Sometimes liquid gets on the laptop keyboard, which can be dangerous for it. In order not to repair a flooded laptop, you need to act quickly, and these actions may differ depending on what kind of substance got to the input device. Next, we will tell you what to do if water, beer, sweet tea or coffee is spilled on the device, as well as how to proceed to prevent a laptop flooded with beer or water from breaking down in the future.
What to do if the device is flooded with water
If the user has flooded the laptop, immediately after that it must be disconnected from the power supply and the battery removed - do not click on "Shut down" and do not wait for the laptop to turn itself off. However, there is a film on the keyboard that protects motherboard if moisture is spilled on the device. Therefore, when the liquid gets in a small amount, if it is pure water, and not beer or tea, coffee, then you need to do the following:
- remove the remaining water with a soft cloth;
- then remove the device and dry it properly.
If the last point is not performed efficiently, then moisture will remain between the films of the polyethylene printed circuit board filled with beer or water, which will eventually lead to corrosion damage to the conductive paths and the failure of the input device.
You don't need to disassemble the keyboard to dry it out with clean water. In a ventilated room or under a radiator, it will completely dry out in about a day.
How to remove a keyboard from a laptop to dry
Some users have difficulty removing the input device from their laptop. But on modern mobile computers, it is quite easy to dismantle it, since it is attached to ordinary plastic latches. Dismantling should be done according to the following scheme:
After it is completely dry, the keyboard flooded with beer, water or tea can be replaced. If it's dry well, make sure the device turns on and the buttons work. Problems with the further operation of the laptop, on which the user poured a clean, non-aggressive liquid, should not arise further.
What to do if the device is flooded with corrosive liquids
When the user spills beer or sweet tea, coffee on the keys, sticky marks remain on the surfaces after drying. At first, the keys on the input device may begin to stick, and after a while, after the oxidation of the conductive paths on the board (usually a spilled beer is active in a day), the keyboard will stop working. To avoid this, it will have to be removed, completely disassembled and cleaned. Disassembly must be done in the following order:
Wipe the board with a damp soft swab. Try to use only distilled water. A corrosive liquid such as solvents or alcohol can remove not only leftover beer, but also severely damage the conductive paths of the board.
If the laptop turns on, but individual keys stop working, you can clean their contacts on the board. To do this, you will have to cut off the corresponding rubber caps on it with a clerical knife, and gently wipe the unprotected contacts, thereby removing dried beer and tea. The caps themselves must also be thoroughly cleaned.
After completing the described procedures, you should start assembling the device. In place, the caps can be glued with superglue, trying to use the minimum amount for this so that the substance does not get on the components of the printed circuit board, which can also damage the keyboard.
Filled a laptop with liquid - what to do first
So an unpleasant story happened and the laptop or netbook was flooded with liquid. This article will tell you how to recover your laptop after being exposed to liquid (water, tea, coffee, beer, juice, etc.) at home.
Immediately you need to perform the following actions and only then decide what to do with it next.
1. Unplug your laptop (unplug the charger from the laptop)
2. Remove the battery from laptop
3. Wipe off excess liquid dry paper towel or rag
All these actions must be performed immediately after water gets on the laptop, without waiting for the computer to shutdown normally.
The laptop keyboard is flooded with water, juice, beer, etc.
Now you need to determine how far the liquid has flowed. To do this, you need to disassemble the laptop.
First of all, you need to remove the keyboard and see if the liquid has flowed deeper onto the motherboard or only the keyboard has been poured.
If the motherboard is not affected, you are already lucky. There is a chance that you will be very lucky and the keyboard will not even have to be changed.
So, if the keyboard was flooded with water, then you can try to simply dry it, but it is still advisable to first rinse it in distilled water. If tea, coffee, beer, juice is spilled on the keyboard, then rinse in distilled water necessarily... It is highly likely that after drying it will be fully functional. For drying, you can use, for example, an electric oven. Set the temperature to 70 degrees and dry the keyboard in it for 4 hours or more. You should not set the temperature higher, because the buttons may melt. Anything you can just put in the sun for at least 1 day, or better for two. Better to spend more time drying than buying a new keyboard later. After all, if you do not dry out the keyboard, moisture will remain between the films and gradually corrosion will eat up the tracks.
