Help Disaster struck 15 minutes ago.

DungeonMistress · Jul 23, 2014

Two weeks ago, my husband got an upgrade from AT&T for me. A beautiful Samsung Galaxy Mega! I loved it! We couldn't afford the $80 Outter Case or the insurance. I know, you don't need to say it. Dumb.

But knowing the situation, I've been very careful with it...until just now. It was in the back pocket of my jeans. First time I've put it there. It was safe, until I had to go to the bathroom. I heard the splash and turned around, my heart in my throat, grabbed it out and saw that the screen was on and flashing. I attempted to turn it off. (Should have just taken the battery out).
Then I opened it up, removed the battery & sim card, blotted it as dry as I could get it and ran to the kitchen to get a bag of rice. So, now that is where it sits, wrapped in a paper towel submerged in the bag of rice with it's battery next to it, outside (it's 80

Unforgiven · Jul 24, 2014

I moved this to the Android Lounge as it isn't device specific. Your best bet is to forget about the phone for a few days. Let it get good and dry. If you can check the moisture indicators to see how wet the internals got. You should have them around the battery. More than likely, there will be no warranty so getting it dry is your best hope.

Dpadre · Jul 24, 2014

Besides rice, I've heard of using silicon packets in shoe boxes that absorb moisture. But good luck, I lost a new phone in the same manner with my teenager and it didn't survive, but my other friends have.

Rxpert83 · Jul 24, 2014

Another thing you'll see people suggest from time to time is high concentration isopropyl alcohol.

It'll displace the water, and also dries quicker

fdbryant3 · Jul 24, 2014

Hopefully getting dried will bring it back to life.

Was this was paid for on a credit card? If so check your benefits - some cards have a benefit where for a short time (usually between 30 to 90 days) they will refund the cost if anything (including things like losing it or having it stolen) happens to it even it isn't covered by the warranty.

DungeonMistress · Jul 24, 2014

First: Thank you, @Unforgiven for moving my post to a better spot.

Second: @fdbryant3, It's being paid for over time on our phone bill, and as I said, no insurance, we just didn't have the money for it.

Third: I have been giving some serious thought to the Isopropyl alcohol bath, but to be frank though; that kind of scares me, @Rxpert83.

Fourth: Silicone packets sound good, @Depadre, however; I don't have enough on hand.

I did see an ad for Gophermods that looked promising, though that would cut pretty seriously into my monthly food budget (and that is if I don't need any parts replaced), but I guess I could hit the food bank. Wow, that really sounds pathetic, doesn't it? That's the reality of living on SSI and disability.

Anyway, does anyone know anything about these guys? Can they be trusted? (If I have to use them or something like them).

Meanwhile, my phone is sitting in the rice on top of my computer tower. It's mildly warm there and definitely dry. Also, how long should I leave it before I check on it? Some say 24hrs, others say a couple of weeks. What is the consensus?

I do have a set of tools (need to find where I stored them) specifically made for working on a computer, non-magnetic, wrist strap included) that I got some years back when I built my computer. Since my phone is in essence a small computer, I thought using them might be wise if I have to open it up.

nickdalzell · Jul 24, 2014

I never put phones in back pockets. Not since I lost a very expensive pocket PC years ago that way. Only I sat down on a park bench and heard the 'crunch' and realised what had happened.

Water wont kill a phone, but it will do weird things after. I had a Samsung SGH-x427 go through the wash cycle that ended up frying the battery and a replacement fixed it but it kept freezing up at random.

another phone, a very nice Nokia with flip out QWERTY keypad, got slobbered on by a pet deer. Survived but kept dialing numbers in my contacts and somehow made it where I could no longer delete read emails.

My Galaxy Gear watch has been underwater, exposed to gasoline, grime and smacks on concrete at work, so it often goes wonky, refuses to update, randomly loses sync with my phone, and the speaker on the band is so shot that I can barely hear anything with it. S-VOICE refuses to recognize commands because one of the two microphones no longer works.

