Wet iPhone Day!

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Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 17, 2013 - 08:42pm PT
Aris tossed my iPhone into the bathtub along with a few other of his favorite "toys" and I found a it a bit later. So the big question is... How to save it, if it's possible, etc.

No I am not mad at the kid. It's my fault for not keeping track of him, the phone, both, etc. No, Bill will not buy me a new one. He almost died from touching an Apple product once. He deeply hates them, no one should make him suffer more... ;P
AFS
Norton

Social climber
the Wastelands
Apr 17, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
google wet iphone

lot of hits

putting in a pile of rice to draw moisture

lots of ideas out there
nutjob

Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
Apr 17, 2013 - 08:48pm PT
I once dropped a pager into a rain gutter (when I was climbing into the second story window on a rainy day when I locked myself out). It was submerged for a good 10 seconds before I could get to it.

I took it apart, baked the pieced in the oven at 150 degrees F, reassembled after cooling, and it worked.

These days, probably more sensitive components and apple products tend to me challenging to disassemble without damaging them.

Fast response is critical to prevent water-based corrosion... good luck!
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:02pm PT
Take it to an Apple store and tell them it quit working?
You wouldn't be lying, right? ;-)
michaeld

Sport climber
Sacramento
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:08pm PT
You're asking the climbing community (majority of which were born before Apple/Mac) about how to fix a smart phone?




Anastasia

climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2013 - 09:08pm PT
There are moisture strip in the phone that shows if it's been in contact with water. They will know right away. I am just hoping... :) Yeah, I'm a lucky girl, let me see if chance doesn't mind giving a hand. Then again, between the phone and saving my son one day... If it's between those two, I hope chance will be there for my son. The phone isn't that important.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:10pm PT
Rice... That's all i know.
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
michaeld

There are some very tech savvy folks here. A few geniuses too. Plus sometimes the best ideas come from the strangest places. I'll take advice from anyone. Besides that... In then end it's up to me what I actually use.
10b4me

Ice climber
Happy Boulders
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:13pm PT
Hair dryer?
michaeld

Sport climber
Sacramento
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:16pm PT
You should bake it. That'll take the moisture out.
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Apr 17, 2013 - 09:26pm PT
Get it warm and dry it out.. I'd be hesitant to get it over 150 deg but if you have that low a setting in your oven (with an accurate thermometer) toss it in a bowl of rice and go for it.

The sooner it dries the better your chances are. But let it really dry out. Give it more time than you think.. even a full day or more.

Never had an iPhone (am allergic to apple products too) Can you even take the back off and battery out?
TwistedCrank

climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:22pm PT
Microwave it. Serious.
Leggs

Sport climber
Home away from Home
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:23pm PT
Microwave it. Serious.

*gulp*
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:24pm PT
uhm.. definately do not microwave it..

just in case anyone would seriously consider that.
Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:26pm PT
Can't help you this time around, but get a Lifeproof case for the next one. They're really quite amazing little cases.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:30pm PT
You should bake it.

I've tried to find a good way to make this work, but the iFlan keeps deflating.
Edge

Trad climber
New Durham, NH
Apr 17, 2013 - 10:59pm PT
Take it to the Apple store and tell the young man at the counter that you had it in your chest pocket and that you sweat "a lot" when you get excited.

Then bat your eyelashes, fan your neck with an open hand, and say, "Oh my, I seem to be getting all sweaty just now..." I hear this works for speeding tickets as well.
Morgan

Trad climber
East Coast
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:05pm PT
Jebus has it right!

My phone got whacked by a sudden storm 7 pitches up. I wasn't planning to take it at all, but my two partners weren't getting a good signal with AT& T. The "waterproof" pack pocket didn't suffice and the little red tab popped out signaling that the phone was cooked. Like an idiot, I tried to start it up numerous times before burying it in rice to try and dry it out. The convenience store where I bought the rice had sold many boxes for the same purpose.

I since bought a Lifeproof case to add a layer of protection. Apparently you really have to be on the lookout for counterfeit Lifeproof cases.
Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:10pm PT
Haven't heard about counterfeits, but if you test it out properly you should have all the confidence in the world to dunk it in a pitcher of beer, take it into the shower, hot springs, swimming, whatever.

My phone has been through all of the above. No problem.
ruppell

climber
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:12pm PT
Rice for at least 24 hours. 48 would be better. If it was on when it took the bath it's most likely toast. iPhones are sealed units so you can't take them apart. The longer the better in the rice. DO NOT BAKE OR MICROWAVE IT. lol
Wretchedalan

Social climber
Wisconsin
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:15pm PT
I've had good results with minute rice. Put the phone in a gallon ziplock bag with load of minute rice. I have left items packed like that for about 2 days. I left the bag sitting in a nice warm spot as well. This has worked for me for numerous iPods, iPod touches, and twice for coworkers with iPhones.

rick
Fletcher

Trad climber
The great state of advaita
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:30pm PT
The rice idea seems to be pretty prevalent. There are also places (and I'm sure there are a bunch in the valley) that fix broken phones, including iPhones. Might be worth a visit.