Corrosion marks on the keyboard tracks and pads
After that, try to connect the keyboard and check its functionality in text editor... If the keys print other letters or the letters are printed by themselves, then the keyboard is not dry enough and moisture remains between the films with the sprayed tracks. Repeat the drying process.
If the keys, on the contrary, do not work, then there is a dielectric or corrosion on the contact pads. Try rinsing again more thoroughly and drying for a longer time.
Flooded laptop motherboard
In the event that you are unlucky and the liquid gets on the motherboard, the laptop will have to be disassembled completely. If, when liquid gets on the laptop, it did not go out and continued to work and you managed to disconnect it in time, then there is a high probability of restoring it at home. If, after the ingress of liquid, he himself passed out, then almost certainly it will not be possible to restore it at home. In this case, it is better to immediately contact a laptop repair service so as not to aggravate the situation. After all, it is hardly possible to find and re-solder a burnt-out element or chip at home without the appropriate equipment and experience. It is not worth delaying the repair, since it costs hours and over time corrosion can destroy the motherboard so much that its recovery will be impossible.
Corrosion on a liquid-filled motherboard
Remove the motherboard by disconnecting all cables from it and removing all devices. It is also necessary to remove the processor. Pull out or unsolder (depending on the implementation on the motherboard) the CMOS battery.
Now you need to thoroughly rinse the board in distilled water and dry it. You can dry it simply by placing it in the sun.
When the motherboard dries out from the outside, you need to arm yourself with pure alcohol and a syringe with a thin needle. Fill a syringe with alcohol and pour it under each microcircuit on the motherboard, except for chips filled with a compound. Alcohol dissolves water and helps it evaporate from hard-to-reach places and micro crevices. After all the elements on the motherboard have been treated with alcohol, continue drying.
Now reassemble your laptop and try turning it on. If no electronic elements on the motherboard are burnt out during the ingress of liquid, the laptop will turn on and work for a long time. For example, my laptop has been working for 4 years after a glass of tea was poured on it :-)
If the laptop does not turn on - your way to the computer service.
A few simple steps to rescue your device from getting liquid.
Accidentally spilled liquid often causes damage to your favorite device. What if you suddenly spill water, beer, cola, tea or coffee on your laptop? Spilled liquid is dangerous due to several complications at once: from a short circuit, if you do not de-energize and turn off the computer, to a slow, prolonged corrosion of the interior of the laptop. step by step instructions to rescue a flooded laptop.
Spilling water on your laptop: 3 urgent steps
1. Disconnect the laptop and remove the battery
From the moment you spilled the liquid, seconds went by. Forget about conventions and the correct shutdown of Windows, data can be restored, but the laptop runs the risk of going to the landfill forever. Feel free to pull out the cord and remove the battery from it. This will stop the destruction associated with the process of electrochemical reactions.
Simply disconnecting from the mains will not be enough, so be sure to remove the battery. This is necessary in order to secure the motherboard, on which, even after turning off the laptop, the power circuits are working.
2. Disconnect peripherals
Everything is simple here, if a printer, hard disk, USB flash drive is connected to the laptop, or a disk is lying around in the drive, then they must be pulled out.
3. Wipe the liquid from the laptop case
In this case, it all depends on the volume of the spilled liquid. If the volume of the "spill" is small, no more than 20-30 milliliters (about 1/7 cup):
- flip the laptop over to prevent liquid from penetrating deeper into the case
- quickly wipe the case with the materials at hand (any handkerchief or paper towel will do).
If the volume of "tragedy" is more significant: turn the laptop on an edge so that the ventilation holes are at the bottom, and gently shake it to drain as much water as possible.
What to do next?
Now you have some time to think. No need to try to turn on the device and check if it works! Most likely, it will work, but it is also likely that your computer will die at the most unexpected moment, taking valuable information with it.
First, you should immediately come to terms with the fact that you will not use a flooded laptop for at least 1-3 days. Secondly, you need to assess the scale of the tragedy - the severity of the damage depends on what kind of liquid you spilled on the keyboard or laptop. Consider the destructive effect of popular fluids.
