What happens during electrochemical corrosion?
A little theory...
Metal conductors in the phone lose some of their atoms (they pass into the electrolytic solution in the form of ions), electrons replacing the lost atoms charge the metal with a negative charge, while the electrolyte (an electrolyte is a liquid that conducts electric current) has a positive charge. A galvanic couple is formed: the metal is destroyed, gradually all its particles become part of the solution. Accordingly, the solution becomes conductive, which subsequently short-circuits the conductors covered by it.
For the process of electrochemical corrosion, it is not at all necessary to immerse metal conductors in an electrolyte - a thin electrolytic film on its surface is sufficient. Simply put, it is not necessary to drop your phone into water; a damp environment is enough.
In a nutshell: nothing good will happen. The following will occur: either a short circuit of the conductors, or a break in the conductor...
If liquid gets into your phone...
Liquid ingress and mechanical damage (falls, shocks) cause the most severe damage to your cell phone. Therefore, to restore the device in this case, repairs of the highest category of complexity are required. We often encounter a situation where a client brings a wet device with the words: “Please clean the phone, it’s a little wet and now it won’t turn on.” However, not many people realize that any cell phone (even the oldest one, released several years ago) is a complex electronic device, the operation of which is controlled by digital and analog processors, RAM and Flash memory chips, and numerous peripheral devices (display controllers, keyboards, audio -controllers, etc.). Let's not forget that the most important function of a cell phone is to provide stable and high-quality communication; this task is performed by a separate functional module, or radio unit, which consists of a special processor (or several processors) for processing high-frequency signals and numerous components of the transmitting and receiving path. A malfunction of any of the listed modules can lead to serious disruptions in the operation of the phone, or its complete failure. With any, even minor, ingress of liquid, when only a few drops seep inside, electrochemical corrosion rapidly occurs on the components of the system board within a few minutes, which stops only when the battery is completely discharged (hereinafter referred to as the battery), or when the liquid evaporates.
What to do if liquid does get into the device?
1)
Immediately remove and do not reinsert the battery! This will avoid the most serious damage. Remember, while the battery is removed, electrochemical corrosion processes do not occur, and damage to the phone’s system board will stop. At the same time, you should not try to charge the device if it does not turn on - this will significantly aggravate the current situation.
2)
Promptly contact a qualified service center (hereinafter referred to as “SC”) for diagnostics and repairs. During this time, the battery must be removed.
If you are sure that very little liquid has entered, or there is no way to contact a service center, try to carefully dry the device. For this purpose, under no circumstances should you use heating devices (hair dryer, heater, etc.), as well as a microwave oven! Dry the device, avoiding heating above the temperatures specified in the instructions and observing the described operating conditions; dry the battery only at room temperature. It is impossible to dry the device well in 5 minutes, or even in 5 hours. It takes more time, no need to rush. After completing the operation, try to turn on the phone, check charging, communication, and all other functions. Everything is working? This means that you are lucky, carefully monitor the behavior of the device for several days, and in case of any problems, immediately contact the service center. If the device does not turn on, or there are any malfunctions, contact the service center immediately.
One of the misconceptions, which undoubtedly reflects national ingenuity, is the assertion that a wet device should be washed with vodka or alcohol. This is absurd. From vodka that gets inside the device, the alcohol will evaporate much faster than water, and the situation will only get worse. Washing with any alcohol-containing liquid, including “pure” alcohol, will not remove or stop the corrosion that has begun.
Let's look at the nature of damage caused by liquid ingress using the example of a device that came to us for repair. Nokia N70.
On photos 1 Oxides and corrosion of the motherboard components are clearly visible in the area of the power controller chip (in the center of the photo). Not only the external elements, which are relatively easily accessible for restoration or replacement, are damaged by water, but also the soldering, which is located directly under the microcircuit - liquid flows inside, and in this case, replacement of the soldering of the microcircuit is required (in case of extensive liquid ingress - several microcircuits), or replacement the microcircuit itself. So the phrase "clean my phone" is absolutely unacceptable for such an example, since corrosion, in addition to external components, has gotten under the microcircuit. In addition to damage to components and microcircuits, numerous miniature board conductors (the so-called “tracks”) rot; in the photograph they are visible as light green broken lines connecting the elements. The diameter of these conductors varies, but generally they are approximately equal to the thickness of a human hair; the process of searching for breaks and rotten connections is very difficult, and in some cases impossible.
