Help, My Cell Phone Fell In A Fountain!

Posted by admin | Filed under Communications Tips

OK, I know the title sounds a little crazy, but I actually know someone that had this happen to them. Although it may not be a fountain, unfortunately in your lifetime you are likely to have an accident with water and your cell phone. Cell phones and water do not mix well. Water damage will also void your cell phones manufactures warranty. Even if you forget to tell your cell phone carrier about the water, they will know because of their built in water dot. That is right they have strategically placed a little dot behind the battery that changes color when it gets wet, I guess this must have happened before. Water does not have to be the demise of your cell phone, but you do need to act quickly once your phone has an encounter with water.

Here are some tips via Wiki.

1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are tight, but water can enter the phone in a short period, perhaps only 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly! If you cannot get to it in time, your best bet is to remove the battery while it is still under water. Water helps dissipate heat from shorts that can damage the phone, so most damage occurs when the inside of the phone is merely wet and there is a power source.
2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Do not take to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.
3. If you have a GSM remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. do not heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network. (This step does not apply to CDMA carriers such as Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Sprint, etc.)
4. Dry your phone. Obviously, you need to remove as much of the water as soon as possible, so you can save it from getting into the phone. Shake it out without dropping it, then use a towel or paper towel (ideally trying not to clog the wet paper in the gaps and grooves of the phone) to gently remove as much of the remaining water as possible. Dry the excess moisture by hand.
5. Remove any covers and external connectors to open up as many gaps, slots, and crevices in the phone as possible.
6. Use a vacuum cleaner if possible. Do not use a hair dryer (even on a “cold” mode) to dry out the phone, as this may force moisture further into the small components, deep inside the phone. If moisture is driven deeper inside, corrosion and oxidation may result when minerals from liquids are deposited on the circuitry. Using a blow drier might be a temporary fix, but this will eventually cause component failure inside the phone. Instead, remove all residual moisture by drawing it away with a vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas for up to 20 minutes in each accessible area. This is the fastest method and can completely dry out your phone and get it working in thirty minutes. Be careful not to hold the vacuum too close to the phone, as a vacuum can create static electricity, which is even worse.
7. Use a substance with a high affinity for water to help draw out moisture. Leave the phone in a bowl or bag of rice overnight. The rice would absorb any remaining moisture. If available, it is preferable to use desiccant instead. Desiccant will absorb moisture better than rice. It may be found under a brand name such as “DRY-ALL” “Damp Rid” or “Dry Right”.
8. Let the phone sit on absorbent towels, napkin, or other paper. Remember that the goal is to remove all the moisture and humidity, not to trap it or add even more. Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is evident, repeat the vacuuming step and desiccant steps.
9. Test your phone. After you have waited a day or so, make sure, everything is clean and dry looking, re-attach the battery to the phone, and see if it works. If your phone does not work, try plugging it into its charger without the battery, if this works, you need a new battery. If not, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it.  Again, don’t try to hide the fact that it has been wet. There are internal indicators (aka the little dot) that prove their is moisture.

Tags: cell phone tips, damaged cell phone, rescue your cell phone, retore cell phone, wet cell battery, wet cell phone