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 have leaked inside, electrochemical corrosion rapidly occurs on the components of the system board for several 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 the 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 the 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!”
Today, almost every one of us cannot imagine life without gadgets, including a mobile phone. The market offers a huge number of devices that differ in colors, dimensions, memory capacity, battery capacity, quality of photo and video shooting, functions performed and many other parameters.
The service life of mobile phones also differs, but sometimes the user himself shortens it as a result of not being very careful with the equipment. The main problem leading to phone repair is water getting into the device. And how to help the gadget? We will talk about this in the article.
How does water affect phone components?
Inside the phone there is a motherboard, thanks to which the device is powered and ensures uninterrupted operation of all its components. Board elements can consist of copper, brass and other metals. If water gets into the phone, it enters into a chemical reaction with metals, destroying the components of the board. If the phone gets very wet, the board itself may suffer. Then, it is quite possible that the device will not be repairable. What to do if you drown your phone? This will be discussed further.
What to do if you drown your phone?
If water gets into the gadget, then first you need to disconnect the device, that is, remove the battery. This is possible in models with a removable battery. But what should you do if your smartphone, like most modern models (especially those made in China), has a non-removable battery? It is impossible to separate such a battery at home, so in any case you need to take the mobile phone to a mobile phone repair shop. If you cannot remove the battery, then you just need to turn off the phone with the button. It happens that water gets into your phone when you are on vacation and cannot get to a mobile phone repair shop. Then you need to remove the battery and put the device in a dry room and do not turn it on for at least three days.
In addition to the battery, you need to remove the SIM card, memory card, headphones, remove the case or bumper from the phone, in general, everything that can clog the phone and openings. There is no need to remove the protective film or glass from the screen.
Drying your phone at home
If a small amount of water gets into your phone and it does not have time to penetrate deep into the device, you can try drying it at home. Your assistant will be a regular vacuum cleaner. Place the phone at a short distance from the vacuum cleaner and blow on it for 20-30 minutes. Then leave it unassembled for a while.
Dry rice absorbs moisture well. What to do if you drown your phone? Try putting it in a bag of rice, and immerse the components of the device there. You will have to dry your phone this way for at least three days. Afterwards, the device may work.
The main problems that arise when the phone gets wet
Let's consider the main violations in the operation of the device, when the phone fell into the water and does not work. If the screen on your device does not work after falling into water, the contacts in the screen may have shorted. The workshop will try to fix the contacts, but most likely the screen will have to be replaced completely.
If the speakers on your phone stop working after a fall, this is not a very serious problem. Specialists will replace the speaker.
Is your phone's camera not working due to water exposure? What to do? Everything will depend on the cost of the phone and quality. If you have a Chinese copy of a famous brand, it will be very difficult to repair due to the low quality of the elements. On original devices (even those made in China, but original), the camera can be replaced, but you will have to pay a decent amount.
If the microphone does not work, try very carefully cleaning it with a toothpick or needle. If you doubt your abilities, it is better to take your phone to a repair shop.
Helpful information
If your phone runs on the Android, Windows Phone or iOS operating system and you drown it, you need to do the following:
- Disconnect the smartphone from power.
- Remove the battery.
- Remove all existing SIM cards from your smartphone.
- Dry your smartphone (with a vacuum cleaner, in rice, or just in a dry place).
A smartphone is a capricious technology. Smartphones should not be overheated, so when drying your smartphone, never use a hairdryer or place the device on a battery. It is best to dry it in a dry, warm room.
The most dangerous thing that can happen to smartphones is water getting into the screen. In this case, pixel stains, dots and stripes will appear on the screen, which are unlikely to be removed. In this case, the repair of a recessed phone will have to be entrusted to professionals.
Even more dangerous for a smartphone is sea salt water. Salt very quickly corrodes various contacts and connections, so it is impossible to answer the question of whether it is possible to restore a drowned phone if sea water has got into it. Everything will depend on the time and degree of exposure to water.
Repairing a recessed telephone in a workshop
If none of the above methods helped dry and restore the device, go to a workshop. There, specialists will repair the recessed phone. First, they must disassemble the phone and inspect the solder joints for signs of corrosive changes. Next, the device will be cleaned with ultrasound. To do this, the board is placed in a certain liquid and processed. After the cleaning procedure, the board is dried and examined under a microscope for unrepaired defects. After which they complete the necessary work and assemble the phone.
