Laptop fell in water, how long to wait before booting?

[Hacp]

So my laptop was left in water. I left it outside to air out because it smelled. Then it rained and I was not home for a long time. There was a huge puddle where my laptop was. The battery and AC adaptor were not connected. The Cmos battery probably were connected.

1) What are the chances that the laptop will boot? I'm pretty sure they're high since water shouldn't damage the components if they aren't powered on right?
2) How long should I wait for it to dry? Is 3 days good enough or should I wait a week?

 

[lambchops511]

i would take it apart.. wait 24 hrs... then try it ... should be fine...

 

[CurseTheSky]

The water has impurities that may dry on the circuitry and cause shorts. If you REALLY want to be safe, you should wash it with 91%+ isopropyl alcohol. Normally I would recommend getting a tub and literally soaking the thing, but there is some talk about that eating away at heatsink thermal compound.

If the thing is really worth your time, I'd take it completely apart (remove all screws and label all parts) down to the motherboard, but leave that (and heatsink assemblies) intact. Wash out the case with alcohol and scrub trouble spots with coffee filters, and clean any visible residue off the motherboard. You can soak it if you choose, but do so at your own risk. Then, leave everything apart and let it dry in a safe area. Finally, put it all back together, plug it in (recommend no battery at first, just to be careful of shorts / fire hazard), and pray.

 

[Hacp]

The water has impurities that may dry on the circuitry and cause shorts. If you REALLY want to be safe, you should wash it with 91%+ isopropyl alcohol. Normally I would recommend getting a tub and literally soaking the thing, but there is some talk about that eating away at heatsink thermal compound.

If the thing is really worth your time, I'd take it completely apart (remove all screws and label all parts) down to the motherboard, but leave that (and heatsink assemblies) intact. Wash out the case with alcohol and scrub trouble spots with coffee filters, and clean any visible residue off the motherboard. You can soak it if you choose, but do so at your own risk. Then, leave everything apart and let it dry in a safe area. Finally, put it all back together, plug it in (recommend no battery at first, just to be careful of shorts / fire hazard), and pray.

Ha, I would normally take it apart but it requires the 6 star screw that I don't have. Why the fuck would they use a 6 star screw instead of a regular old screw?

 

[corkyg]

Ha, I would normally take it apart but it requires the 6 star screw that I don't have. Why the fuck would they use a 6 star screw instead of a regular old screw?

Those are Torx screws. Drop by your nearest Ace and get a set of drivers or bits.

 

[Patrickz0rs]

So my laptop was left in water. I left it outside to air out because it smelled. Then it rained and I was not home for a long time. There was a huge puddle where my laptop was. The battery and AC adaptor were not connected. The Cmos battery probably were connected.

1) What are the chances that the laptop will boot? I'm pretty sure they're high since water shouldn't damage the components if they aren't powered on right?
2) How long should I wait for it to dry? Is 3 days good enough or should I wait a week?

Please do explain.

 

[C1]

IMO chance is not with you on this matter. Even if it boots, it's hard to see that the keyboard would work. No doubt the CPU fan bearings have been contaminated/ruined and dust & dirt have been washed into every nook/cranny of the machine (eg, hinges, display, etc.). (You'll probably have water stains sandwiched in the display if that should even work..) There are also parts like switches which it will not be easily cleanable & attempts to clean require that different parts need different cleaning solutions.

Disassemble Unit completely
Remove & Replace : HDD, Keyboard, CPU fan.
Clean all parts in R12
Clean all switches & buttons & connectors & contacts using Deoxit
(Wouldnt even know what to suggest about things like the memory card slot, PCMICA or speakers)

In any case, a labor of love that is in all probability a waste of time/money.

 

[Hacp]

IMO chance is not with you on this matter. Even if it boots, it's hard to see that the keyboard would work. No doubt the CPU fan bearings have been contaminated/ruined and dust & dirt have been washed into every nook/cranny of the machine (eg, hinges, display, etc.). (You'll probably have water stains sandwiched in the display if that should even work..) There are also parts like switches which it will not be easily cleanable & attempts to clean require that different parts need different cleaning solutions.

Disassemble Unit completely
Remove & Replace : HDD, Keyboard, CPU fan.
Clean all parts in R12
Clean all switches & buttons & connectors & contacts using Deoxit
(Wouldnt even know what to suggest about things like the memory card slot, PCMICA or speakers)

In any case, a labor of love that is in all probability a waste of time/money.

Everything works but the LCD is water damaged. Still deciding if I want to spend 70 dollars to buy the replacement.

 

[Athadeus]

Depends how much the rest of the unit is worth. I didn't expect it to work, but it depends how heavily it rained. Either way, I would suggest waiting for a couple weeks to see if everything else continues working properly.

 

[C1]

If contamination happens with clean water (ideally distilled water) then recovery is possible. But contaminated water (rain water with dirt particles/grit and chemicals/minerals) is problematic. Run the machine for a week to ensure that CPU fan & keyboard sustain. Concerning LCD, ensure that the problem is not just waterlogged/contaminated connector(s) [ie, from MB to LCD] as it can sometimes take a long time for water to evaporate out of a connector. It is best to clean the connector and not let it recover via evaporation as contaminants remain as residue & set up the connector innards for corrosion with time.