Rice for Soaked Electronics ?

[avb3]

I was just on a fishing forum, and multiple posters commented about losing thier Iphone/Blackberries and assorted other smartphones in the water.

Apparently the trick they use is to put the dropped smartphone (if they can recover it) into rice for 3-4 days, and a wet phone becomes usable again.

Anyone have heard or tried this?

[daddle]

It might work. Probably not. The main thing is that the battery must be removed immediately. It's electrolysis that does the damage. And it only takes a few minutes. The salt must be removed somehow. It attracts water later. Otherwise electronics are pretty waterproof. Someone might try soaking the unit in ethyl alcohol (not-denatured) for a few minutes before drying...

[avb3]

Originally Posted by daddle

It might work. Probably not. The main thing is that the battery must be removed immediately. It's electrolysis that does the damage. And it only takes a few minutes. The salt must be removed somehow. It attracts water later. Otherwise electronics are pretty waterproof. Someone might try soaking the unit in ethyl alcohol (not-denatured) for a few minutes before drying...

Good point... all that used that method were fresh water accidents. Still, a number have sworn by it, so maybe there is something to it.

[memiller279]

I've done it and it worked (briefly) lasted a couple more weeks before some of the buttons started to act up - of course that could be attributed to multiple drops as well (I'm rough on phones - lost or broke 15 in 12 months).

The most important thing as stated above is to not try to turn it on and remove the battery immediately. Leave it in the rice for at least 24 hours.

Really wish they would make a waterproof phone that would float.

[daddle]

New dry rice is a great dessicant.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by memiller279

(I'm rough on phones - lost or broke 15 in 12 months).

.

Buy shares in Nokia.

[Dockhead]

I drop phones in the oggin with appalling regularity. In fact in general the time I keep a phone is generally regulated by when it gets dropped into the sea.

I dropped my current Nokia N900 in the bludy BILGE a month ago (that's a first). I dove right in while one of my guests held me by the ankles -- it must have been a funny sight.

I immediately took out the battery, rinsed everything in fresh water, shook out as much water as I could, and put the phone under a hair dryer on low heat setting.

I applied the hair dryer once or twice a day for several days and the phone eventually came back to life. The touch screen was the last part of the phone to work properly.

It has now been working flawlessly for a few weeks. As if nothing ever happened. I'm pleased about that since the phone is less than a year old and I don't like buying expensive smartphones more than every 18 months, at least.

I have had worse luck with phones dropped in salt water (I think the bilge water is mostly rain water). I think the time of immersion is very important. I suspect that as one of the above posters said -- immersion in salt water with the battery in will quickly lead to destruction through electrical leakage.

[SabreKai]

Pull the battery immediately, then break the phone down as much as you can, slosh it in fresh water repeatedly, shake it dry and then use a blow dryer on it. The guys that do RC battleships sink their servos and receivers all the time and if too lazy to seal them in plastic just open the covers and blow dry after shaking out as much water as they can.

You gotta get rid of the salt asap. As an afterthought why doesn't anyone ever put the thing on a lanyard?


Sabre

[spark ee]

I sail and surf in Hawaii and have on multiple occasions submerged my phones. Rice totally works... Usually. You've got to get it into the rice quickly and it also seems to depend on how long and how deep the phone was under.

A ziplock or small, clear dry bag works better than rice though...

Spark ee out.

[bstreep]

1) remove battery immediately

2) soak/rinse in distilled or RO/DI water. you can't get it too wet if it's been in salt water

3) place it in the oven at the lowest temp for 24 hours

We've had 100% success rate using the above IF the battery is removed within 30 seconds.

P.S. That's why I have a Motorola Defy Android phone: Waterproof, drop proof, scratch proof.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

Pull the battery immediately, then break the phone down as much as you can.

Sabre

Yep, Don't be afraid to break em down. A small screwdriver and going slow when you pop the plastic pieces apart so you don't break off (anymore than you have to at least, a few won't hurt) any of the little snappy bits. Unplug any unplugable connections and dry inside the sockets.

Cotton swabs to blot and dry out work well and then leave it all open somewhere warm to dry out for a day or two.

I have taken my phones swimming a painful number of times and have saved them for months more use. I salvaged the spouse's blackberry after a (unplanned) dip in the pool. (who expects someone to be wearing their blackberry in their SWIM TRUNKS? sheesh...)

They can be tougher than you would expect.

But the lanyard and waterproof bag as preventative measures is prolly the best bet ; -)

[bstreep]

Yes, the phone is IN the fish tank - and it's SALT WATER:

[roger.waite]

Saw a friend leap off his boat after his phone. Very funny. He threw the phone away. Just wanted the SIM card so he could keep the number.

So, two alternate approaches.

Smart approach. Put expensive smart phone in cheap waterproof bag.
OR
Minimalist approach. Ditch phone. Wash SIM. Buy another cheap phone!

[senormechanico]

Years ago, I used to fix TV sets for a living.
I lost track of how many times people spilled water from a hanging plant above their TV set, and quickly turned it on to see if it was still ok....

Television owner Darwin award winners every one of them.

[captainKJ]

next time add dried beans to the rice,,,,,when the water gets out of the phone you have a meal ready to eat