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Please help! I spilled water on my MacBook Air!

M

MisterApple

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 22, 2014
6
0
Please help, I am spazzing out!! This has happened to me once before, so I reacted better to the situation. I spilled some water on the computer, but not a lot. I'd say 70% went to the keyboard, and 30% towards the screen, where I think it could have gone inside of the computer... BUT, I reacted VERY quickly and instantly. Literally not one second from when I knocked over the glass with water and it spilled, I grabbed the laptop and turned it over. then I (holding the laptop upside down) held the power button till it shut off - i shut it off, it did not shut off by itself. then i grabbed a towel and wiped away all the water (though there was not much). then I left it upside down for a few minutes, and i grabbed some tissues, and (holding it upside down) wiped every little corner I could reach. I could not open the screws, because I had nothing to open them with. I kept it upside down at all times, then I put it in a plastic box, without the lid. i put rice on the spots where the screen bends, on both sides... The computer stayed upside down (in the box), with that part covered in rice. then I used the see-through foil to make it air tight, and carefully covered that box with wide tape to make sure it was air tight. Before putting it in the box, I did try to turn it on 2 times, just by pressing the power button, and nothing seemed to happen. now it's gonna stay like that in that box for the night. What to do now? please tell me how to save this laptop... my parents will kill me. Put the box in the sun? under a light? take the laptop to service or let it stay like this for a few days? what should I do?? Thanks in advance :p :(
 
MisterApple said:
Please help, I am spazzing out!! This has happened to me once before, so I reacted better to the situation. I spilled some water on the computer, but not a lot. I'd say 70% went to the keyboard, and 30% towards the screen, where I think it could have gone inside of the computer... BUT, I reacted VERY quickly and instantly. Literally not one second from when I knocked over the glass with water and it spilled, I grabbed the laptop and turned it over. then I (holding the laptop upside down) held the power button till it shut off - i shut it off, it did not shut off by itself. then i grabbed a towel and wiped away all the water (though there was not much). then I left it upside down for a few minutes, and i grabbed some tissues, and (holding it upside down) wiped every little corner I could reach. I could not open the screws, because I had nothing to open them with. I kept it upside down at all times, then I put it in a plastic box, without the lid. i put rice on the spots where the screen bends, on both sides... The computer stayed upside down (in the box), with that part covered in rice. then I used the see-through foil to make it air tight, and carefully covered that box with wide tape to make sure it was air tight. Before putting it in the box, I did try to turn it on 2 times, just by pressing the power button, and nothing seemed to happen. now it's gonna stay like that in that box for the night. What to do now? please tell me how to save this laptop... my parents will kill me. Put the box in the sun? under a light? take the laptop to service or let it stay like this for a few days? what should I do?? Thanks in advance :p :(
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Well the best solution in preventing liquid damage is keeping food and drinks away from the computer. You are past that point. Try the box of rice but any water from the tap is not perfectly neutral and has some chemicals in it. It may corrode the board over time which would be a costly repair.

You shouldn't have tried to turn it on. If there was any strong chemical in the water it could create an electrical bridge (short circuit) and fry the board. Do your best with the rice and hope for the best. You broke the #1 rule when dealing with water damaged electronics, so you did cut your chances by a bit...
 
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You were doing the right thing until you tried to turn it on so soon. At this point I'd leave it in the bag and give it some time.
 
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This happened to me once before? Really. I'm sorry this happened, but do you think you could learn your lesson this time?

Sorry for sounding so unforgiving, but these posts show up way too many times on MR. Doesn't anyone take care of their Macs anymore?
 
jbachandouris said:
Sorry for sounding so unforgiving, but these posts show up way too many times on MR.
Click to expand...

So true, it's remarkable how many people learn the hard way that computers and liquids don't mix.

But the OP here is probably young ("my parents will kill me"), so I think we should cut him a little slack. I hope this bad experience will have a positive effect in the end. I sure did some dumb things myself when I was young. ;)
 
I'd say that if you have a tendancy to spill things on your laptop, then to not put drinks near it. Its happened before, why make the same mistake again. Do it once, mistake, twice is a pattern of _______(fill in the blank).

I suppose I am sorry. But 1st time should've taught you a lesson.
 
The rice was a good idea, but it takes time for it to work. If it were me, I'd set the Mac on a pile of rice inside a plastic bag to get the maximum desiccation.

Don't turn it on again for a week, just to be sure (but you may have done damage by having turned it on so quickly after wetting it).

Good luck.
 
So, i took it to the repair shop and they are repairing it. they will take it apart, clean it 100%, and leave it to dry for a couple of days... did i do the right thing? #
 
I would say you did the right thing… assuming that the "repair shop" is legitimate and actually knows what they are doing.

And if you are going to pay for the repair with money you earned yourself, that is definitely the right thing to do. That should remind you not to make this kind of mistake again. :)

Hope everything works out for you!
 
Boyd01 said:
I would say you did the right thing… assuming that the "repair shop" is legitimate and actually knows what they are doing.

And if you are going to pay for the repair with money you earned yourself, that is definitely the right thing to do. That should remind you not to make this kind of mistake again. :)

Hope everything works out for you!
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Thanks so much! yep, im paying with my own money lol... as I should! I'll keep you posted, I'm picking it up in a few days... I'm so scared :0
Yep, the repair shop is legit :)
 
Altemose said:
Is it an Apple Store? How much was the repair?
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nope, its better than the apple store- cheaper and they actually fix stuff when something isn't working... anyway, they took it apart, cleaned and dried... works like a new one! they even updated my software! the repair cost me 33$
i aint lucky, i'm blessed, yes! :)
 
MisterApple said:
nope, its better than the apple store- cheaper and they actually fix stuff when something isn't working... anyway, they took it apart, cleaned and dried... works like a new one! they even updated my software! the repair cost me 33$
i aint lucky, i'm blessed, yes! :)
Click to expand...