I'm with you on the phone destruction! My 3 year old lost my wife's iPhone on a soccer field last year. Somewhere. I went back and did the grid search a couple of times. And I did have Find my iPhone set up. I think the battery was run out. Now my wife has a new one with an orange case!

I blew up my iPhone last fall when I was leaning back to buckle the same 3 year old in. I keep a cup of coffee in one holder on the console and my phone in the other. Then I noticed a pool of coffee in the console tray... and the cup holder where the phone was up to about an inch! Aiyah! It sorta kinda worked for the most part. The only problem was that the Home button was intermittent and I had to push it hard and or wack it to get it to work. So I didn't want the hassle and my contract was up, so I got a new one. I sold the old one to gazelle.com and got 140 odd bucks for it! If yours is not usable anymore, you might want to send it to them. They also take old MacBooks and some other Apple hardware.

Eric
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Apr 17, 2013 - 11:34pm PT
$49 replacement with apple care, which I hope, you got!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Apr 18, 2013 - 12:12am PT
^^ Jaybro for the win.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Apr 18, 2013 - 12:46am PT
Oh ya! Forgot about that! I bought that option!

Sweet!
squishy

Mountain climber
Apr 18, 2013 - 12:52am PT
You put it in a large jar filled with rice, let it sit there for like 4 or 5 days, then try turning it on, if you already tried turning it on, this trick may not work.

I do this for RC electronics when I crash in water and it works great.
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
Apr 18, 2013 - 12:54am PT
I like pasta more than rice.

Beans are good though. =P
Fletcher

Trad climber
The great state of advaita
Apr 18, 2013 - 01:06am PT
Be careful with AppleCare. It's good for some people, but it really depends on your situation, personality (perennial phone smasher, etc.) and budget. AppleCare costs $99 and plus $49 for each damage repair incident (limited to 2 incidents, I think). It's definitely a good deal for Apple! But maybe not for others.

I just self-insure. I squirrel away an amount each month and that's my phone insurance fund. Of course, this takes a level of discipline and having Apple insure for you may be safer than risking blowing your fund on coffee, those new cams, wine, women, song, or whatever is running now on HSN! :-)

Eric
matisse

climber
Apr 18, 2013 - 01:36am PT
Last week a friend of mine had her iPhone do the swim in the toilet thing ( fortunately clean water ). The rice trick worked! Good luck.
dave729

Trad climber
Western America
Apr 18, 2013 - 02:12am PT
gentle heat to dry it out but not melt it, like a CFL light bulb.
Use something like a tennis racket to support the phone on top of a table lamp so its not to close to the bulb. Or a sunny window.

Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2013 - 04:03am PT
Bad enough that I got Bill to spend money on an Apple product, I would not dare ask for a warranty too.

Yeah... I know. I most likely screwed but hey... Let's see. I'm a lucky girl full of surprises that surprise ME.

mcreel

climber
Barcelona
Apr 18, 2013 - 06:26am PT
I would submerge it in a vat of urine, photograph it, and put it on the web. Guaranteed to go viral.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Apr 18, 2013 - 07:55am PT
How far I to your contract are you? They'll prolly give you a 3sg for free, -
And 4's are only like 50 anyway. Others toll have to pay.

Bill's a big boy and it's time he grew up about apple anyway!

Doesn't mean you have to use a can on a string / droid!
couchmaster

climber
pdx
Apr 18, 2013 - 09:40am PT
Todays Yahoo news.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/best-new-tools-to-rescue-wet-cell-phones-162155628.html


Wet Cell Phone Rescue Tool That's Better Than Rice
By Becky Worley |

Each year millions of phones are damaged by water. The interior gets wet and the circuitry goes kaput. Replacing a wet smartphone can cost upwards of $400, so are there any ways to save a phone, especially an iPhone that’s gone for a swim?

Previously I tested the efficacy of drying a phone in uncooked rice, it worked for Blackberries and some Android phones, but I couldn’t get it to save an iPhone. So when I saw a new product that promised a 100% success rate for resuscitating wet phones (including the iPhone), I had to try it.

First I dunked a powered on iPhone 4 in fresh water for 20 seconds, fully submerging it and cringing as I watched air bubbles popping out of the phone’s innards, as I knew water was rushing in.

Then I pulled out the Dry-All Smartphone Recovery kit and followed the directions. First turn the phone off, towel dry, put in the Dry-All case for 24 hours. The biggest mistake people make after accidentally getting a phone wet is to turn it on and see if it’s working. That can fire up the phone and further fry the circuitry. If the phone is in sleep mode (screen off but powered on, as it normally is in your pocket) do nothing but hit the off button and fully power it down once you remove it from the water.