photo 2
On Photos 2 Oxides and corrosion of the motherboard components are clearly visible in the area of the power controller chip (in the center of the photo). Not only the external elements, which are relatively easily accessible for restoration or replacement, are damaged by water, but also the soldering, which is located directly under the microcircuit - liquid flows inside, and in this case, replacement of the soldering of the microcircuit is required (in case of extensive liquid ingress - several microcircuits), or replacement the microcircuit itself. Thus, the phrase “clean my phone” is absolutely not acceptable for such an example, since corrosion, in addition to external components, has gotten under the microcircuit. In addition to damage to components and microcircuits, numerous miniature board conductors (the so-called “tracks”) rot; in the photograph they are visible as light green broken lines connecting the elements. The diameter of these conductors varies, but generally they are approximately equal to the thickness of a human hair; the process of searching for breaks and rotten connections is very difficult, and in some cases impossible.
photo 3
This Photo 3 illustrates damage in the area of the battery connector (lower left corner) and camera (upper right corner), as well as nearby components.
Severe corrosion leads to damage not only to external elements, microcircuits and conductors. The motherboard of any cell phone has a complex multilayer structure; conductors from the outer layers go inside the motherboard to connect electrical circuits in different parts of the board. It is extremely difficult to identify and eliminate on-board breaks caused by rotting conductors, and often completely impossible.
Corrosion leads to oxidation of the solder; the products of this reaction can cause short circuits in various electrical circuits. This is dangerous due to the failure of electronic components, including those not subject to corrosion, as well as the appearance of the so-called “leakage” - a significant increase in energy consumption (sometimes even when turned off), which leads to a rapid discharge of the battery, reducing the operating time of the device.
This photograph also shows numerous damages and signs of extensive corrosion. In this case, the electronic micro-BGA component (it functions as a backlight controller) is severely damaged. This electronic component must be replaced and the area underneath it thoroughly cleaned. There can be a lot of such small micro-BGA components in a modern phone.
Thus, restoring any device after liquid ingress is a very labor-intensive and complex process, the success of which is largely determined by your correct actions when a malfunction occurs. In general, the repair of any flooded device must be considered strictly individually and it is IMPOSSIBLE to immediately say about the possibility and cost of repair!!! It is imperative to diagnose the device, identify damaged units and/or components, as well as thoroughly check the operation of the device after replacing these components. This type of repair requires the presence of modern equipment and highly qualified engineers in the service center, therefore, Dear Customers, do not repair your phones in unknown and unqualified “workshops”. Remember the old saying: “The miser pays twice!”
To begin with, you can immediately answer the most common question that torments you!
How much does it cost to repair a wet phone?
We will answer immediately. From 800 rubles! The master will determine more precisely. But as a rule, repairs are much cheaper than buying a new phone.
And one more subtle question
Does it make sense to repair a drowned smartphone?
Of course yes! As we said - it's much cheaper.
Think for yourself...
Cost of a new mid-range phone
10-15 thousand rubles
Repair of drowned man price
average 800-2000 rubles
Does it make sense to buy when your refurbished mobile phone will work like a new one? In this case, you will not need to restore contacts!
So about the cellular “diver-diver”...
This article prompted me to write a large number of calls with questions: “My phone fell into the water, what should I do, how much will it cost to repair a sunken phone?”, or “My phone got wet, it worked right away, then stopped turning on,” or “We washed my phone in the washing machine.” typewriter, the phone does not turn on, can it be repaired? etc.
First, I’ll tell you what to do first if liquid gets into your phone:
- The first step is to remove the battery from the phone and do not insert it for at least a day. Oddly enough, what kills the elements inside the phone is not so much water, but electric current, which oxidizes the elements inside and disables the radio elements and the device’s circuit board.
- Second thing the phone needs to dry inside. But based on practice, I will tell you that liquid gets inside the phone very quickly, but it can dry for a very long time, not just one day. And even if all the liquid dries inside, there are still salts dissolved in the water, which corrode the radio elements when the phone is operating, since salts are conductors of electric current.