Nice, glad it all worked out for you.
 
Thanks everyone :)
Not better because it's cheaper, but better because they actually fix stuff when I have problems with it. When I take it to the apple store, they often just give me another excuse and charge me 100$ for 'professional evaluation of damage' or whatever..
 
MisterApple said:
nope, its better than the apple store- cheaper and they actually fix stuff when something isn't working... anyway, they took it apart, cleaned and dried... works like a new one! they even updated my software! the repair cost me 33$
i aint lucky, i'm blessed, yes! :)
Click to expand...
Where on earth did you get this done? I just did the same thing to my macbook air a few hours ago and since I have no idea about electronics at all, I tried to turn it on about four times after I spilled water on it. What many of the rude people on here don't understand is that sometimes accidents happen. I had a faulty water bottle and when I picked it up, it spilled open completely and I wasn't even working on my computer, it just so happened to be nearby and there was enough water that it spilled over to the computer quickly. So anyhow, I have it drying out now, but I'm afraid I'm screwed because of all the times I tried to turn it on. Where did you go to repair it and is it fully functional now?
 
jbachandouris said:
This happened to me once before? Really. I'm sorry this happened, but do you think you could learn your lesson this time?

Sorry for sounding so unforgiving, but these posts show up way too many times on MR. Doesn't anyone take care of their Macs anymore?
Click to expand...

I used to balance cups of tea on my MacBook Pro palm rest ;) I'm amazed that nothing ever got spilt on it!
 
I spilled water on my Macbook Air and waited a few days before trying to turn it on. It did not turn on or show any signs of life when I plugged it in, so after about a week I assumed it was dead. But two weeks later it finally turned on and now seems to work perfectly. So sometimes it requires more than a few days to dry.
 
can somebody help me out? i had a similar case of lemonade spill. also i tried to turn it on alot of times and didnt turn it upside down until today because i did not know what to do. please help me this is my first ever spillage case. two months old only, parents are literally gonna kill me. i feel like killing myself rn i really need that macbook i cant wait for two whole weeks. also if i go to apple store they will charge us alot. i dont want that.. i feel so ashamed of myself please guys, help me out....
 
MisterApple said:
Thanks everyone :)
Not better because it's cheaper, but better because they actually fix stuff when I have problems with it. When I take it to the apple store, they often just give me another excuse and charge me 100$ for 'professional evaluation of damage' or whatever..
Click to expand...

Apple charges no fees for evaluation. You must have been taking it to an AASP. Either way, I am glad you got a working computer.
 
MacBook water damage – Defensive measures for you to take after water damage has occurred.

MacBook water damage and Corrosion: The Science behind your DELAYED nightmare
Corrosion is a process, which converts refined metals to their more stable oxide. It is the slow and gradual deterioration of materials (usually metals) by chemical reaction within their environment, In this case the corrosion occurs with you combine electricity, metal, water and oxygen, creating iron oxide (or what is more commonly known as rust). There is no reliable timetable for this process to occur; a MacBooks internal components typically begin corroding immediately after the water spill, in some cases your Mac can function normally for days or weeks without showing any signs that there is a problem. How fast the corrosion process takes is dependent on a ton of factors we have no control over like humidity levels, the severity of the spill and how long the device was in contact with the liquid.

Following these simple steps can save your Mac from becoming a very expensive paperweight. *** Ignore them at your own peril.***

1. Power the MacBook down – Shut off your Mac as soon as you discover that it has been exposed to liquid! The majority of spills occur when the Mac is powered on and in use, so you must fight the urge to dry it off and continue working. Do not attempt to power the MacBook on until it has been inspected by a service provider.

2. Unplug any accessories – This one is important, some devices send electrical current back to the Logic Board thus causing more damage. Additionally having any hole available so the the liquid can escape from is always a plus.

3. Dry off any and all external liquid – While it will be nearly impossible for you to dry off any of the internal components so make sure you dry of the outside of your Mac carefully. When drying of the outer parts of your Mac, avoid rolling it around, doing so only cause the liquid to pitch and roll throughout the unit unnecessarily exposing more internal components to the liquid. Finally carefully flip the unit over keyboard side down and allow gravity handle the rest. This will direct the liquid away from the main logic board.

4. Putting your MacBook in rice may give you a false sense of security. Putting your in rice after MacBook water damage has occurred is said (wish I knew said this nonsense) to dry up the water and prevent any additional damage. Rice does not benefit a water damaged MacBook in any way. My guess is that this was a tactic used service providers to deter people from attempting to power on the device after the spill, if your Mac is in a big bag of rice then your not trying to power it on. we all know that it takes every ounce of self control not try to power your Mac on every hour to see if it has come back to life. Remember trying to power on the Mac after the spill is a big NO NO!

5. If your Mac has a User serviceable Battery Unplug it. Electricity is the catalyst and accelerates the corrosion process. If your Mac is still on, power down the unit down immediately and remove any power source. If your Mac has a “user serviceable battery” you may want to completely remove the battery, newer MacBooks this is typically not an option.

6. Get your Mac to a service provider familiar with mitigating water damage ASAP. Getting your MacBook to a service provider as quickly as possible improves the chances you don’t experience data loss or end up with a MacBook that is a nightmare to repair.
 
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