Saturday evening, I had a bit of a boo-boo. It wasn't really my fault, other than I was the one who brought my cell phone into a room it really didn't need to be in, and then I am the one who knocked it off the counter with a towel into a bowl full of water.
However, this isn't about assigning 'blame', it about results. The result in this case is that my cell phone appears to be screwed. It was quickly retrieved from the bowl full of water(ick), and then placed in a container full of rice, which is supposed to work magic with wetted phones.
So far, it hasn't worked any magic. Immediately after the incident, my phone had Wi-Fi internet service still, but no kind of phone service. Now, it doesn't seem to want to turn on at all. It's been in the rice almost 36 hours, and charging a few hours...very sad.
Very sad because it's going to cost money. I didn't pay for any kind of cell phone insurance, or use any kind of 'cloud' for the pictures on my phone, other than periodic downloading to my computer. Now I am faced with having to buy a new phone that isn't tied to my two year service plan...and those aren't cheap. I also have the option of picking up an unlocked phone online, which can be cheaper, but then Verizon will punish me for having to start a new 2-year plan. The cheapest phone that looks acceptable to me is in the $200, most of the really nice/fancy one costing about the same as a lap top computer(which makes sense, since they ARE lap tops.) There ARE cheaper ones, but after my Droid 4, I don't think I could exist long with a flip phone.
Sigh.
The packed in rice is good for a little bit of moisture, not lots.
ReplyDeleteOne way to save a piece of electronic equipment that has water inside is to, turn it off, remove the battery immediately, flush the equipment with lots of methanol, blow out any remaining methanol with dry air or a inert gas and then place it in a drying chamber and hope for the best.
Watch out when blowing out the methanol as there could be a cloud of explosive vapor formed.
You still are not going to get a decent percentage working again, there is is something about electronics and water just not working well together.
But I have seen a blow dryer for hair work on a radio that was dropped into a lake.
Remember, turn it off and get the battery out first.
If it ever happens again, pull the battery and the sim card RIGHT THEN. My hubby had it happen, and it was at work so no rice handy. He pulled the battery and sim card, and laid it all out on his desk. When he got home 3 hours later THEN he put the whole thing in the rice container. 48hours later his phone was perfectly functional again.
ReplyDeleteTry leaving it on you clothes dryer for a week. Let heat do some of the work. No guarantees, but I've seen this work in the past.
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ReplyDeleteCheck craigslist for someone selling a phone for your carrier. People buy the latest and greatest and then defray their costs but selling their still good phone for a couple bucks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the advise so far. The big negative with the Droid 4 is that battery is not removable without special tools.
ReplyDeleteI did get convinced by t two folks at Verizon not to rush out and spend pistol type money for a brand new phone. At the very least, I will look around online for a used/refurbed one, while this one continues to dry.