A Beginner’s Cell Phone Repair Technician’s Guide to Fixing a Water Damaged Cellphone

Go to any cell phone repair technician shop in town and ask them what the most common problems smartphone users walk in to have repaired are and they will surely mention Water Damage in the list EVEN with the NEW water resistant smart phones (we smiled for that). With modern people clinging onto their phone whenever and wherever they go, it is inevitable to accidentally drop it in the sink, toilet bowl, puddle/mud or in the ocean.

When dealing with a water damaged device take note of the indicator inside the phone that changes color when once if touched by liquid. There are multiple indicators in different locations inside the phone to help identify how extensive the water damage is.

Getting a liquid damaged device to a qualified cell phone repair technician as soon as possible is crucial to successful recovery of a liquid damaged device. Contrary to what many believe, the device should not be placed in rice. Be sure to inform the customer of the risks associated with water damage treatment.

Below is a summary of the process for repairing a liquid damaged cell phone:

Disassemble the cell phone. Make sure you remove the battery and the motherboard. Inspect the parts for evidence of damage or corrosion from the liquid. If it has corrosion this may be past repair and has been sitting for some time with the water damage.

Use alcohol and a soft brush to clean the motherboard and reduce the change that corrosion will damage the device long term.

With the proper tools the device should be treated to to help remove any remaining corrosion and reduce the change of future corrosion but is not a guarantee of repair.

The internal part of the phone must be thoroughly dried.

Reassemble the device and test functionality.

Water damage treatment is part of cell phone repair training at Cellbotics. We teach the techniques necessary to properly recover liquid damaged cell phones and tablets. Improper handling of a liquid damaged device could result in permanent damage to the device and data loss. It is important to always have a water damaged device inspected by a qualified repair technician.