Estimated prices for repairing major damage in case of moisture getting into the phone:
- ultrasonic cleaning of the device - 890 rubles;
- sensor replacement - 990 rubles;
- screen replacement - 990 rubles;
- replacement of the matrix cable - 890 rubles;
- speaker or microphone repair - 500 rubles.
The prices are approximate, it all depends on the place where you live and the pricing policy of a particular mobile phone repair shop.
How to protect your phone from water?
What to do if you drown your phone is now clear. But how to prevent such an unpleasant situation? First of all, do not leave your device near possible sources of moisture. Do not take your phone with you into the bathroom, do not place glasses or open containers of water, drink bottles, etc. next to them. One wrong move and the phone may not be recoverable.
The best option for protecting your phone from water is a waterproof case. There is a huge selection of such cases on the phone accessories market. Manufacturers claim that with such protection the phone can be immersed in water to a depth of up to thirty meters, but it’s still not worth testing such a purchase in practice right away.
There are also different degrees of protection from moisture. There are models that are protected only from small amounts of water, but there are also those that can withstand immersion of several meters for a long time. Some models of such smartphones are equipped with special sensors that show whether there is moisture in the case or not. In the event that you want to charge such a phone, it will show an error, thereby protecting itself from breakdown, and you from unnecessary repair costs.
A waterproof smartphone is especially suitable for active people, those who like to engage in extreme sports, scuba diving and hunting, and so on.
Which waterproof phone to choose?
Samsung smartphones (Edge models) meet security standards. Some users left the phone overnight in a jar of water, after which it continued to work correctly. 3, in addition to everything, is reliably protected by rubber inserts.
iPhone version 7 passes water tests no worse.
In the Sony line, the Sony Xperia XZ and other models meet water resistance standards. For example, Z3 can be kept in water for more than thirty minutes, and it will not be harmed. And it is designed for use in places where there is constantly high humidity.
So, we talked about what to do if you drown your phone.
What to do if your phone falls into water? This is not such a simple question as it might seem at first glance. Especially if the phone is touch-sensitive. After all, such a situation can happen in the life of any person. No matter how confident a person is in his careful and careful attitude towards the telephone, no one is immune from an emergency.
What to do if your phone falls into water, and for what reasons could this happen?
Firstly, it can simply get wet from the rain. But that’s what cases and other accessories are made for. But they don't always save. Your phone may fall into a river or lake while on vacation, or it may be accidentally forgotten in your pants and put in the washing machine. It can also be accidentally dropped into a bucket filled with water while cleaning, or simply doused with tea or juice. All this will lead to malfunctions of the device. But how to deal with this and what to do if the phone falls into the water?
A set of measures to rescue a drowned phone
What to do if your phone falls into water, and what could be the consequences?
By and large, the above methods can completely save the phone. The worst option is liquid getting under the screen, especially if it is touch-sensitive. It will be impossible to restore such a screen, and buying a new one will be very expensive. Salty sea water is especially dangerous - it can lead to rapid corrosion of the circuit boards inside the telephone. If the above measures still did not bring the desired result, and the phone still does not work or works partially (some functions have failed), then it is better to quickly contact a service center to repair the device.
The phone, remote control fell into the water, or simply got very wet due to other circumstances - the situation is quite common.
What to do in this case? Recently I had to read tips on what to do if your phone falls into water. It was advised to simply shake it well and dry it in a warm place in the sun on a radiator, etc.
The advice is generally correct - But... I thought it was necessary to supplement these tips with extremely important comments.
First thing to do
It is necessary to remove the batteries from the remote control or the battery in the case of a telephone. If it is removable, of course. It would not be superfluous to also remove SIM cards and memory cards from the phone. Why is it important?
The fact is that when moisture gets in, between conductors made of various metals, of which there are many in electronic devices, electrolysis occurs, and with a connected power source this process is accelerated many times over.
Therefore, the conductor paths on the device board and small elements will simply dissolve, leaving behind something similar to dust. So, don’t let your phone “dissolve”; remove the battery from it as quickly as possible.
And now, when the power source is turned off, we shake it off and dry it.
Second, do not rush when drying
If your phone gets very wet, or is completely submerged in water, then all the moisture will evaporate from it for quite some time. You will have to dry it for at least a day, and preferably longer. It would be correct to disassemble the device as much as possible, ideally to get the board out, if you can’t, then at least remove the case and battery cover when drying, and of course we do not install the battery itself until it is completely dry.
