Wet Computer

Icova · September 2016

What are the odds that a PC ( Just the tower )left outside in the rain for three days can be salvaged?
What procedures should I follow to rez it, if it is possible?
It's been sitting in a dry warm place for several weeks now (it has an SSD).

Ridelynn · September 2016

Disassemble the unit - everything you can pull apart. Water loves to sit in crevices, like PCI slots and SATA connectors, and those won't dry out unless they are disconnected.

Let it sit disassembled a couple more days.

I've had mixed luck - if it was just water(rain), and the computer was relatively clean to begin with, and it was allowed to dry out entirely, I've seen some resurrected.

And then I've seen some explode and catch on fire.

DarLorkar · September 2016

if the tower was closed it should be fine. Did it get water inside on the components?

I would take everything out and make sure it is all dry completely and no water is in the slots or on the cards and whatnot at all.

Leave most things off when you try it out. Just see if the power supply works, then add things back one at a time.

Long as it was not running and got shorted out, and everything is clean and dry, i think it should be fine though. If no water got inside then for sure it should be fine.

Icova · September 2016

Ok Im pretty sure the video card is toast, looks like a pick axe penetrated the case and twisted the case and GPU back plate.

Ridelynn · September 2016

Icova said:

Ok Im pretty sure the video card is toast, looks like a pick axe penetrated the case and twisted the case and GPU back plate.

Well you did fail to mention that part. You may be able to salvage a few parts out of it, but yeah, as a computer, it's probably dead.

Sovrath · September 2016

I think the more interesting story is why it was outside in the rain to begin with?

And why does it look like a pickaxe hit it? O.o

Bloodaxes · September 2016

Sovrath said:

I think the more interesting story is why it was outside in the rain to begin with?

And why does it look like a pickaxe hit it? O.o

Was gonna post that myself lol.

If it was put outside for 3 days it was left there to rot, not to get used again.

Icova · September 2016

I wouldn't say interesting, but I'll never forget it, so memorable, would be the better choice of words.

Hyperpsycrow · September 2016

Throw it out...one day some of that old hardware will roast the new hardware and u will never get rid of problems..its a chain reaction...so jusy buy a new pc and wht who has a pc outside anyway

Icova · September 2016

That would be the Pick Axe Wielder, I found out about it all a few weeks after the fact.

Sovrath · September 2016

Icova said:

That would be the Pick Axe Wielder, I found out about it all a few weeks after the fact.

So like a girlfriend or a wife was upset at your gaming and took matters into their own hands?

That's what I'm going with.

Octagon7711 · September 2016

Sounds like somebody got pissed and put your stuff out. With special attention payed to your computer just to rub it in.

Saxx0n · September 2016

Take it apart and blow it and parts with a leaf blower for 10 to 15 minutes. Reassemble and profit.

cheyane · September 2016

What kind of a nasty person would do that ? First thing get rid of nasty person from your life. Other than that sagely advice have nothing else to offer.

laserit · September 2016

Sovrath said:

Icova said:

That would be the Pick Axe Wielder, I found out about it all a few weeks after the fact.

So like a girlfriend or a wife was upset at your gaming and took matters into their own hands?

That's what I'm going with.

Happened to me once.

Happy wife Happy life

mmoguy43 · September 2016

You may want to test the components separately or be ready to hit the switch before sparks fly.

Quizzical · September 2016

A lot of computer hardware is fine with getting wet so long as it is unplugged and powered down before it gets wet, and then doesn't get plugged back in until it is completely dry. But water can fry a computer in a hurry if it's turned on.

My advice would be to take everything apart and wait until you think it's completely dry. Then turn parts over and rotate them and see if any water comes out, in which case, it wasn't completely dry. Repeat as necessary until it seems completely dry even after you move it around trying to get small pools of water to pour out. Then wait a few more days. Then you can test it to see if it works.

Cleffy · September 2016

Don't bother salvaging the PSU. Dry it out and send it to e-waste recycling. It's more dangerous to keep it than to try and make it work. Never open a PSU, it will hold a charge that can kill you even if it has been turned off for some time.

Octagon7711 · September 2016

Depending on how much you spent on it and how old it is the best thing to do may be to just get a new one.

Icova · September 2016

Im mostly thinking about the SSD at this point, the card is gone from actual physical damage, the cpu fan is broken off the heat sink. If the motherboard is ok that saves the OEM windows. But its neither here nor there at this point. Thanks guys.

Incomparable · September 2016

Ridelynn said:

Disassemble the unit - everything you can pull apart. Water loves to sit in crevices, like PCI slots and SATA connectors, and those won't dry out unless they are disconnected.

Let it sit disassembled a couple more days.

I've had mixed luck - if it was just water(rain), and the computer was relatively clean to begin with, and it was allowed to dry out entirely, I've seen some resurrected.

And then I've seen some explode and catch on fire.

Pretty much this, if there is water still in the system it might cause it to be damaged. So letting it dry as much as possible is the best thing before turning it on.

Vrika · September 2016

How expensive is the computer?

If it's not that expensive. Open the case (if you haven't already), and let it dry upside down for one more day, then on its side for one more day. Changing positions is so that any possible water in hard to reach places will flow around a bit, and hopefully dry faster.

Afterwards take it outside on a nice day, and see if it works.

If it works, let it run some stress test program outside for an hour or two.
Eg: https://www.jam-software.com/heavyload/

If it doesn't catch fire or anything like that during the test, it's safe enough to bring inside and start using it.

If the computer is expensive, then best to follow instructions by others and disassemble it, dry the parts individually, and buy a new power supply like Cleffy instructed. That's a better method, but it's also a lot more work.

Kumapon · September 2016

laserit said:

Sovrath said:

Icova said:

That would be the Pick Axe Wielder, I found out about it all a few weeks after the fact.

So like a girlfriend or a wife was upset at your gaming and took matters into their own hands?

That's what I'm going with.

Happened to me once.

Happy wife Happy life

This happened to me a long time ago. Used to play EQ 16 hours + a day. My girlfriend got so mad at me that she threw my PC out the 2nd floor window in the pouring rain.

GenetikCode · September 2016

You know mobile phones (back in the day) that strangely fell down toilets and into deep puddles and rivers when your out drunk sometimes (well it did to me..another story!) then doesn't work (obviously) and the best advice is bury your mobile into a bag of rice, and viola its working again. Do the same thing here, strip it down and pop off to that far off store and pick up one of them big bags of rice and put each part motherboard, ram etc into the rice, smother it over, leave for a few days.. and those parts should be fine.

Loke666 · September 2016

Take everything apart. Dry with a hairdryer before putting things back together, and see that you dry all the power connectors carefully. Wait another day before trying to boot it, and be prepared to pull the plug if you get any weird smells from it.

Basically, it depends on what type of tower it have, how much actual rain it gotten on it and pure luck. I give it 50-50. If you just try to start it after waiting a day I give it less.

The PSU is the most likely damaged thing. And of course if it fries when you plug it in it could also damage other components that so far survived.

Good luck.

Zanerken · September 2016

looks like someone took mining a little literal with the pickaxe

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"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey

"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey