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How do I Fix a Water Damaged BlackBerry®?

Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen

The first step to repair a water damaged BlackBerry® is to remove the battery. Whatever else you do to nurse your device back to health, it is imperative that you leave it powered down, or off, until it is completely dry. After the battery is out, you can also remove the subscriber identity module (SIM) and micro secure digital (SD) cards, if your model has them. You may then use compressed air or a hair dryer to dry the device as best you can. After that you can place your water damaged BlackBerry® near an indirect heat source or in a sealed container with silica gel or rice.

An important thing to consider when fixing a water damaged BlackBerry® is that you want to get the device as dry as possible without further damaging it. Powering up, or turning on, a wet device is a good way to ruin various electronic components, which is why removing the battery immediately is a good idea. Additionally, you may want to stay away from substances like acetone, since they can damage the liquid crystal display (LCD) and other components. Rubbing alcohol may be useful in certain limited circumstances, such as if the circuitry was contaminated with soda, salt water, or similar liquids, though great care must be taken not to cause further harm.

It's a good idea to remove the SIM card from a water damaged BlackBerry®.
It's a good idea to remove the SIM card from a water damaged BlackBerry®.

If you have access to clean, compressed air, you may use it to blow much of the water out of the device. Note that compressed air available at service stations may be contaminated with oil if the compressor isn't properly maintained, and canned air can express harmful chemicals if the can isn't held perfectly level. Either of these contaminants may do more harm to your already water damaged BlackBerry®. A hair dryer is another option, though it should be set to low, or no, heat as overly hot air could potentially damage the electronic components further.

A BlackBerry®.
A BlackBerry®.

Once you have removed as much of the water as possible, there are two common ways to evaporate or absorb the rest. If you have a computer monitor, cable box, or other similar device, you can set your water damaged BlackBerry® near these heat sources. If you do so, it is important to monitor the device so that it is not allowed to become too hot. The other option is to place the device in a sealed container with either uncooked rice or silica gel. Either of these materials may be able to absorb some of the remaining liquid left in your waterlogged BlackBerry®.

Placing water damaged electronics in a bowl of uncooked rice will help remove moisture.
Placing water damaged electronics in a bowl of uncooked rice will help remove moisture.

The only other thing required to fix your water damaged BlackBerry® is patience. Re-inserting the battery and turning the device back on before it is fully dry can cause irreparable damage, so it is a good idea to let it dry as long as possible. This could be anywhere from a few hours to a day, depending on how wet the device got and how good a job you did of drying it out.

Discussion Comments

Logicfest

@Melonlity -- And if all of that works, do yourself a favor and get a waterproof case. Those are fairly common these days. They cost a bit more than a regular case, but the cost will be worth it. It is incredibly easy to expose a BlackBerry or any other electronics device to water. The thing about these smartphones, though, is that they are extremely sensitive to water.

There are some smartphones, in fact, that deal with the water problem by making waterproof models. That is a heck of a good idea.

Melonlity

@Terrificli -- I like the idea of waiting for at least a week, too. I also like the idea of taking the BlackBerry apart as much as possible. I'm not talking about much -- just pulling as much of the case off as you can without the risk of any small parts falling out of it.

That will allow moisture to escape the phone easier.

Terrificli

Fixing a water damaged BlackBerry is like fixing any other electronics device, really. There are a few rules to follow. As the article pointed out, remove the battery immediately or at least make sure that the device is fully powered down. A little bit of water is only harmful if electricity runs through it and delicate circuitry is burned out.

With the device powered down, toss it in a bag of rice. Believe it or not, that has been shown to work. Rice will effectively absorb the water in a device over time. The question is, how long should you leave it in rice? Some people say 36 hours is long enough, others swear by three days while others claim you should leave it there at least a week.

I prefer to exercise caution and say leave it there a week. If you try powering up your BlackBerry before it is fully dry, then you risk ruining the thing entirely.

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    • It's a good idea to remove the SIM card from a water damaged BlackBerry®.
      By: ibphoto
      It's a good idea to remove the SIM card from a water damaged BlackBerry®.
    • A BlackBerry®.
      By: Christian Delbert
      A BlackBerry®.
    • Placing water damaged electronics in a bowl of uncooked rice will help remove moisture.
      By: Intel Free Press
      Placing water damaged electronics in a bowl of uncooked rice will help remove moisture.
    • A hair dryer set on the lowest heat setting may be used to dry a waterlogged BlackBerry®.
      By: macbrianmun
      A hair dryer set on the lowest heat setting may be used to dry a waterlogged BlackBerry®.