- Therefore, I recommend the third step in saving your phone after moisture gets into it: contact service center for phone repair, and it’s better not to hesitate, the sooner you do it, the cheaper the repair will cost, and perhaps only preventive maintenance of the phone’s elements will be enough.
But it's not always so easy. Let’s say you dropped your iPhone into water, but you can’t easily get out the battery without disassembling the device. In this case, if you cannot contact the service center as soon as possible, I advise put iPhone in rice(just don’t laugh, but it really helps! the most ordinary food rice, at first I didn’t believe it, but after people brought in sunken iPhones dried in rice, during repairs it was really clear that the effects of moisture were minimal). The photo shows the board of a recessed iPhone 4, which was placed in rice and then brought to the service center. The board was perfectly clean, the only thing oxidized was the touch screen connector (marked with a red circle). The red diamond shows an indicator that liquid has entered the iPhone.
And now I want to answer the most common question: “How much will it cost to repair a recessed phone?” If the phone does not turn on after liquid gets inside, then I will answer honestly: “I don’t know.” In this case, it is impossible to do without diagnosing the malfunction, since water could damage any element, and therefore the phone must be disassembled and tested to identify the malfunction.
The most harmless case is when the phone is dropped into water, it continues to work, but there are water stains on the screen. It doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but it looks unpleasant, especially against a light background. The only way out of this situation is to replace the display on your phone. Even after the water has dried, traces of it still remain, and it is impossible to remove them from the old screen, since the display contains several layers of film that diffuse the backlight, and it is unrealistic to disassemble them without damaging them.
The worst case is when water that gets into the phone oxidizes the radio elements and disables them. The degree of oxidation depends on the time the phone was in the water, on the amount of liquid that got inside, on whether the battery was immediately pulled out of the submerged phone or after some time. If you do not immediately take action after liquid gets into your phone, then it will end up with approximately the same thing as the phone in the photo. The elements oxidize, the salts corrode the phone parts, and the recessed phone becomes unusable for repair.
The last picture shows the board of a phone that fell into the water and the battery was not immediately removed from it. The phone worked for a while, then turned off and never came back on. Yes, it won’t turn on anymore, the phone cannot be repaired, since many of the radio elements inside have simply rotted. In this case, it is necessary to completely change the circuit board on the phone, which is usually comparable in cost to the price of a used phone of the same model.
Therefore, to avoid this and extend the life of your phone after liquid gets into it, immediately take the measures that I wrote about at the beginning of the article.
Six simple steps to save your device.
Accidentally dropped your smartphone into a sink or pond, left your phone in your jeans while they were going to be washed, or spilled juice, tea or coffee on your phone? This can happen to anyone at least once, and not all phones are protected from moisture, such as Samsung Galaxy S7, Apple iPhone 7 or Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Spilled liquid is dangerous due to both short circuit and corrosion of the smartphone. If the correct measures are not taken in time, a smartphone that has been in water will experience a complete or partial malfunction. The site's team of experts has tried all known methods to solve the problem and offers simple steps to save your phone.
1. Get your phone out of the water
The very first thing you need to do if your phone falls into water is to pull the device out of the water as quickly as possible (if you spilled liquid on it, go to step 2 of these instructions). Seconds can count - liquid can easily leak and penetrate into the phone case if it is not protected from water. However, if your phone is being charged from the network at this moment, then under no circumstances touch the device and the charger! It may be dangerous! First, turn off the power to the outlet, and only then remove the phone from the water.
The longer the phone is in the water, the less chance of a favorable outcome. Even if the cover and case elements fit tightly together, water can freely penetrate to the chips, for example, through ports and connectors for charging and headphones, or openings in speakers and microphones. But even if the phone has been in contact with water for a long time, you still have a chance to save the device.
2. Remove the battery, SIM card and memory card
Free the phone from the case (if there is one), remove the cover of the device and remove the battery from the phone case (if the case is collapsible and the battery is removable) so that the chips on the board do not oxidize. Next, take out a SIM card and a memory card - contacts and data on them are sometimes more valuable than the smartphone itself.
Do not turn on your phone under any circumstances. It is better not to press any buttons or keys again, as this may cause the water to go even further into the body. If any peripheral devices were connected to the smartphone, then disconnect them; if the ports are covered with plugs, then leave them open for ventilation.
