What to do if water, coffee or alcohol gets into your laptop
My friends work at a computer repair service center.
The most frequent issue they encounter is a laptop that has been soaked with water, coffee or alcoholic beverages.
I've learned how to salvage a device if liquid has seeped into it. I'm sharing this information with you.
The Impact of Liquid on Your Laptop
Laptops are commonly diagnosed with several problems.
Short circuits. Imagine a two-way road with heavy traffic. Someone violates the markings and lets the traffic flow towards each other, creating a loop. There's an accident, an explosion. This is roughly how a short circuit works: water disrupts the current "route" inside the device and creates new, unacceptable paths for it.
A short circuit can also occur because of a couple of drops of water that "successfully" got to the board. But, as a rule, such a problem appears if you spill more liquid - at least half a cup.
A short circuit will not necessarily lead to the complete death of the device: usually the main board burns, and the RAM or hard disk almost always survive. And can simply burn out the fuse, which costs 200 rubles - then it will take more time to disassemble and reassemble the laptop than to repair it.
Oxidation of contacts. This is a chemical process that begins when liquid gets on the contacts, for example, the battery pack or on the places of connection of the main board and other parts. Small "build-ups" begin to appear on the contacts, preventing current from flowing freely between the laptop parts. The closest analog is the appearance of rust on metal.
Contacts suffer mainly not from water, but from other liquids: for example, wine or coffee. Oxidation usually does not cause problems if the contacts are cleaned in time.
Physical damage to laptop components. We often break a laptop when we try to take it apart and dry it out. Sometimes it is done to clean the contacts.
Unlike ordinary system units, almost any of which can be disassembled according to a universal scheme, laptops are more complicated. Mainly because of the screen, which is attached to the main board rather fragile and thin loops. These "wires" can be easily torn by simply removing the cover of the laptop.
To replace such a loop costs from $5, if it is the one that is affected. If ripped out the loop "with meat" and damaged the contacts, then many models are easier to throw away: the board will cost about the same as a new device.
See how different laptops are disassembled
What to do if you've spilled water on your laptop
If you spilled liquid on the keyboard, you can safely unplug it from the socket. Do not touch the socket itself with your hand, pull out the wire so as not to accidentally touch the metal part of the plug with your hand.
Turn off the notebook. The easiest way to do this is to long press the power button. Another option is to disconnect the battery pack, if this does not require disassembling the notebook.
Turn the device with the keyboard down. Try to do it sharply so that the water moves inside the device as little as possible. This is to allow the liquid to pour out through the gaps between the keys.
It is better to turn the notebook off and turn it over at the same time: the faster you stop the current flowing through the device, the better chance you have of avoiding a short circuit.
Hold the notebook parallel to the floor.
If a flash drive, modem, or cable is inserted in the notebook, remove it. If you have not yet removed the battery, do so now.
Position the laptop with the keyboard facing downward, parallel to the floor.
Wipe off moisture. Use paper towels or toilet paper to wipe the keyboard, each key, and connectors.
Allow the notebook to dry. Even after wiping, there may still be water inside. If you're unsure how to disassemble the device, leave it as is and let the water evaporate naturally. Do not turn on the device during this time. It may take two to three days for it to dry completely.
Once dry, test the device's operability. If the laptop powers on, immediately back up all important data. The device could break down at any moment, so take it to a service center for inspection if possible.
Avoid drying the laptop with a hairdryer or fan, as this could spread water around the board nodes and mix it with dust, potentially causing corrosion.
What to do if other liquids spill on your laptop
If tea, coffee, wine or other beverages spill on your laptop, the situation is more complex. Start by disconnecting the device from the power source and turning it off.
Next, clean the laptop; unlike water, these drinks can leave a residue. This residue can oxidize contacts and, if dust accumulates on it, can cause the laptop's internal temperature to rise. This could eventually damage the main board or individual components.
Therefore, clean the laptop before drying it. If possible, let a professional handle this. If not, follow these steps:
- Look up instructions on YouTube for disassembling your specific device model.
- Be careful when removing the lid or other parts of the laptop to avoid damaging hidden cables. Handle small parts carefully to prevent breakage.
- After disassembly, carefully remove all the dirt from the board and parts using a paper towel or a stiff brush soaked in alcohol.
- Finally, let the parts dry and then reassemble the laptop. The minimum drying time is approximately two to three days.
I advise against cleaning on your own without the supervision of an experienced engineer.
This illustrates the damage that soda can cause to a laptop motherboard and the complexity of the repair process.
Given these challenges, it's advisable to take the affected laptop to a service center. In Moscow, cleaning the device costs between $15-$20. Additionally, diagnosing potential problems costs around $5-$10. The repair cost varies depending on the damaged component. The most commonly replaced part is the keyboard, which costs about $10 for ordinary laptops. For MacBooks, it's notably more expensive, ranging from $50-$100.