DungeonMistress · Jul 24, 2014

A lesson learned, that's for sure! That, among others...especially regarding water!

Also, I forgot to mention, I did check the moisture indicators and the one on the battery is all white, looks like that will have to be replaced at least. The one under the battery is a pale orange color. Now I've seen one on a phone (also a Samsung) that sat in a puddle for a couple of hours and that indicator was bright red. That phone never worked again. Does it matter, the intensity of color on the indicator?

BTW: Does anyone know how I tag someone? Adding the "@" in front of their name doesn't seem to work on this forum.

Dpadre · Jul 25, 2014

I hope it wasn't under water too long. You might visit a shoe department in a store for more silicon packets, I bet they would give them to you. Post when you think it has set long enough and tell us how it did. (Fingers crossed for good luck)

DungeonMistress · Jul 25, 2014

It was underwater no more than 10 seconds, if that. I pray it can be revived. As I mentioned, that phone is my lifeline.

Gmash · Jul 25, 2014

DungeonMistress said:
First: Thank you, @Unforgiven for moving my post to a better spot.

Second: @fdbryant3, It's being paid for over time on our phone bill, and as I said, no insurance, we just didn't have the money for it.

Third: I have been giving some serious thought to the Isopropyl alcohol bath, but to be frank though; that kind of scares me, @Rxpert83.

Fourth: Silicone packets sound good, @Depadre, however; I don't have enough on hand.

I did see an ad for Gophermods that looked promising, though that would cut pretty seriously into my monthly food budget (and that is if I don't need any parts replaced), but I guess I could hit the food bank. Wow, that really sounds pathetic, doesn't it? That's the reality of living on SSI and disability.

Anyway, does anyone know anything about these guys? Can they be trusted? (If I have to use them or something like them).

Meanwhile, my phone is sitting in the rice on top of my computer tower. It's mildly warm there and definitely dry. Also, how long should I leave it before I check on it? Some say 24hrs, others say a couple of weeks. What is the consensus?

I do have a set of tools (need to find where I stored them) specifically made for working on a computer, non-magnetic, wrist strap included) that I got some years back when I built my computer. Since my phone is in essence a small computer, I thought using them might be wise if I have to open it up.

Welcome to the forums, sorry to hear about your situation. At least you did the right things, getting the battery out right away and putting it in the rice bag. Now it's just a waiting game. How long? I'd say the longer the better, I'd wait longer than 24 hours, 48 at least, longer if you are good at resisting temptation lol. I've never heard of the Gophermods service so can't comment much on that. Just wanted to say good luck, hopefully your phone will survive.

Rxpert83 · Jul 25, 2014

DungeonMistress said:
Third: I have been giving some serious thought to the Isopropyl alcohol bath, but to be frank though; that kind of scares me, @Rxpert83.

Meanwhile, my phone is sitting in the rice on top of my computer tower. It's mildly warm there and definitely dry. Also, how long should I leave it before I check on it? Some say 24hrs, others say a couple of weeks. What is the consensus?

I do have a set of tools (need to find where I stored them) specifically made for working on a computer, non-magnetic, wrist strap included) that I got some years back when I built my computer. Since my phone is in essence a small computer, I thought using them might be wise if I have to open it up.

You may be aware of this, but its not necessarily the liquid itself that causes the damage. Phones/computers/ect can get wet as long as its been completely dried before the power is connected to it.

Thats why you'll see varying info on how long to leave it. The important thing is to get ALL the water out before powering on the phone. The longer it sits, the more chance it has to evaporate out.

DungeonMistress said:
A lesson learned, that's for sure! That, among others...especially regarding water!

Also, I forgot to mention, I did check the moisture indicators and the one on the battery is all white, looks like that will have to be replaced at least. The one under the battery is a pale orange color. Now I've seen one on a phone (also a Samsung) that sat in a puddle for a couple of hours and that indicator was bright red. That phone never worked again. Does it matter, the intensity of color on the indicator?

