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 Facts you Should Know about Water Damage to your Computer  
Water, or almost any liquid, is not a great thing to have around your computer. Damage caused by liquids can cause expensive replacements or repairs. Regrettably, many people who are unfortunate enough to have this happen to them cannot afford it.

By Jim Corkern

Water, or almost any other kind of liquid, is not a great thing to have around your computer or any other electronic device. Liquid damage can be expensive to replace or to have repaired and regrettably, many people who are unfortunate enough to have this happen to them cannot afford it.

If the liquid spilled on the device is acidic, like soda or coffee, then it generally does more damage than simple water would do. It causes more corrosion to the metal areas of the motherboard or any other computer components such as the hard drive or CD-ROM.

One of the worst-case scenarios is spilling a liquid onto your laptop computer - where everything, motherboard, hard-drive, CD-ROM, etc. is packed into the same general area.

In most cases of water damage to computers, a person spills liquid on the keyboard or another outside component such as the mouse. With laptops, spilling a liquid on the keyboard means that not only is the keyboard affected, but also the other components sharing the shell of the laptop. What can you do if you spill water or another liquid on your laptop?

1. Unplug it from the A/C adapter and remove the battery IMMEDIATELY. Unplug any other external devices, including external hard drives, mice, other input devices, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc.

2. The next thing is to turn the laptop completely upside down to stop the liquid from sinking into it any further.

3. Use a towel or paper towels to clean up the spilled liquid, wipe off the keyboard, exterior, and any external devices that were exposed to the liquid as well.

4. At this point, you could do one of two things. You could take it to a professional repairman (I hope you have an extra arm and leg lying around), or if you know how to take something apart and put it back together, you could try to fix it yourself.

In trying to fix it, you may damage it irreparably, so if you are even remotely unsure about your ability to repair it, it is better to take it to a professional.

If you choose the do-it-yourself route, disassemble the computer and allow it to dry completely for at least 24 hours, if not longer. Let it dry until you are satisfied that it is absolutely dry.

Whatever you do, do not turn the power on before it is completely dry. It is not water itself that kills the circuit board of any electronic device, but the electricity that runs through it when someone tries to turn the device on while it is still wet.

If it was just water, drying should be all it needs. If it was soda or any other acidic liquid, clean it with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips, then put it back together and wait for the alcohol to dry. See if it works.


About the Author:

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality flood and water damage cleanup and water damage restoration companies across the United States. Article Source: 1st Rate Articles - http://1stRateArticles.com


  Article added 08/12/07.

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