3. Wipe your phone
Thoroughly wipe down your smartphone and anything you took out of the phone. A dry, absorbent rag or towel is suitable for this. Carefully remove every drop from accessible surfaces (depending on whether your phone has a collapsible case or not), because even one remaining drop can destroy the phone. Be careful not to leave pieces of paper or fabric inside the cabinet, in corners, or in crevices. If there is still water inside the device, you can try to gently “shake” the liquid out of it. However, you should not get carried away and do it with force - there is a risk that water may penetrate even deeper into the device.
4. Disassemble your smartphone
As a rule, it is enough to get by with the cover removed and the battery removed. However, if you believe in your abilities and have experience, then disassemble the phone into the smallest possible individual parts. This is done so that the air (or absorbent substance) has a large contact area for good circulation and drying.
It is worth considering that in this case you will lose the warranty, but most often the warranty on a smartphone does not cover cases of “swimming” in water, so in this regard you will not lose much. We advise you to record or photograph the disassembly process step by step, this will help you quickly and correctly reassemble the device after drying. After you have disassembled the phone, repeat the steps from the previous paragraph.
If you spill juice, tea, coffee, wine or beer on your phone, be sure to wash the stains with distilled water or alcohol so that there are no traces left that can then dry out. These drinks contain many chemical elements that, remaining on the surface of the device elements, destroy them, so they must be removed. If this is not done, then your device will die at the most unexpected moment, taking with it valuable information to the “other world”.
5. Dry your phone
Now all that remains is to dry the smartphone. There is an opinion that it is best to dry your phone with a hairdryer, but we do not recommend resorting to this method. If there is moisture left somewhere, the hairdryer can send it even deeper into the case, which can only “finish off” the phone. Also, do not dry the device in the oven or microwave. For such situations, a vacuum cleaner with narrow attachments is more suitable.
If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner at hand and, at your own peril and risk, decide to use a hairdryer, then turn on the warm stream not much warmer than room temperature and keep your distance (distance to parts). A vacuum cleaner, on the contrary, will draw out moisture. You need to bring it with a narrow nozzle to each of the holes and gaps and hold it for a few minutes. Just in case, make sure that everything is securely fastened and will not go inside the vacuum cleaner (especially if you disassembled the smartphone).
You can also dry electronics in rice, but it is preferable to use silica gel. You can also simply dry the components in a dry room on plain paper for about one and a half to two days. The disadvantage of silica gel and rice is that they themselves quickly become saturated with moisture and over time the rate of moisture absorption decreases. You will have to turn your smartphone or replace the absorbent every couple of hours, so air drying is much easier.
By the way, if you use substances that draw out moisture, it is better to put them with the phone in a small sealed package.
6. Assemble and turn on
After one and a half to two days, you can assemble and turn on the device. First, check your phone to make sure all connectors and parts are dry and clean. If yes, then you can assemble the device. If you have not disassembled the phone in detail, then simply insert the battery. Try turning on your smartphone with or without a battery, but from the mains. There could be several scenarios here. If in both cases the mobile phone turns on, then check if everything is working properly. If not, but the computer responds to it via the USB cable, or the phone turns on or responds to charging from the network, then perhaps a new battery will help. If in both cases nothing works, then you should contact the service center. It may often happen that the phone starts, but does not work correctly; in such cases, you can repeat the above steps (there is probably still liquid left somewhere) or take it to a service center for repairs and tell them that the phone was in water and that you they did to him. Please note that even if the smartphone turns on or works after replacing the battery, a corrosion process may begin inside your device, which will act like a time bomb and “kill” it at the most unexpected moment. It can take quite a long time, and only a service center can help you deal with it by treating the board with an anti-corrosion solution.
By following these simple instructions, you can try to save and revive your phone. However, remember that there is simply no 100% guarantee in such cases. To protect yourself from such situations, you can buy special waterproof cases or follow simple precautions. Take care of your gadgets!
Let us remind you that on our website you can view the results of smartphone tests. Our experts tested the quality of popular models in the laboratory and, based on the test results, compiled a rating of smartphones.
