Liquid damage: what to do in the first hour
Turn it off — right now — and do not charge it. Every minute a wet device stays powered pushes corrosion further into the board and turns a clean-up job into a rescue mission. This is the same advice we give repair shops before a liquid-damaged job comes to our bench.
The first hour, in order
- Power it off if it is on. Do not cycle it to “check”.
- Do not charge it. Charging a wet board is the fastest way to short a rail.
- Keep it upright for the liquid to drain out of ports, gently, without shaking.
- Note what happened — what spilled, how long ago, whether it was powered at the time.
- Get it to a board bench the same day if you can. Cleaning is cheap; corrosion is not.
The myths that kill boards
Rice does not work
Rice sits next to the device; it does not pull liquid out of it. What matters is opening the device up, cleaning residue off the board and testing for shorts before power returns.
A hair dryer (or an oven) makes it worse
Heat pushes liquid deeper and can lift components off the board. Airflow does not clean corrosion — it only dries what remains corrosive.
“It works again, so it is fine”
It rarely is. Residue keeps corroding traces and pads for weeks, and the device usually fails later with damage that costs much more to repair. A clean-up now is far cheaper than a rescue in a month.
Charging it to test is a trap
If there is a short, the charger feeds it. That is how boards that “only” got wet end up with dead power circuits.
What corrosion actually does
Liquid leaves salts and residues behind. Those residues are conductive enough to bridge nearby pins, and corrosive enough to eat through the thin copper of traces and pads over days. That is why the first 24 hours decide the cost of the repair.
What we do at the bench
We strip the device, clean the corrosion off the board properly, replace any components that shorted or died, then bench-test the rails and the device itself before it goes back. If the board was powered repeatedly before reaching us, the diagnosis tells you exactly what that cost. Board-level repair starts at £95 + VAT, with diagnosis at £35 + VAT waived if the repair goes ahead.
Liquid damage questions
Should I power the device on to see if it still works?
No. Powering up a wet board is what turns a cleanable spill into a dead board. Corrosion and shorts do their damage while the device is powered, so keep it off and get it to a board bench.
Does rice actually work?
No. Rice does not remove liquid from inside a device — it only sits next to it. What matters is disconnecting power, getting corrosion cleaned off the board, and testing for shorted components before power is applied again.
How long do I have before it is unrepairable?
The sooner the better: corrosion starts within hours and can eat through traces and pads over days and weeks. Devices cleaned within the first day or two have a much better repair rate than ones that were powered on repeatedly first.
It works again after drying out — is it fine?
Usually not for long. Residue left on the board keeps corroding even when the device boots, and it often fails weeks later with damage that costs more to repair. A clean-up now is cheaper than a rescue later.
The books are full — join the list
Our bench is at capacity, so we are not taking new jobs right this moment. Open a trade account and we will email you the moment we are booking again — no commitment. Questions? Email jobs@soldersector.com.
