Water is a great thing! It gives life, refreshes in the summer heat, and so on. You can remember all the phrases that we regularly hear. But water is very fluid and conducts electricity very well – this is its danger to technology. She can short-circuit any system. And even in the purest alpine lakes, water is not something that can evaporate without a trace. It just seems that if it dried up, then nothing was left. In fact, even fresh water leaves behind a coating of salts and minerals. They are harmful to technology. Here in a nutshell is a description of why water is bad for electronics, but it is better to deal with this in more detail, because you did not just pay attention to this material.
This beauty must be protected from water
I spilled water on my MacBook. Can it break
We have already figured out a little about the dangers of water for electronics, but we will return to this a little lower. First of all, I’ll say that if any liquid gets on your MacBook or other computer (especially if it’s not plain water), you should urgently go to service center. But you can help the computer yourself. First you need to understand that the logic “if it works now, then nothing happened” does not work here. This, by the way, even applies to the iPhone, which is protected from water. Apple does not guarantee that it will continue to work after contact with water. In essence, the water resistance rating assigned simply means that the test phone passed the test – nothing more. During operation, the tightness may be broken. But this is a minor distraction. Let’s get back to the MacBook.
Apple computers, like the vast majority of others, not protected from water, while it is laptops that are most prone to flooding. Spilling water or other liquids on a desktop computer or iMac is quite difficult. The keyboard can suffer at most. We take a laptop with us to cafes and other places, and the most expensive is not away from us, but directly under our hands. And takes a hit.
Our friends from Apple Pro Service Center from time to time they tell us how users come to them with a flooded keyboard. However, it is often possible to save the device and do without expensive repairs precisely thanks to the consciousness of the owners of the equipment.
Despite the promise of moisture protection, even the iPhone should not be wet. What can we say about the MacBook, where there is no protection at all.
What to do if your MacBook gets water
The main and first rule – forget the rice. This is a myth that is firmly rooted in the minds of people. It absorbs water really well, but it won’t suck it out from inside the device. Even if you sprinkle it on a computer board, it will only absorb liquid, but not salts and minerals dissolved in it. But he will leave a lot of his garbage. And if you scatter it on the keyboard, then it can disable it, even if water did not.
An important first aid rule is to de-energize the gadget. Turn it off immediately! Do not just close the lid, but turn it off through “Turn off the computer.” If you have the opportunity, skills, tools and self-confidence, you can remove the bottom cover and disconnect the battery cable. Further to the service center. If there is no self-confidence directly to the service. Preferably running and jumping.
While waiting for a taxi turn laptop upside down and put on a towel. Gently close the cover without pressing it, and carry the computer in this form to the masters. So the water will not drain deeper and potential repairs will be cheaper.
Many service centers, for example, Apple Pro, will accept you without a queue, so that there are more chances to save the computer. But even if you can’t disconnect the battery, at least don’t plug in the charger. Or disable it if it is already enabled.
Even if water didn’t get inside the case, getting it under the keys is already bad in itself.
What liquids are the most dangerous for electronics
You also need to understand that the more the liquid differs from pure water, the worse. Coffee, tea, alcohol, especially foamy or sweet, make the situation much more difficult. They have more than anything that can lead to breakage. I myself, about 7-8 years ago, before I started working at AppleInsider and talked to the guys from Apple Pro, damaged my MacBook Air with a single malt strong alcoholic drink. It was spilled on my computer, caught on the bottle when asked to charge the phone from something. It was necessary to think that it was not worth putting the computer on the table, but what to remember.
The laptop then continued to function, although some keys mechanically worked a little strange. There were problems with the hinge, but everything somehow quickly passed, and I decided that it had passed. It was necessary then to be smarter and immediately contact the service. I ended up doing it only after a few months (I didn’t use that computer very often). I had to change keyboard, motherboard and mounting hinges.
If I had immediately shown vigilance, it would be possible to get by with disassembly and cleaning. And that’s a lot less money. Even then, in 2013-2014, I paid about 20,000 rubles for the restoration of the device, when a new such MacBook cost about 40,000 rubles. Imagine how much it will cost now. By the way, here you can see macbook repair prices.
If you do not turn off the computer after it has been exposed to water, the process of electrochemical corrosion will immediately begin. Simply put, this is the destruction of the metal, which occurs when water gets on it and current is applied. In boards, this is dangerous because their components are destroyed. They are already thin and delicate, and if they become thinner or completely destroyed, they will not be able to work as they should.
Sometimes this process can take just a couple of hours, so you need to turn off the computer as soon as possible and turn it off. The water itself and its traces can be cleaned, but Destroyed components are only for replacement.
After contact of equipment with water, the most important thing is to remove it in time. Only professionals can do this.
Is it worth it to carry a flooded laptop for repair if it works
Even if you are reading these lines from a computer that was flooded a couple of days ago, this does not mean that everything will be fine in the future. If it was a couple of drops that didn’t get past the plastic keys, maybe nothing bad will happen. But in any case, it is better to contact the service center for advice and verification. You can choose any good and long-existing service. For myself we choose Apple Pro, but there are others with a good responsible approach to repair. True, there are not many of them. The main thing is not to contact the master who works in a small “island” in the shopping center and visiting craftsmen. To carry out the work, special equipment and testers are required, which cannot be taken with you.
The sooner you seek help, the more likely you are to save your computer. It is best to do this immediately, but after a few days you should not think that it is too late. In any case, the sooner the computer is dismantled and cleaned, the cheaper the repair will be. In some cases, this is the only way you can save an expensive MacBook from total destruction.
The post What to do if you spill water or coffee on your laptop. Need to act fast appeared first on Gamingsym.