What to do with a Wet Mobile Device
Pat Morrison, Corporate Account Manager/Atlantic Region, CBCI Telecom – Halifax, NS
We’ve all been there before or at least have had a close call at some point in time while owning a phone or PDA device... I’m talking about experiencing “liquid” damage. No matter how careful we are and no matter what kind of case we bought for protection, it’s quite likely we’ll find ourselves experiencing that “Oh No!” feeling at some moment. You know that feeling... it’s the one you get just as the phone leaves your grasp above the kitchen sink, a toilet, a puddle, a pool... well, you get the picture.
However, what most people don’t realize is that liquid damage - or moisture damage to be more specific - can also be caused by as little as a few raindrops out on the poolside patio table when the rain shower begins or when little junior demonstrates how he won the cannonball splash contest. And another thing most people didn’t know is that the moisture doesn’t even have to be in liquid form... it can even be from the heavy condensation you expose your phone to if you take it with you to your bathroom. Keep that in mind if you are one of those people who are concerned that someone may be calling while you are talking a hot shower!
Although liquid damage is not covered under any manufacturer’s warranty, there are a couple of tricks that seem to be successful in reviving a wet phone in a large number of cases. So before you toss your phone into the landfill once you’ve discovered or suspected that it has been exposed to high moisture levels, here are a few ideas you should try first...
- Always, always, always remove the battery as quickly as possible. Even if the phone is still powered on for some reason and appears to be OK, remove the battery immediately. If you own a BlackBerry 8830 or Samsung Ace which are the World Edition Smartphones, also remove the SIM card right away as well.
- No matter how much of a hurry you are in, it’s a good idea not to try turning the phone on for at least 12-24 hours.
- NEVER use a blow dryer… even though you think it would help speed up the process. The reason not to use a blow dryer is that more often than not, the dryer blows air into the device and could cause water to seep into hard-to-reach spots, eventually damaging the insides of the phone. It's better to use a vacuum of some sort that will suck the water out if you are looking for the perfect power tool!
- Separate your phone and battery from one another and put them in a plastic baggy along with some uncooked rice for a few hours as the rice will help to remove moisture from the phone. If you are worried that the rice may also find its way inside the holes or cracks of your device, you can also try using a few bags of silica instead. Silica is those little white pouches that come in the pockets of some new clothing or in the boxes of new electronics or appliances when you buy them.
- After 24 hours passed, try to turn on the phone first by plugging it into the wall socket with its AC Charger but without the battery. If it’s successful, THEN try installing the battery and powering it on. If it doesn’t turn on, you may be lucky enough to only need to replace a battery.
Keep in mind that even if you are able to revive your device, there's no telling how long it will continue to function. It may only last a few more days and I’ve seen them last for years. A good sign that the liquid has done some irreversible damage inside your phone is that the phone starts acting very bizarre. I’m talking about erratic responses to keystrokes, powering on and/or off on its own, strange symbols and characters coming on the screen, etc.
In summary, depending on the amount and the duration of the liquid “exposure”, these tips may not work in all cases but even if this article helps save one device – then it had its raison d’être.
If you would like to ask Pat more questions please email him at pmorrison@CBCITelecom.com
DEEP THOUGHTS...
Article taken from Bell Mobile magazine Summer 2008 issue
Bell goes deep to service Montreal's famous underground city. If you're riding the Montreal metro between the Berri-UQAM, Saint-Laurent, Place-des-Arts, Peel,McGill, Square-Victoria and Bonaventure stops, you're covered.
WHAT? SERIOUSLY?
Yes. Thanks to Bell Mobility, if you're traveling by subway on the Orange or Green lines, you'll have mobile-phone coverage. In fact, you'll find network access in 99 percent of Montreal's underground city, the largest subterranean complex in the world.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Two base stations are strategically located in the system. They're connected to antennae and other equipment that handle your mobile calls at each subway stop. The antennae are pointed toward the tunnels, so they'll pick up your signal if you're making a call between stops.
Bell was the first wireless carrier ever to provide coverage in a subway system.
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