Laptops have become an indispensable tool for work, school, and personal use. As portable devices, laptops are at risk for accidental liquid spills that can cause severe damage. Understanding how much water exposure laptops can withstand, which components are vulnerable, and best practices for drying them out can help users make informed decisions when accidents happen. Knowing if water will destroy a laptop or if the damage is repairable can save people from unnecessary costs and data loss. This article provides helpful information for anyone who has experienced or wants to prevent laptop water damage.
What Happens When a Laptop Gets Wet
Water can easily seep into a laptop through any openings and crevices. The keyboard is a major point of entry, as water can leak between the keys and reach the internal components below (Technology-Solved). Liquid spills can also enter through ports, the CD/DVD drive, or ventilation grills on the bottom or sides of the laptop. Even small amounts of water getting inside can lead to major problems.
Once inside the laptop casing, water comes into contact with the internal components and electrical circuits. Water is conductive and can cause short circuits when it bridges connections that aren’t meant to touch, leading to erratic behavior or failure of components. The metal contacts and copper traces on printed circuit boards are very vulnerable to water corrosion over time. This can break connections in the circuits and cause components to malfunction or stop working completely (MakeUseOf).
Water can also simply get on and cling to components, leading to corrosion, deposits, or growth of mold over time. Delicate parts like processors, memory chips, and storage drives are not designed to get wet. Water drips can short out integrated circuits or damage moving parts like fan bearings. Any amount of moisture or corrosion buildup can degrade performance and eventually lead to permanent damage.
Short Water Exposures
A short water exposure, such as a quick spill, can still damage a laptop but may not destroy it completely. According to technology-solved.com, brief contact with moisture can cause discoloration or corrosion on the motherboard and other components. This can lead to malfunctions with the keyboard, trackpad, ports, speakers and more. The laptop may continue to function initially but develop issues over time as corrosion spreads.
Signs of a short water exposure as listed by makeuseof.com include a flickering screen, keys not working properly, speakers crackling, and the touchpad behaving erratically. A small amount of water can quickly seep under keys and into openings. While major failure may not happen right away, it’s important to quickly dry out the laptop and have it assessed for water damage.
With fast action, there’s a chance a brief water spill can be remedied or at least prolong the laptop’s usable life. But prolonged exposure can enable water to reach vital components like the motherboard and CPU, increasing the likelihood of irreparable damage.
Long Water Exposures
Longer water exposures can cause more severe damage to a laptop. If a laptop is fully submerged in water or exposed to spills for an extended period, it is much more likely to suffer permanent damage.
Prolonged water exposure can cause corrosion and short-circuiting of the internal electronic components. The motherboard, which contains critical components like the CPU and RAM, is very vulnerable to water damage over time. Water can seep under chips and wash away protective coatings, leading to oxidation and electrical shorts.
The longer a laptop is wet, the farther water can spread to components like the hard drive or SSD. These storage devices contain sensitive platters or chips that can easily malfunction if exposed to moisture (source). This often leads to unrecoverable data loss or device failure.
In addition, prolonged water exposure can cause corrosion of electrical contacts for components like the keyboard, trackpad, ports, and battery. This leads to functionality issues even after the laptop is dried out.
Liquid that seeps down to the lower motherboard can cause shorts that disable core laptop functions. A laptop that won’t power on at all after a major spill likely has motherboard failure.
The longer the exposure time, the less likely it is that a laptop can be revived after water damage. However, prompt action to dry out the laptop can still prevent permanent damage in some cases.
Which Components are Most Vulnerable
The components most vulnerable to water damage in a laptop are the motherboard, hard drive, and keyboard.
The motherboard contains many delicate electronic circuits and corrosion can develop over time after water exposure, leading to short circuits or connectivity issues. According to an article on Quora, “Of all the components of a computer, the hard drive is most susceptible to water damage. Hard drives contain sensitive mechanical and magnetic components that can easily be damaged by water exposure” (source).
The hard drive is very vulnerable because water can cause the drive heads to stick to the platters and prevent them from spinning properly. Water can also oxidize the magnetic surface of the platters and corrupt data. An article on PCLaptops states, “Rust: Any metal components that have been exposed to water will start to rust over time” (source).
Finally, the keyboard is prone to water damage because water can short circuit the contacts under each key and cause key presses to not register properly. Additionally, water can get trapped under the keyboard and be difficult to fully dry out.
Factors That Determine Water Damage
There are several key factors that play a role in determining the extent of water damage to a laptop:
Water Type – The type of liquid matters, with pure water generally being less damaging than liquids containing minerals, oils, or other contaminants. Saltwater and soda can rapidly corrode electronics. Clear liquids may seem innocuous but can still short circuits (Source).