Want to understand other important issues? Read
In emergency situations you need to act quickly and deftly. Knowing in advance what to do if your phone falls into water, you can “heal” your favorite device. It may suffer from your carelessness or inattention. People often leave their mobile phone in their jacket pocket when putting the item in the washing machine. Even more often, it falls into the toilet or into a washbasin with an open tap. An accident doesn't only happen when a phone is dropped into water. All it takes is one overturned cup of tea on your desktop for liquid to penetrate into the case, damaging the buttons or screen.
The main rule for saving a mobile device is to remove it from the liquid as quickly as possible. Moisture instantly penetrates into the connector for the charger, headphones and USB cable. The less time the phone has been in water, the greater the chance that it will work again after drying. After removal, be sure to turn off the mobile phone so that a short circuit does not occur.
If the phone was charging when it fell into the water, do not try to pick it up with your bare hands.
No matter how scared you may be, don't panic. Rash actions can permanently destroy your phone and cause damage to your health. If a mobile phone falls into water and is being charged from the mains, you may receive an electric shock when you try to remove it. Water is the best conductor for electricity. It is necessary to de-energize the entire apartment to avoid receiving an electric shock. Health and life are not worth saving the device. When removing, try not to press buttons or switches.
Procedure for rescuing touch and push-button devices
Immediately after removing the device, blot it with dry wipes or a dry towel. Then you need to remove the back panel and remove the battery. Some modern touch devices have a solid body, and without special screwdrivers the back cover cannot be removed. The chances of their salvation are slightly less. In the corner of the battery hole there is a small white indicator in the shape of a square or circle. It can be used to determine whether the mobile phone has been damaged by water. Damage is indicated by a pink tint of the indicator.
Remove the SIM card. This will help you save all or part of your contact numbers. The maximum amount of air should enter the device, so you need to release all connectors and remove the memory card. If there is protective film or glass stuck to the screen, it is advisable to remove it. Anything that can be unscrewed and unscrewed must be removed. The main thing is to know how to assemble a touchscreen phone after drying.
Drying the phone
Once you've figured out what to do if your phone falls into water, you need to know how to dry it safely. In order for the mobile phone to start working again, the moisture must not be blown out as far as possible, but, on the contrary, blown out of the case. This can be done using a vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle. Turn on the lowest setting and blow through each hole and each removed part for 10 minutes. After sucking out the moisture, the chance that the phone will work again is very high. The main thing is not to lean the vacuum cleaner tube close to the connectors, maintain a distance of one centimeter.
Another surefire way to save a push-button or touch phone is to place it in rice grains. Rice absorbs moisture very well, which gives your mobile phone a chance to “recover.” A special absorbent material, which is found in small bags in shoe boxes or leather bags, is better suited. Pour the contents into a container and place your mobile phone in it for 48 hours. If it doesn't turn on after the specified time, try charging it (it might just be dead). If the phone still refuses to work, contact the service center.
You cannot use a hairdryer to dry your phone!
Errors when rescuing a mobile device
Many people immediately grab a hairdryer and start blowing a hot stream of air into all the holes, on the buttons, or simply on the touch screen. After such drying, the device may stop working forever.
Why can't you use a hair dryer?
- Too hot air can melt the thin plastic parts of the mobile phone.
- A powerful air flow blows droplets even further into the device body, which will lead to further corrosion of individual components.
The second mistake is trying to hold the device over gas, place it on a hot radiator, or use a microwave oven. The instructions for using mobile devices clearly indicate that overheating damages the battery and other parts.
The most difficult thing to save is the touch screen. If moisture has reached it, you will notice spots or streaks. Most often, the sensor immediately stops working. Do not try to take the entire phone apart to clean the inside yourself. Without certain knowledge and skills, it will be impossible to perform this procedure. If the device works after it's completely dry, but the screen still has streaks or streaks, the part will likely need to be replaced.
Take your time and think sensibly. If your beloved phone falls into the water, you need to act as quickly and judiciously as possible. The faster you get rid of excess moisture, the less likely it is that water will penetrate under the touch screen or reach the internal elements of the phone, causing subsequent corrosion. If you strictly follow all the tips listed, your phone will work again.
Stores with mobile devices sell special bags for drying equipment. Every owner of a mobile phone, camera, player or tablet would do well to have a couple of these miracle bags at home. User reviews confirm that they absorb excess moisture as quickly and efficiently as possible.
When most of us come to the sea, lake or just a public swimming pool, we take our phone/smartphone and other electronic equipment with us.