The Dry-All can be purchased either as a one-time use bag for $11 or a five-time use case for $50. It is filled with proprietary dehumidifying beads that were originally designed to keep sensitive military equipment dry as it shipped across the ocean during World War II. The company claims that the Dry-All has a 100% success rate when drying out phones that have been submerged in water less than 30 seconds (if you follow their directions).

The main differential between their beads and other desiccants, like rice, is the speed at which they can remove moisture from the hone and thus prevent corrosion. Because the iPhone does not have a removable battery, its parts are less accessible and I presume harder to get dry than the other phones we successfully revived with rice.

So after 24 hours in the Dry-All container, I opened it with some hesitation and was pleasantly surprised to see the iPhone turn on. I had no problems with the phone, like non-working buttons or glitchy behavior. I decided to try it again and sure enough after another 20 second soak and 24-hour period in the Dry-All container, the iPhone powered on again.

Now there are other products that promise smartphone resuscitation like the Kensington Evap pouch ($20) and when I tested it, it was also successful in reviving the iPhone after a 20 second dip.

One note: while both these products revived the phone to full working status – the iPhone’s Liquid Contact Indicator (located inside the headphone jack) had been tripped by the initial exposure to water and the pouches could not alter that indicator status. Once tripped that indicator voids the one-year warranty or any Apple Care warranties on the phone.

But if you are prone to wet phone incidents, having one of these rescue packs on hand seems like a good investment and might prevent you from having to spend a few hundred dollars on a replacement phone in the future.

[Related: Scratch Test – Does Your Phone Really Need a Screen Protector?]

Ethics Statement: All opinions expressed here are my own. I am not paid by any manufacturers or retailers.
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2013 - 03:26pm PT
Funny, Bill would actually submerge it in a vat of Urine and let that photograph go viral. He loves his Galaxy and thinks my phone isn't worth the rice it's sitting in.

My plan is four days of being in rice, hook it up and see if it goes. If not, next step is the Mac store and see what deal I can convince them to give me. Bill does not WANT me to buy another iPhone. But if I can get one cheap, one being comparable to the replacement phone he would get me... Well, we can compromise and why he's a great man to be married to. I'll be just as happy with a lower model since all I really love about it is the directions, camera/video, looking up prices, places to go for gas and how I can post pictures instantly. Most of the iPhones can do that.
maldaly

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Apr 18, 2013 - 05:22pm PT
This is the gizmo you want:

http://www.dry-all.com/product-smartphones.htm

We're all headed to Alaska for the summer and will be spending tons of time in rain and on the water. Thsi is as important as mosquito repellant.

Mal
TwistedCrank

climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
Apr 18, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
Come on. Microwave it ferchrissakes.

I want to know what happens.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Apr 18, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
The desiccant suggestions are stupid. Anyone remotely tied to electronics design and manufacturing will correctly tell you to bake the thing. That's exactly what happens to all the components inside that thing before they are assembled. Moisture inside a PCB and components will get hot and blister during soldering, water is a dirty contaminant, etc. These things are almost always baked for a long time at low temps, then vacuum packed with desiccants before shipping. I'd recommend ~200 degrees F, ~8 hours, as a pretty good guess.
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 19, 2013 - 03:00pm PT
45 hours of rice immersion. Yeah... Once this is over, I'll tell you if it works. Heck, might even make a hilarious video of the whole event. (Crossing my fingers.)
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2013 - 03:13am PT
It worked! Phone is working really well too. Only difference I see is a shorter charge but heck... After that, I am not complaining!

Yeah... Now off I go to use it to make a video!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Apr 21, 2013 - 03:40am PT
Rice is nice!


That's awesome!
TwistedCrank

climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
Apr 21, 2013 - 10:36am PT
OK now microwave it.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Apr 21, 2013 - 10:57am PT
Why not just buy a new iphone? get the one that talks to you. Bill will never have to know.
rurprider

Trad climber
Mt. Rubidoux
Apr 21, 2013 - 11:45am PT
Be certain to turn off the phone. DON'T power it up!!!! Wipe all surface water off with a towel. Take a vacuum nozzle and vacuum off any water that you can. Place the phone in a ziplock with a cup of white rice (Teddy Kennedy used this method to keep his cocaine moisture free) and seal for 24 hours. Now, you have adequately removed as much water as you can. Power up and assess the damage. The worst thing you can do is power up the phone while it's wet.
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2013 - 01:33pm PT
I respect my husband. I don't do things behind his back, especially because it's way more fun to do it in front of him. He can handle more than most.
AFS
ruppell

climber
Apr 21, 2013 - 02:46pm PT
Glad it worked out for you. You should really look at the galaxy line for your next upgrade though. Samsung makes a quality phone.
Anastasia

climber
Home
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2013 - 05:13pm PT
I agree, the Galaxy is the better phone by far but... I have to say I prefer my iPhone simply because I know how to use it well. Once I get into something, I'm good. Also the reason why I'll be good with the same one for the next five years. I'm easy like that.
Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic
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