Laptop Design – How sealed the components are and location/design of airflow vents impacts exposure. Older laptops tend to have more openings. Newer ultrabooks with solid-state components tend to resist moisture better (Source).
Volume of Exposure – More water increases spread to components. Submersion causes greater damage than a minor spill. Long exposure also increases harm as moisture has time to wick deeper into devices (Source).
Speed of Action – Quickly powering off and disconnecting the battery limits damage. Letting devices run while wet spreads moisture further through components (Source).
Drying Method – Air drying with limited heat vs. harsh methods impacts corrosion and residue. Careful disassembly and cleaning helps remove trapped moisture (Source).
How to Dry Out a Wet Laptop
If your laptop gets wet, it’s important to dry it out as quickly as possible to minimize water damage. Here are some tips for drying out a wet laptop:
1. Turn off the laptop immediately and disconnect any cables and external devices like USB drives.
2. Remove the battery from the laptop if possible. This prevents accidental powering on while drying.
3. Wipe off any exterior water gently with a soft cloth. Don’t rub it roughly.
4. Prop up the laptop at an angle to allow the water to drain out. Place it on a towel in a dry, ventilated space.
5. Use a can of compressed air to blow out any water lodged in openings or ports. This accelerates the drying process.
6. If possible, open up the laptop housing and use compressed air on interior components. Be very gentle if doing this.
7. An ideal way to dry out the laptop is to place it near a portable heater or use a hairdryer on a low, cool setting. Keep it about 1 foot away.
8. Give the laptop at least 24-48 hours to thoroughly dry before turning it back on. The longer the better.
9. Once fully dried, reassemble and connect the battery before powering it on. Hopefully it works, if not, professional repair may be needed.
With quick action, there’s a good chance of saving a wet laptop from permanent water damage. Just be sure to not power it on prematurely.
When to Attempt Repair vs. Replace
Whether a water-damaged laptop can be repaired depends on the extent of the damage. Minor spills that didn’t expose internal components for long may only require drying out and cleaning. However, if water reached the motherboard for an extended period, corrosion can develop that makes repair impossible.
Signs that water damage is beyond repair include the laptop not powering on at all, scrambled or distorted video, shorts across keyboards, and visible corrosion on the motherboard. Corroded circuits and shorted components often cannot be fixed. In these severe cases, repair costs can exceed replacing the laptop.
According to Computer Repair Ltd, leaving a laptop submerged for over an hour makes damage likely irreversible. Short dunks under 10 seconds may still be repairable if immediately powered off and dried. The longer the exposure, the lower the chance anything can be salvaged.
For older laptops, replacement may be preferable if repair costs exceed 50% of the device’s value. But for newer or high-end models, it can be worth attempting component-level repair until fixes become prohibitively expensive.
Prevention Tips
There are several precautions you can take to help prevent water damage to your laptop:
- Keep liquids away from your laptop. Avoid placing drinks near your computer or using it near sinks or other sources of water.
- Invest in a waterproof laptop case or sleeve. These provide an extra layer of protection against spills or rain.
- Consider getting a waterproof skin or keyboard cover. Skins can shield the exterior case, while keyboard covers protect the delicate electronics underneath.
- Store your laptop in an elevated, dry place when not in use. Don’t leave it on the floor where a spill or leak could reach it.
- Handle your laptop carefully if you need to use it around water. Keep a dry towel or cloth nearby to wipe up any drips or splashes immediately.
- Allow time for proper drying if your laptop does get wet. Don’t try to turn it on or charge it until completely dry (Source).
- Invest in comprehensive laptop insurance. This can cover water damage repair or replacement costs if an accident does occur.
Taking preventive steps can help protect your laptop from encountering liquid damage. But even with precautions, accidents happen. Knowing what to do if your laptop gets wet can help minimize any resulting issues.
Conclusion
Soaking a laptop in water can certainly destroy it, but the extent of the damage depends on factors like how long it was submerged and which components got wet. Short exposures may only cause temporary glitches as connectors and ports get wet, whereas long immersions can permanently damage critical parts like the motherboard, RAM, and hard drive.
The CPU and battery are generally well-sealed and resistant, but connectors, ports, keyboards, trackpads, and speakers are vulnerable. Quick action to cut power, dry out the laptop, and facilitate evaporation of any trapped water will minimize the chances of liquid reaching sensitive components.
While no laptop is waterproof, cautious use around liquids and thorough drying if accidentally splashed or dropped in water are key to giving your laptop the best chance of survival.