Water
If you flooded the laptop with water, then it can get to any elements inside the device, including the motherboard, which is fraught with the loss of the device. Water, although weak, but the electrolyte, can lead not only to a short circuit, but also cause slow but steady electrochemical corrosion. However, it is a relatively harmless liquid, so the chances of saving the device are quite high.
Tea, coffee, beer, drinks with sugar or milk
If you spill tea, coffee, beer, a drink with sugar or milk on your laptop, then the situation is worse, since they all contain various acids. For example, tea is a combination of a huge amount of substances, some of which, for example, tannin, have an acidic reaction. If you spill a sweet drink on the keyboard, after it dries, a sticky sugar trail will remain, and the keys will stick.
By the way, the beer loved by many also contains a number, albeit weak, but acids. As a rule, devices that are dipped in beer will function normally for several months, which is why device owners mistakenly think that the problem is over. Over time, the motherboard or HDD are destroyed by the action of chemical elements present in beer.
You should also be wary of juices: they are quite aggressive, as they also contain acids, for example, citric or fruit acids.
Cola and other carbonated drinks
The biggest danger is carbonated drinks. These are corrosive liquids rich in chemicals that can oxidize and destroy, for example, the same motherboard. In particular, soda often contains acid of medium strength - orthophosphoric acid, which is used for brazing.
If you spill half a glass of cola, then consider that the bill has gone on the clock. It is not always possible to immediately take a laptop to a service center. Keep in mind that not every service center will tackle the problem, and if they do, they may not get to your device right away.
Thus, if cola, tea, coffee, beer or wine gets inside your laptop, you need to rinse the device under water, regardless of whether you plan to carry it to a service center or not. Do not forget to first de-energize the device and remove the power supplies from it. This will flush out most of the hazardous chemical elements trapped inside the device.
Pour water liberally into the area where you spilled the drink to rinse it off. The motherboard is almost not afraid of water; to a greater extent, you run the risk of flooding only the films under the keyboard. Remember, the main thing is not to turn on your laptop until you have completed the following steps.
Carry to a service center or save yourself?
Then you have to make a choice: run with a laptop to a service center or start saving the device yourself. We recommend the first option to you to increase your chances and get at least some guarantees. However, not everyone is looking for easy ways. If you are good at technology or do not trust service centers, or, finally, do not want to spend extra money, you can try to bring the laptop "to life" by your own efforts.
How to rescue a laptop by yourself?
- Disassemble laptop and keyboard
Please note that this may not be easy. It is not always easy to unscrew all the screws on the bottom, often some of them can be hidden under peel-off legs and panels, which are held by some latches, fastened under the keyboard, display hinges, and so on. However, as a rule, all common laptop models have disassembly guides and videos. Go to the manufacturer's website for information, google or Youtube... In order to reduce the search time, enter "parse * laptop model name *", or better "* laptop model * disassembly".
Disassemble the laptop into the smallest possible components and check where the liquid has reached. The main thing is to remove the CMOS battery on the motherboard, as it constantly powers the board, which is enough for a short circuit in the future. It is easy to find it, it is quite large, round and it is difficult to confuse it with something.
As for the keyboard itself, you will have to disassemble and sort it out separately, having previously photographed or written down the location of the keys on the keyboard. Next, just remove the keys with a thin screwdriver or any thin improvised tool, as a rule, you can pry them from the bottom side. Then "pull out" the pushers and spring elements. In this case, three films will remain on the keyboard substrate: two conductive, with tracks, and a separating film-dielectric between them. On older keyboards, the films are either not glued together, or are glued together at only a few points and are fairly easy to separate. However, on new ones, they are often glued more reliably and it will be more difficult to paste them - here you cannot do without a hair dryer. We warn you that the gluing process involves certain skills, so it would be better to stop at this stage and hope that water does not get between the films, after all, they are pretty tightly glued.
- Clean and rinse
Pay special attention to the keyboard and the motherboard, you can even check it with a magnifying glass.
