Question Juice disaster! Can it be saved?

[Elaineofshalott2]

So my cat knocked over a glass of juice on my desk. It ran off and into the PC. It definitely soaked the case USB ports and a smaller amount made it inside. I planned to get a new case and move everything over when it came. This morning I started to remove components and I found a small amount of juice on the bottom edge of the GPU and the connectors. At this point is the PC salvageable at a “I can follow clear directions to put a PC together” level of skill? Or should I pick up a laptop so I can continue to WFH a couple of days a week and can plan out a new build after I see what my end of year bonus is?

For reference this is myoriginal build although I added in a second SSD along the way

 

[JWade]

i would use it as n excuse to get a nice laptop, and then work on a new build

 

[Elaineofshalott2]

I’ve made a bit of progress on cleaning internally. I think I would at least be able to save some parts. My big concern is that I think juice got under the plate and inside the GPU slot on the motherboard and I can’t figure out how I would clean them.

 

[In2Photos]

You should be able to use isopropyl alcohol to clean any juice residue. Just make sure you have everything disconnected and give it plenty of time to dry since it does contain water. It should evaporate at room temperature. There are probably YouTube videos out there you can watch for more tips.

That being said, if your PC wasn't performing the way you want it to before the juice spill, then this might be the time to upgrade.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Elaine, that's too bad to hear. Juice (OJ) can be corrosive.

I might even take the step of filling the sink (if it's not dirty), and actually pulling out the components, and IMMERSE them. Crazy, I know. You might want to remove the GPU fans / shroud before doing so, or possibly, if you feel up to re-pasting your GPU, break it down to the fan/shroud, heatsink/heatpipes/fins, and the PCB with the GPU itself. Then soak the PCB, and possibly rinse the heatsink, don't dunk the fans.

Likewise, detach everything from the mobo, and soak it.

You could choose to soak the components in isopropyl alcohol, which would probably actually be better, but do it in a large container (which may be expensive, it's currently a little hard to find larger qtys of it around here in the NE USA right now), and in a well-ventilated area.

PCBs are normally washed off in (de-ionized? filtered? distilled?) water, after soldering takes place, to wash off the flux, so washing a PCB (but not fan bearings) normally won't hurt them. Tap water may not be the best solution, but in my way of thinking, it's better than OJ.

 

[mindless1]

If the system was not turned on, you have a good chance of recovery, though just plugged into a wall you still have a minor amount of 5VSB on the board.

Immersing components isn't crazy, I used to do it when a friend worked at a computer shop and gave me free (or nearly so) parts, that had been owned by smokers so they needed a good dose of Mr. Clean (ammonia) to get the tar off. I sprayed that on and quickly used a paint brush then let soak in water.

If there is no tar, I'd use hot detergent solution to soak and no ammonia, because ammonia strips anodized aluminum. That's mostly heatsinks but the tops of capacitors also have exposed aluminum so I would not let a board soak in ammonia for long.

If the OJ has dried, you may need a pretty long soak and/or agitation to get the residue off. You can clean slots with a small paint brush, just don't get any fibers from it stuck inside (examine afterwards).

After rinsing with water it is good to rinse with alcohol because it does not bead up, and I speed the drying process by pointing a fan at any soldered on BGA chips because they can trap water under them for a long time. Plus unlike tap water you won't have mineral deposits left behind.

I have also occasionally used water with a drop of dish detergent as the final rinse, to reduce the water surface tension so it sheets off, when I didn't have any alcohol on hand. Not ideal, but it worked.

Do take the battery out first.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Do take the battery out first.

THIS! Sorry, forgot to mention that...

 

[Jimminy]

I have cleaned mechanical keyboards with a dishwasher. Took off the keycaps first, and dissassembled from the case. I didn't use any soap, just the hot water on less than the hottest setting, no sanitize or dry cycle. I let them sit for a week or two to dry out, then reassembled. I'm typing on such a keyboard right now.

You might want to do it more than once with different placement, if there are nooks and crannies that might not be washed good.

It will probably turn out fine, except the waiting for drying

Good Luck!


And as others have said, remove fans, motors, etc.

 

[Leeea]

I might even take the step of filling the sink (if it's not dirty), and actually pulling out the components, and IMMERSE them.

Living dangerously?

Be sure to pull the battery and let it sit for at least a day first to allow any capacitors to fully discharge.

If you use any soap you will likely have to re-paste the heatsinks.

-------

personally, I think this is a bad idea, water + soap can generate a bit of voltage some times. Odds are high it would be non-issue though.

 

[mindless1]

Capacitor discharge is irrelevant. None are a high voltage risk (except inside the PSU), none would be damaged from discharge in water, nothing about them makes any difference in whether discharged or not, before cleaning. There is no need to let it sit for any amount of time beforehand.

Water + soap has noting to do with generating voltage. Fictional science fail. High velocity air cleaning can cause static charge damage but submersed in water, you're about as safe from undesirable current paths as it gets.

 

[Torn Mind]

Someone should start a thread on how to pet-proof, booze-proof, etc a computer.

 

[mindless1]

^ Not sure if it needs a thread, just discourage animals from mucking around your desktop or behind the system in the wire snafu, and move the system further out of harm's way.

IMO it is easier in recent years, with digital video cables allowing longer distances w/o signal degradation, wireless kbd/mouse and/or USB hub for desktop convenience.

 

[Torn Mind]

^ Not sure if it needs a thread, just discourage animals from mucking around your desktop or behind the system in the wire snafu, and move the system further out of harm's way.

IMO it is easier in recent years, with digital video cables allowing longer distances w/o signal degradation, wireless kbd/mouse and/or USB hub for desktop convenience.

Seems like just this forum has plenty of feline stories.

Search results for query: cat

forums.anandtech.com

Just a reminder that cats are strong, independent creatures. lol

 

[mindless1]

Cats may not be as trainable as dogs or kids, but they do understand boundaries provided you're consistent in reinforcing them. That is, as long as you're not going against their instincts.

Tell a cat not to chase mice and the two of you will never agree on that, but give it stern words when trespassing on your desk, same as you would your kitchen counter while preparing a meal, or on the dinner table, etc, and they learn that.

 

[Jalapeno]

The washing is not crazy at all. In my tech days in the air force we routinely washed pcbs and other electronic equipment in commercial dishwashers and then 'baked' them at 80C for a couple of hours to dry. Even motors. To this day I hose down household air circulating fans after they get too dusty. A day in the sun, and they are like new again... ;-)