A slight splash of water is usually not a serious problem for him, but sometimes it happens that our “ward” likes to fall into the water and stays there for a long time and this at the least expected moments.
What to do? It can usually be saved, although not always, especially if you do something wrong during the rehabilitation period.
The worst thing is if a Lenovo, Samsung Galaxy, HTC, Asus, Nokia, Huawei or iPhone phone falls into the water and does not turn on. If, for example, only the sensor, camera, microphone, speaker, etc., so to speak, only one element does not work, and it is also charging, then naturally there are more chances.
If it doesn’t turn on at all, as was the case with my Samsung and I didn’t take action right away, then the situation can be tragic.
I did not take action because I did not know that water had gotten into the smartphone. It didn’t fall into the water - I just walked around in the rain for a bit, then when I got home I put it in its usual place and picked it up only the next day.
This was enough to prevent my Samsung with Android OS from turning on. Then I made another mistake, although I knew about it firsthand.
However, I have an excuse, because I didn’t know that water got into the phone and thought that the battery was just dead.
Naturally, I connected the charger, which was impossible to do, although perhaps it was already dead.
In a word, my Samsung smartphone not only never turned on again, it was also beyond repair.
What to do when your phone falls into water and does not turn on
As you know, water and phones (electronic devices) never go hand in hand, and in this unequal battle the phone may no longer turn on.
There is no 100% guarantee that after swimming you will be able to restore the device to full physical readiness, but your quick actions can make a difference.
The main thing is to pick up the phone from the water as soon as possible. The sooner this is done, the less water will get inside the device and the less chance of “destruction”.
The next step is to immediately remove the battery (if, of course, the phone design allows it).
Short circuit is the most common cause of equipment failure.
So you can't waste time turning off your phone - which can take a few seconds - get rid of the back cover and remove the battery quickly.
The situation is different when the phone is built in one piece (the battery is not removable). Then the battery cannot be quickly removed and we can only rush to take the phone to the service center.
However, devices like the Xperia Z, Galaxy S4 or S5, Xcover 3 or even the flagship Galaxy S7 are considered more "advanced" devices, have the appropriate durability certifications and are basically waterproof (resistant to being completely submerged in water for a certain period of time).
If your mobile phone is turned off, it is tempting to try to turn it on to check - don't do this.
On the contrary, remove the SIM card and memory card. They store your personal data and you may lose it.
Therefore, removing them should come second after removing the battery. Then open up all the nooks and crannies you can, such as the cover covering the MicroSD card slot or USB port.
The next step is to thoroughly clean and dry the device. You can use a towel, cloth, or similar things that quickly absorb water.
The more water you can remove from your phone, the better. If your smartphone gets drunk on sugary drinks, you should clean it before drying it, for example, with isopropyl alcohol.
The sticky residue can be harmful to equipment, but isopropyl alcohol is harmless and electronics will not create electrolysis.
Avoid paper towels because as you clean, they get wet and the residue can get stuck in the phone's grooves.
Do not use a dryer under any circumstances! The flow of hot air can remove water from the phone's outer surface, but it can also push it further into the case.
There is one good way. To dry your phone, place it in a dry container with silica gel, which helps remove excess moisture.
Small packages are found in a shoe box - these little bags have balls in the middle and quickly absorb moisture.
If you don’t have this at home, you can use raw rice for drying, which also absorbs moisture well.
After cleaning, place the phone in a dry and safe place for ten or several tens of hours.
It is best to turn on the phone only after at least 24 hours have passed, or even better, 48.
If the phone does not turn on, try starting it by connecting the charger.
It can sometimes take up to a week for a smartphone to recover from the shock.
I never do if the phone falls into water and does not turn on
Do not put your phone in the microwave or dry it with a hair dryer.
A smartphone contains a number of sensitive parts that heat can destroy.
Very high temperatures can damage equipment.
Do not use products containing alcohol for drying. Alcohol can damage sensitive areas of the phone (such as gaskets).
Don't lie to the seller. The phones have litmus stickers and when wet they change color. Therefore there is no point in lying.
I hope this guide will help you save your phone after close contact with water.
Let me know if you've ever had situations where your phone got submerged in water and wouldn't turn on.
Were you able to save him? Maybe you have your own special drying methods? Good luck.
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