BTW: Does anyone know how I tag someone? Adding the "@" in front of their name doesn't seem to work on this forum.

The color indication only shows how much water got on the indicator. If the phone was powered on when it went into the water (this is the case most of the time in situations like this), then it can give you some idea of how much water that area was exposed to.

As far as "tags", I'm not sure if we support that. If I want to make sure someone gets back to the thread I usually just "like" one of their posts. They'll get a notification next time they sign in with a link to their liked post. I went ahead and liked one of yours so you'll see what happens on their end. Someone else might have a better solution.

lunatic59 · Jul 25, 2014

Hi DungeonMistress.

Sorry it's under such stressful circumstances, but welcome to Android Forums.

Let me just say the before you get too upset, let's find out if the phone is actually okay. You did the right thing by taking the battery and sim out and sticking in a bag of rice. I'd give it 72 hours to be safe and change the rice at least once. It doesn't need to be warm, but the lower ambient humidity, the faster the water will be drawn into the rice.

If you have extremely hard water the minerals left behind could cause problems so you might consider the alcohol bath, but don't use your garden variety drug store alcohol. You want something that is near 100% pure alcohol. You might have to ask around to find where you can get it.

Now, my son's fiancee did the exact same thing you did to my son's phone ... twice. And it still works (He's got the S4). Samsung backs fit fairly tightly and will keep out a lot of moisture if it's only a few seconds in the drink. You might be okay.

As far as the recovery service, I'm not too sure what they can do. You phone will either work, or it won't. If it doesn't there's not much there going to be able to do other than replace components for $$$, and you still are on the hook for their $30 fee.

When you're ready to try to turn it back on, we'll be here to hold your hand.

DungeonMistress · Jul 25, 2014

I really appreciate the support, guys.

I have been sitting here trying to think of ways I can scare up the $300+ it would take to replace the phone entirely. My father always said, "Prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. That way if everything goes south, you'll at least have it covered."

But getting that kind of money together is very difficult for me. I cannot work because of my heart, and my husband is a bit more than semi-retired (meaning he works odd jobs when he can find the work - he's a handyman). So our only reliable income comes from my SSI. That's less than $800 a month.

I do make beautiful hand-beaded jewelry, however; where I live no one seems to appreciate it. I also make terrain pieces for Tabletop RPG games (D&D and the like), but I'm just starting out in this and don't yet know how much to sell them for or how well they would sell in this area. Those are my only two possibilities for generating income right now.

So you can see why I have all my hopes on trying to get this phone working again.

Today at around 3pm it will be 48hrs. Lunitic59, since you suggest 72hrs, I'll wait (biting my nails) for another 24. Before I try to turn it on, though; I will open it up to look for any remaining water and signs of corrosion (our water is very hard here). Meanwhile, I'll try to find some pure alcohol to clean it with.

Again, thank you, everyone for your encouragement and support. I will keep you all posted.

kate · Jul 25, 2014

DungeonMistress said:
I have been sitting here trying to think of ways I can scare up the $300+ it would take to replace the phone entirely.

If you do end up having to replace your phone you can find ones under $300. Both the Moto G and Moto E are under $200 new, or if you need LTE the Moto G LTE model is $219.

You can also get used phones on Craigslist, but meet the seller at the phone store and have them verify it's not stolen. Then have the phone transferred into your name while the seller is still there, after that they can't report it stolen.

Rxpert83 · Jul 25, 2014

I agree with Kate. IF it comes down to the point of needing to fix the phone, and that place charges $300, you are better off buying one of the devices she suggested.

They'll be new, and you won't have to worry about the possibility of the device acting wonky from water damage down the road.

You can even sell your current device on eBay to recoup some of the cost. Just make it clear it was water damaged. People still buy damaged devices for the screen / other parts.

