out resuscitation measures, pose minimal danger to the motherboard - the most vulnerable element of the assembly. Accordingly, sugar-containing compounds (tea, coffee, etc.) are more dangerous. But cola, kvass or salty mineral water can ingloriously kill your zamputer in literally a matter of hours.
Postulate 2 states: the degree of success in repairing a flooded laptop and possible injuries to the motherboard directly depends on what kind of liquid and in what quantity was spilled and how long it took to destroy it!
Turn off the power to your laptop immediately and remove the battery.
With a careless movement, you touched the glass, and the tea spilled onto the keyboard. From this moment on, a favorable outcome depends on the efficiency of your actions. Hurry up to do the following in the first seconds:
- unplug the cord from the outlet;
- remove the battery.
This must be done for two reasons. Turning off the device will help prevent the oxidation process triggered by water under the influence of electrical current. It is not enough to simply turn off the power to the laptop. It is necessary to remove the battery that powers the motherboard. This will help prevent it from being damaged.
Emergency situation: tea spilled
Spilled corrosive liquid
Important! If particularly aggressive liquids come into contact with large volumes, disassembling and completely washing the laptop is recommended immediately after turning off the power, removing the battery and draining the liquid, bypassing the two-day drying stage!
In this case, it turns out to be extremely important to promptly disassemble, visually inspect, wash and then dry the motherboard and other flooded assembly elements according to the scheme described above. Among the categories that are especially dangerous to the life of your laptop are Pepsi, Coke, exclusive dog and cat (especially) “rain”, etc.
Neglecting this advice will lead to the fact that in a few days your laptop will not care at all whether you have completed points 1 and 2 of resuscitation measures or not.
Introductory note: if you are the owner of one or more pets, pay attention to extraneous, sharp, characteristic odors that may appear “out of nowhere.” If they make themselves known, perhaps your four-legged friend has managed to take advantage of your absence. In this case, proceed in accordance with our manual.
How to drain the liquid?
Regardless of the type of liquid spilled, you must open the laptop. After which experts recommend turning the part over and leaving it for a while . It is important to secure the device so that it does not fall and become even more damaged.
A flow of fresh air and exposure to sunlight will speed up drying time. Therefore, it should be placed near the window.
The drainage time is long. It will take at least one, or even two days. It is worth noting that until the laptop is completely dry, you cannot turn it on.
Failure to comply with the requirement will worsen the condition of the laptop and lead to more complex problems and malfunctions, which are difficult and sometimes impossible to deal with.
This method of restoring the operation of equipment is budgetary. But it is only suitable if a non-aggressive liquid is spilled.
Keyboard resuscitation
Unlike the motherboard, the keyboard does not need to be soldered. If it’s flooded with water, just let it dry; if it’s something else, wash it under pressure with hot (+50C) high-quality water (after drying the water, there should be no streaks left on the washed board and elements), shake off the water well and then dry as described above . In winter, it is quite possible to dry the keyboard on a central heating radiator or in an alternative safe way. If it is filled with an aggressive liquid, it is better to remove the buttons with the fastening mechanism when washing, wash and dry them separately.
In order to maintain the possibility of reassembly, before dismantling it is better to photograph the location of the buttons or write down the location of the keys on the keyboard itself. If liquid has flooded only a few keys, and not the entire keyboard, treatment can be carried out locally by washing and then drying the previously removed flooded keys and their fastening mechanisms.
Important: after assembly is complete and the expected effects are obtained (the laptop turns on), test the system for stability and other key stress tests, check the operation of individual components and each key.
Some manufacturers (Samsung, etc.) often equip their keyboards with water-soluble jumpers. Accordingly, after washing and dissolving the jumpers, such a keyboard will not work. This is easily clarified at a service center, where they confirm the fact of liquid penetration and repair the device as not under warranty. Naturally, the keyboard in this case must be replaced.
How to properly dry a laptop?
If you have turned off the laptop according to all the rules, then for proper drying it is advisable to place it in a warm place. Drying time – from 20 minutes to 3-5 days. This is determined by the degree of water ingress into it. To speed up the process, you can place a bag over the device with a material that absorbs water well: Hercules, cat litter, silica gel (it is often sold in bags along with shoes).
Degrees of aggressiveness of liquids
Based on the degree of impact on equipment, liquids are conventionally divided into aggressive (drinks containing sugar and salt) and non-aggressive (pure water). Sweet tea spilled on the keyboard has an aggressive effect. A spilled drink can cause more serious damage than regular water. Tea starts the corrosion process and shorts the conductive paths. As a result, the motherboard receives severe damage. If tea gets on your keyboard, you need to act immediately.
Carefully bend the key latches
Disassemble the laptop and keyboard
Disassemble the laptop into its structural parts. We need to check where the tea managed to get to. If you don’t have instructions at hand, follow the following procedure:
Blot any drops of moisture with a napkin, if any. Apply compressed air from a can to hard-to-reach areas to remove any remaining moisture.
Water accumulates in the keyboard, speakers, and under the hard drive. Blow air thoroughly through each key. Unfasten the optical drive and spray the area with compressed air.
To avoid short circuit, remove the motherboard CMOS battery. It's easy to find. Similar to a coin, it has a flat shape.
The CMOS battery is round in shape
Disassemble the keyboard into its components. Remove the keys using a flathead screwdriver. To avoid damaging the keys, they need to be pryed off from below. Be careful not to break the fasteners. The keyboard is protected on the bottom side by several layers of protective film. One separating film is dielectric and two are conductive. Usually they are glued together at several points. If there is no moisture in this area, you can stop at this stage. The process of putting up films is labor-intensive and requires certain skills.
Important! If water gets into your hard drive, do not try to repair it yourself. You need to dismantle the disk and take it to a service center for data recovery.
Clean and rinse
Carefully inspect the system board. There should be no plaque or stains on it. Clean contaminated areas with a hard brush. All excess must be removed with an alcohol solution and rinsed with distilled water.
Important! Tap water is not suitable for washing PC microchips. It contains metal salts. Impurities are not completely washed off. They remain on the board, which can lead to a short circuit.
It is necessary to gradually disassemble and wash the components of the PC. Rinse dry stains thoroughly. Wipe them with a blotter or soft cloth. Blot local areas where the napkin does not penetrate with a cotton swab.