If there is any plaque or darkening on the motherboard, then use a lint-free cloth or soft toothbrush to wipe dry residues from the spilled liquid.
Then carefully, without sparing effort and attention, clean off all foreign matter with an alcohol solution, after which - with distilled water. If distilled water is not available, plain water can be used. However, the problem is that ordinary water contains impurities of metal salts and can leave them on the board after washing, which can subsequently cause a short circuit. Therefore, we recommend buying distilled water from a pharmacy or auto shop.
If the area of the affected area is large, then remove the board, disconnect everything you can from it, rinse it with warm water and leave it to dry for at least 1-2 days. In the same way, you need to check and rinse all the rest of the interior of the laptop and parts of the disassembled keyboard, getting rid of stains and sticky areas wherever you find it.
- Dry your laptop
Now there is little left to do - dry everything that you washed. It is believed that you need to use a hairdryer, but we do not recommend that you do this. First, the hair dryer can blow hot dust into various areas and pollute them. Secondly, there is a risk of overheating and melting various elements. Thirdly, if moisture remains somewhere, then the air stream will send it even deeper into the case.
Dry within 24-48 hours in a warm, dry place, without exposure to direct sunlight. Place the case, board, films, keyboard on supports or a grill over some surface so that air can circulate around the parts. You can even put the ingredients in a bowl of rice, as dry rice draws out moisture well.
- Assemble and test the device
After a day or two, assemble the keyboard and laptop, turn it on and check the general performance. You can check the keyboard in any text file, but it will be easier to go to Keyboardtester.com and check all the keys there.
If everything is functioning properly, then consider yourself lucky. If only the keyboard does not work, then you will have to replace it with a new one or just buy an external one.
- If the laptop does not turn on, then you will have to contact a service center or buy a new one.
Summing up, let's say that it is possible to protect yourself from such incidents. If you are using a laptop as a replacement for a stationary computer, then you can put it on a stand, move it away from you and use an external keyboard and mouse. However, as a rule, a laptop implies mobility, and this option is not suitable for everyone, in which case you should not take risks and drink drinks dangerously close to the laptop.
Let us remind you that on our website you can familiarize yourself with the results of laptop tests. Our experts checked the quality of popular models in the laboratory and, based on the results of the tests, made a rating of notebooks.
Do you want to understand other important issues? Read
Corrosive liquids can cause the greatest damage to equipment. This includes sweet tea, coffee, juices, soda, etc. They can not only short-circuit contacts, but also lead to burnout of circuits. Corrosive liquids will also corrode or oxidize conductors, which regular water or unsweetened tea cannot.
First steps
As soon as moisture gets in, it must be immediately disconnected from the mains and removed from the battery. When switched on, the oxidation state of boards and microcircuits will pass several times faster, thereby increasing damage. It is better to lose than all the equipment.
Then turn it over and place it on a towel, thereby allowing the liquid to drain. This action can save the motherboard, which means that only the keyboard will need to be repaired.
What to do next
After the liquid comes out of the laptop, immediately take it to a service center. Time plays an important role here. Regardless of whether the laptop is turned on or not, oxidation still occurs in it, corrosion damages an increasing area of conductors every minute. They will eventually burn out completely. That is why it is necessary to dry the device as thoroughly as possible.
It's important to note that repairing your laptop yourself can lead to even more damage if you don't have the necessary skills. You can try to repair the keyboard if only it is damaged, but the motherboard at home is quite difficult to replace.
What else do you need to know
Do not expect the liquid to evaporate on its own without causing significant harm. Even if the laptop continued to work after getting wet, it will soon do its job - the equipment will have to be thrown away.
This is all the more true if you have spilled an aggressive liquid. Maybe it will flow out, but it will definitely leave a sediment in the form of a syrup or a thin layer, the consequences of which will be the corrosion of the conductors and their burnout. In addition, the oxidation process can last as long as a day or several months. It all depends on the nature and amount of liquid.
What it takes to prevent this from happening
Observe safety precautions. Do not place liquid-filled cups, mugs, glasses, or open bottles next to the laptop. Never take it to the bathroom, swimming pool, beach or any other place where moisture can get on it.