If you were able to get the board out, feel free to dry it under an incandescent lamp or in the sun, LED lamps will not help here; they do not heat up. But if you dry the phone entirely, avoid excessive temperatures: direct sun, very hot radiators, etc. otherwise the glass on the phone may fall off. Or worse, the body becomes deformed.
Summer sun can heat up the plastic casing of devices so much, especially if the plastic is black, that some types of plastic begin to warp and deform from the heat. The rule here is that longer is better than hotter. It can also be a good method to completely immerse the device in dry rice and stir it from time to time, the rice will absorb moisture.
And finally, if your phone is expensive and you don’t want to part with it forever, I recommend that after drying, even if the device is working properly, you take it to someone who repairs phones. This is important so that your drowned person is examined by a specialist and, if necessary, cleaned in an ultrasonic bath.
Because even timely measures taken, in case of serious flooding, do not guarantee that the oxidation process has not begun and moisture has not remained under the microcircuits. In addition, even evaporated moisture leaves behind salts, unless you drowned your phone in distilled water, which is unlikely. And if this oxidation process has begun, then performance is a matter of time.
And only complete disassembly and cleaning in an ultrasonic bath can save your gadget for sure.
It’s easier with remote controls; you can disassemble it yourself and dry it as needed. I plan to write some notes in the future, so read it if you are interested.
Did your phone fall into the water? It doesn’t matter if you immediately take the right steps so that it works as before it fell into the ill-fated liquid. Unfortunately, if a phone is in water, it loses its warranty, even if you bought it yesterday or today. Therefore, the resuscitation of a cell phone should be approached thoroughly, after The phone is wet.
After water gets into a mobile phone, it may still work for some time, but this does not mean that everything is in order, because negative consequences will affect it later.
1. If suddenly your phone fell into water, try to get it out as quickly as possible, because if the phone fell for a few seconds, then the water did not have time to seep to the deepest mechanisms, but if your phone has been spinning in the washing machine for more than an hour, then most likely you will have to say goodbye to it, but try to revive it it's still worth it.
2. After your phone got wet, it must be turned off immediately. Even if it still works, it's too early to judge the integrity of its functionality. All the buggies can come out later, when you have already forgotten about the phone falling into the water.
3. Immediately disconnect the battery (accumulator). After all, water can cause a short circuit, which can result in the microcircuits burning out. If possible, disassemble it as much as possible. If you disconnect the battery immediately after dropping the phone into water, you can save the battery.
4. Then you need to remove the SIM card: if you store information about contacts on it, and if you can’t save the phone after it fell into the water, then at least you can save some of the data.
5. After all parts of the phone are disconnected from each other, carefully wipe them with paper napkins to absorb excess moisture. Then you need to leave the phone disassembled to dry. There is no need to dry your phone with a hairdryer, on batteries or in the sun; heating can damage the microcircuits and wiring in the phone. Place your phone in a warm, dry place. You should not turn on the phone before it is completely dry to make sure it is working. You can only harm him. If the phone fell into the water for just a couple of seconds, then about one day is enough to dry it. It is better, of course, not to touch the phone for a week, it will be more reliable.
Some popular advice says that if the phone falls into water, it should be immersed in alcohol, after first disconnecting the battery. The water will evaporate along with the alcohol, and the alcohol will clean the board of oxidation and salt contamination. Under no circumstances should you treat your phone with vodka or cologne: these are aqueous solutions of alcohol and you will only speed up the corrosion process.
People's advice also says that it is possible to dry a phone after it has fallen into water using rice. To do this, the battery and SIM card are removed from the phone, and the phone is placed in a container filled with ordinary rice. Rice absorbs moisture, and accordingly, the drying process of the phone speeds up. The phone should be kept in a container with rice for several days, and only then you can try to turn it on.
If your mobile phone has been in coffee, champagne, juice, beer, etc. then it is best, after you have separated all its parts, to rinse the phone with alcohol and then dry it.
And finally, the most useful advice is that if after you have dried the phone and it does not turn on, you should contact a specialist. Perhaps repairing your phone will cost pennies and you won’t have to buy a new one. And most importantly, it is possible to recover valuable information from your phone: contacts, photos and videos.
P.S. Don't drop your phones in the water and don't forget to subscribe to new articles.
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