Water and Liquid Damage

People use their smartphones and tablets everywhere. From checking messages during a downpour to looking up a recipe near a kitchen sink, it’s easy to put your device in danger without thinking about it. If your drop your phone into water or if it gets wet, you may experience water or liquid damage from any number of liquids like wine, orange juice, and ocean water. This has become an incredibly common and costly problem.

Fortunately, most water damaged devices can be repaired. If the device cannot be fully repaired, we can usually recover your data so you can transfer your data to a new device. Typically, phones exposed to liquid damage have corrosion that can cause shorts on the motherboard (also known as the logic board). The experienced technicians at Triangle Cellular Repair have completed in-depth, hands-on training specifically for micro soldering repairs which are frequently needed for liquid damaged devices. TCR technicians can often fix water damage to your phones, iPads, tablets, or other devices by following careful, in-depth procedures.

Can I Fix It Myself?

Probably not. Although there are numerous do-it-yourself tutorials available online, the simple “bag of rice” trick will not completely dry out the device or address the circuit board level repairs that may be needed. Often we have opened a phone that has been dried for days to find water lodged underneath the motherboard. Also, water can corrode the sensitive connections in your device leaving behind trouble spots even once the water has evaporated. In addition, minerals in the water can negatively react with the sensitive electronics inside your device.

The sooner you’re able to bring in your phone, iPad, or tablet to TCR, the better the chance we have of saving your device. Fortunately, we can repair or replace most water damaged components. Ultrasonic cleaning, motherboard repair, and micro soldering are just a few of the ways we can help.

Why Doesn’t Rice Work?

Some people place their devices into a large bowl or bag of rice in an attempt to draw out any liquid from inside their device. Rice is absorbent, which is why so many people rely on this method even though it doesn’t completely work. Rice doesn’t absorb liquid quickly enough to stop water damage and it will not be able to get the liquid out of areas deep within the device, such as under the motherboard.

Rice may also provide false hope about saving your phone. For instance, if you use the rice method, think it worked, and turn your phone back on too early it could short out a circuit. Sadly, we’ve seen this before and we understand the importance of keeping the device off. If there’s still liquid inside of your phone, it will damage your device further after turning it back on. It is best to keep the device completely off off until a technician can inspect it. Also, the liquid may have already corroded small components in your phone that are not visible externally.

What Should I Do?

For the best results, immediately turn off the device, remove the battery if possible, and call Triangle Cellular Repair: 919-263-2699. Ideally, bring your device to one of our repair stores within an hour of the incident to prevent damage from getting worse. If you’re not able to get to the repair shop that fast, make sure to keep your device off and as dry as possible until you can make it to a store.

After you take these steps, take a deep breath and try not to worry about it. When you go to a professional repair shop like TCR, you’re phone will be serviced by experienced technicians who will fix your phone or tablet.

Is Water Damage a Covered Event?

The vast majority of warranties and extended protection plans specifically exclude water damage from their coverage. Unless you have purchased a separate plan, you are typically on your own. Fortunately, Triangle Cellular Repair can fix your water damaged device quickly and cost-effectively!

TCR has been successfully fixing cell phones and tablets in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area since 2012. We understand how critical your devices are and we work hard to make repairs as quick and cost-effective as possible. We offer a 90-day warranty on all repairs as well. If your device is water damaged, please give us a call today at 919-263-2699 for immediate assistance. No appointments are necessary and we are happy to help!