I hope we find out tomorrow the device works and it hasn't come to any of that

MoodyBlues · Jul 25, 2014

Hi there, DungeonMistress. Sorry you're having the particular problem you're having. :eek:

Have you thought about calling your phone company and asking if they would replace it under its warranty? I realize that dropping it in the toilet probably means the warranty won't apply. However, I'm a strong believer in talking to an actual person and explaining not only what happened, but also your situation. You never know--you might get lucky and hook up with someone there who feels for you and who can make a decision like replacing the phone, even under these circumstances. If I were you, that's what I would try.

andre_scb · Jul 25, 2014

Good luck !!
i hope you get your phone back (crossing fingers)

dan330 · Jul 25, 2014

hope your phone makes it through.

but.. FWI
cases on amazon.com are very cheap and are just as good!
way better than NO case.

bjacks12 · Jul 25, 2014

I don't think an Otterbox or most other cases would have protected the phone in this situation. But yes, with your next phone, or this one if you get it working, be sure to at least buy a cheap TPU case on Amazon. Most are less than $5. At least you'll get some drop protection.

I've never understood the whole phone in the back pocket trend. I feel like my fat ass would break the phone. But, we all make mistakes.

I second the recommendation of the Moto G or Moto E if you need a replacement. If that's still too expensive, then you might look into a Lumia 520. They can be had for less than $100. This would mean you're stuck on Windows though.

Omar Days · Jul 25, 2014

DungeonMistress said:
I do make beautiful hand-beaded jewelry, however; where I live no one seems to appreciate it. I also make terrain pieces for Tabletop RPG games (D&D and the like), but I'm just starting out in this and don't yet know how much to sell them for or how well they would sell in this area. Those are my only two possibilities for generating income right now

Off topic, but, don't worry if no one locally appreciates your jewelry. With the internet, the world is your market place. Sell your stuff online at www.etsy.com for example.

Liferules · Jul 25, 2014

Good luck on the phone!

In addition to suggestions about buying a used phone off Craigslist, I wanted to suggest Swappa. I've used that before and it seems perhaps more reputable as they verify the ESN and require photos. You can get a used mint condition Mega for as low as $234 right now.

JnEricsonx · Jul 25, 2014

Swappa+Bill Me Later=having 6 months to come up with the cash. I just got a Note 10.1 and I don't have to worry about paying for it till early 2015.

lunatic59 · Jul 25, 2014

I'm going with "no need to buy a new phone." I say that after 72 hours the phone boots up fine and you change your wallpaper to the Ty-D bowl man. :eek:

Seriously, I'm positive you're probably going to be okay.

Rxpert83 · Jul 25, 2014

Omar Days said:
Off topic, but, don't worry if no one locally appreciates your jewelry. With the internet, the world is your market place. Sell your stuff online at www.etsy.com for example.

I've got a friend from highschool that does that as well :thumbup:

I'm optimistic along with Lunatic. From the sounds of the sticker the thing didn't get drenched on the innards, and your quick action to take out the battery was a smart move. :thumbup: The forums have given you some solid advice on alternatives IF the worst case scenario happens.

Fingers crossed til we hear the news

Help Disaster struck 15 minutes ago.

Newbie

...eschew obfuscation...

Member

Dr. Feelgood

Android Expert

Newbie

Extreme Android User

Newbie

Member

Newbie

Extreme Android User

Dr. Feelgood

Moderati ergo sum

Newbie

Dreaming of Bugdroid.

Dr. Feelgood

Compassion is cool!

Newbie

Extreme Android User

Android Expert

Android Expert

Newbie

Android Enthusiast

Moderati ergo sum

Dr. Feelgood

BEST TECH IN 2023

Smartphones

Best Android Phones

Upcoming

Best iPhones

Upcoming

Tablets

Best Tablets

Upcoming

Laptops

Best Laptops

Upcoming

Televisions

Best TVs

Upcoming

Game Consoles

Best Game Consoles

Upcoming

Wearables

Best Wearables

Upcoming

Smart Home

Smart Home Tech

Upcoming

Similar threads