How to Fix a Water Damaged Laptop After Liquid Spill
Are you having a water-damaged laptop? You don't need to panic, situations like that are unavoidable as we can't do without water in our homes, offices, and schools. Water only causes damage to devices when it sinks in, all you need to do is take some immediate steps more like first aid and everything will be back to normal. Although, there might still be a need to take it to an engineer for a few repairs. In this article, we'll be reviewing how to fix a water-damaged laptop.
However, before delving into that it is important to note some of the things not to do while trying to take off water from your system.
1. Do Not Shake Your Laptop
Shaking your laptop to get water off it actually is doing more harm than good. It allows water to go deeper into the system damaging the inner parts of it.
2. Do Not Use Hair Dryer
Many people tend to use the hairdryer because of the heat it produces. However, this heat can cause damage to the laptop. The heat can melt the keys and cause them not to function again.
3. Don't Switch it On
Leaving your laptop on after being damaged by water is risky. Turning it on while drying it also isn't advisable. It can cause more havoc and put all your files and documents at stake.
4. Don't Dry With Lint Materials
Do not use materials made of lint to dry your damaged laptop. It will only cause more damage and make it worse.
Also, some people advise placing your laptop into the rice. That method isn't efficient as it will cause more harm to your laptop. You can get rice stuck in vital parts of your laptop.
Moving on to how to fix a damaged laptop:
1. Turn it Off
The first step to take after a water accident on your laptop is to turn it off immediately. Peradventure it was connected to a power source before the accident, the laptop should be disconnected immediately and turned off without hesitation.
2. Remove Battery
Doing this will prevent water from getting to your battery which can cause an electrical threats to the internal components. To remove your laptop battery, turn it upside down and move the battery lock to the side and gently remove it.
However, in some other laptops, it is difficult to access the battery. You might have to do some technical jobs to remove the battery like unscrewing the battery lock.
3. Remove Hardware
This is another important thing to remove to keep your files and documents safe. Clean your drives, motherboard parts, and your RAM modules. If you can't access this hardware on your own, it is advisable to take it to an expert that can help you out. For higher laptops like the MacBook, you cannot take apart these parts. Carefully turn it upside down and take it to an engineer for repair.
4. Dry it
Clean the surface of your laptop with a towel. Clean thoroughly places like the keyboard and also the ports. Ensure you are cleaning with lint-free materials. Afterward, turn your laptop upside-down and dry it. This allows accumulated water to drain out. Leave your laptop for at least two days to dry in a well-ventilated room. Don't be too eager to pick up your system. If your system can be opened, mop up the internal parts.
5. Use Warranty / Insurance
This might be the best step to take if you just got the laptop. Do not try to repair on your own as it may cancel out the warranty and also void the insurance. Take it to a service center provided by the insurance company or manufacturing company immediately if there's a water accident.
6. Remove Keyboard
Removing your keyboard is another step you should take when you water damage your laptop. Leaving the keyboard still attached to the laptop might cause water to reach internal parts of it which can cause it to stop functioning. To avoid that, disengage it from your laptop and clean it thoroughly with a lint-free material then you can turn it upside down for drying.
7. Place on a Towel
Do not place your laptop on any kind of surface while drying. It should be placed on a towel or a lint-free material. Open the laptop wide and turn it upside down. This will allow the water to move out rather than sinking into the laptop.
What if your laptop's internal components are undetachable?
- Clean up the keyboard immediately after the spillage. Ensure you clean it thoroughly to avoid water settling on some particular keys.
- Turn your laptop upside-down and clean the external surface meticulously.
- If there's a warranty on your laptop, it is safer to take it to their service center.
- After cleaning up the external surface, ensure you take your laptop to a professional for repairs because the liquid might have damaged some of the internal devices and your keypads would likely malfunction.
The above-mentioned are effective methods of fixing your laptop after water damage. However, some situations might be more complicated than this and might require changing your hardware completely. To avoid that, it is advisable to incorporate preventive measures for your laptop. A transparent silicon or a plastic keyboard cover would protect your device from water or other external hazards.
