[GUIDE] Drowned Your Device? Here's a solution :)

[reverendbert]

Have you ever gotten something so good and you never to leaver it anywhere so you always keep it in your pocket? All's good and well, until you wash your beloved electronic device and find it no longer works. This guide may help.

*NOTE! Do not try damaging your X20 just to try this out. Water damage IS NOT covered by the warranty FOR ANY REASON, accidental or deliberate.

*ALSO NOTE: This guide was the work of several people of whom I can't remember. I can say that this guide has worked in some cases and others it hasn't. It isn't flawless, though it is a help. Also don't let your guard down thinking this is a failsafe guide. It isn't. Water damage is very serious and even if you do manage to get it working again, chances are portions of your memory/screen/controls may never work properly again. (But at least it will)

*FURTHER ALSO NOTE: This should work with other electronic devices

OH NO! You find your very wet DAP/MP3/Phone etc. etc. (You get the idea)
What you should do:
1. Calm down
2. Remove your battery ASAP. (This is to stop the board from short circuiting)
3. Disassemble your X20 (in the other guide)
4. Attempt using a soft dry cloth to remove as much excess water as possible. (Pat dry). Try to get the screen first. If the water gets in, a lot of screen problems can arise and getting a new screen can be hard.
5. If you did get most of it dry, there is still a lot more within the motherboards and chips so...
6. Place in a dry area out of sunlight to dry it slowly (if you dry it fast, water will warp board components)
7. Dry the board every few hours to ensure that water doesn't form puddles.
8. Leave the battery out for a few days to make sure ALL THE WATER IS OUT (being very very very sure that it won't short)
9. Re-assemble it.
10. Check and hope that it works.

This guide provides the user with a much larger chance of keeping a working device (it doesn't prevent it from breaking)

DISCLAIMER (In other words, please don't sue me): I shall not be held responsible for any damage caused by any processes caused or done by the user in this guide. Furthermore, I do not guarantee that this guide is a) flawless or b) reliable. It merely increases the probability of a wet device coming to work again.

[andrewmel]

I would suggest that you make "(in the other guide)" a link to the other guide. Otherwise, good work

a

[reverendbert]

Added that link to the other thread.

[Tinutu]

I have another solution. I once fell in a river while holding my camera and since warranty doesn't cover "drowning" of any apparatus and don't want to leave any marks on it, i suggest trying this.

Try getting a garbage bag, ok? Next, put both the player (or whatever you got drowned) and the battery inside it, along with AS MANY SILICA BAGS AS YOU CAN FIND! Try putting it along with something that traps moisture from the air. I found a big bag with some kind of pellets inside. Seal the bag and leave it that way for about 5-10 days (any sooner and there is the chance that there is condensed water inside).

It worked for everything i dropped in water or got wet. Phone, camera, player (not this one, not yet )... I suggest trying to get to the screen, first. Tap it dry or use a lcd cleaner, then leave it like that in the bag.

Not guaranteed but... Hope dies last, as i say

[reverendbert]

The main problem here is if the board gets water one it and it dries like a piece of paper all wrinkly and hard. When the board does this, it warps, usally shorting out other components. The quicker you dry it, (board) the less likely it is to warp the board (less time wet).

[Tinutu]

Never thought of it that way actually... I suppose you're right, but you see, the board isn't made of paper. It's made of textolide (or something like that) and it's a multi-layer plastic. Plastic doesn't warp. Other problem is the quicker you dry it, the quicker the air evaporates and spreads throughout the player. I suppose you're right but i don't think that it actually warps after only one dry.

[reverendbert]

Hmm. I'm pretty sure I saw a diagram of water corrosion somewhere at a store. Now I'll have to go find it. It said something about water drying and circuitry being shorted because of moving boards. I assumed drying caused warping and was wrong.

[Tinutu]

Please upload a picture of it if you can, i would really find that useful for some tests that i'm doing about waterproof materials. But i still don't think it's any harm to the player. A camera is much much more sensitive than an mp3 player and we all know that. By analogy, if the camera still works, you can bet the mp3 will work even after the 3rd soak but after the first one, I'm convinced that the player will have more attention to it when it comes to handling.

[reverendbert]

I don't a camera (surprising isn't it?) And the phone on my camera is really bad and no detail is shown.

[joannelibrarian]

I thought of trying to rescue the battery, but cannot figure out how to open the Clix 2 up. (Day 2)
Joannelibrarian