Want to learn about water damage iPad myths? As most of us already know, liquids and technology do not mix, and very rarely will an iPad, iPhone, or any other device come into contact with water and come out unscathed without a need for repair.
The truth is, water damage might not always show immediately, but the internal components of a device can get destroyed over time and lead to the device becoming increasingly faulty, or simply dying one day.
Here, we will explore the truth behind water damage, if different liquids matter, and what really happens to your iPad when water damage occurs.
What is Water Damage?
Water damage is simply the damage that is done by different liquids. In technology, water damage can be deadly and result in a device dying or experiencing decreased functionality. We will look at this more in depth in the section below.
The more acidic or alkaline a liquid is, the more damage it will do to your iPad (and any technology). For those who aren’t familiar, below are some examples of acidic, neutral, and alkaline liquids:
- Acidic Liquids – lemon juice (most acidic), soft drinks, fruit juice, beer, coffee (least acidic)
- Neutral Liquids – pure water
- Alkaline Liquids – bleach (most alkaline), hand soap, saltwater, pool water (least alkaline)
Water Damage iPad Myths: What Really Happens to Your iPad
Now, to answer the all-important question – water damage iPad myths: what really happens to your iPad? The two main things that happen when an iPad, or any device, receives water damage are: circuits are fried, and corrosion.
It’s a common myth that water damage happens immediately, but this is not the case. Even if your device seems fine immediately after the incident, the damage might only reveal itself in minutes, hours, days, or even weeks.
Circuits Will Fry
Because water can carry electric current (very well), the iPad will quickly get overloaded with energy. When this happens, the circuit board will get fried in no time, and the damage will only get worse.
This is why the first thing we always recommend doing is unplugging the device if it’s charging, turning it off, and leaving it off.
Corrosion
Corrosion refers to materials and internal components on the device gradually breaking down. This is typically due to a chemical reaction with water or another liquid, and can render the device useless.
There are many different factors that can impact how quickly the corrosion starts once the device has come into contact with liquid. In some cases, corrosion can begin in as little as 20–30 minutes, and sometimes it might take hours, but this is inevitable.
Below are some factors that will influence how quickly corrosion starts after your iPad has got wet:
- Type of liquid
- Humidity
- If the device is powered up/on
- If the device is charging
- How far the water got internally
Once enough corrosion has taken place within your iPad, it will stop working. You can get replacement parts to help with this, but this can end up costing a lot of money, as corrosion and water damage can be incredibly widespread, and the device will ultimately fail regardless. Not only that, but due to the nature of water damage, we cannot promise any guarantees or warranties on these parts.
Myth: Water-Resistant iPads Don’t Get Damaged
Water-resistant devices can and will still experience water damage – but not always. Depending on the level of water-resistance, a device might be okay if it experiences small amounts of water (such as light rainfall) for a set amount of time, but this doesn’t mean that it is immune from getting damage from the incident.
These devices are not waterproof, so it’s best not to take any chances.
What Can You Do About Water Damage?
Now that you know what happens when water damage occurs to your iPad, what can you do about it? The best thing to do is to bring your device to a trusted repair shop (like us), where our expert technicians can handle the situation.
However, if you are unable to do something like this, you are going to want to take things into your own hands – but what should and shouldn’t you do? We will look at this below.
What You Should Do Immediately After Water Exposure
If you have dropped your iPad in water, we recommend following the steps outlined below immediately to reduce the risk of damage. Book an appointment with a repair shop as soon as possible to get help you need:
- Remove your iPad from the water immediately
- Get the iPad out of its case
- Get a clean and dry cloth or soft towel and gently wipe off all the liquid that you can reach
- Direct the lightning port down and give your phone a gentle shake, tapping it to remove any excess water that might have found its way into the speakers and port
- Leave the iPad somewhere warm and dry to dry out. If you have a fan, place it in front of that with the lightning port facing it, but make sure the fan is not heated
Myth: Rice Fixes Water-Damaged Devices
You might be tempted to stick your wet iPad in a bucket of rice, but we will always heavily encourage you not to do this. Why? It isn’t that rice can be useful at drawing water out, but because it can cause more damage to your iPad by getting debris in the cracks and charging ports.
Not only that, but the rice can easily scratch the screen and the rest of the device, so the potential benefits don’t outweigh the almost-certain cons. If that’s the case, however – what are you meant to do? Well, there are a few options to try, but don’t hold your breath when it comes to water damage. We will look at a few options below.
If Not Rice, Then…
You can use a paper towel to remove as much water as possible, but this is only effective in devices that you can take apart and individually clean/dry every individual piece. You could also use silica gel, but this will only be effective for traces of moisture, rather than a device that you freshly dropped into the toilet.
An alternative that you might want to try is simply leaving your device in the sun to dry out – but do not do this. When the moisture in a device naturally evaporates, internal components will corrode due to the moisture. This effect will also happen if you try to use a hair dryer on your device.
If you want to remove the liquid from the device without causing too much damage, the best option would be to use a compressed aerosol air duster, but again, you need to be very careful with this and ensure that you don’t simply move the water to another location to do damage.
Myth: Turning Your Device On to Test it is Safe
This is a big no-no and 100% a myth. Do not turn your device on after it has got wet to ‘check if it’s working’ or ‘test to see if it’s safe’. Doing this will only increase the chances of the circuits getting fried, which will only kill your device.
Instead, follow the steps we outlined before, take it to professionals, and see what they have to say. At the very least, do not turn your device on for several days if you want to be safe.
How imFixed Can Help with Professional iPad Repairs
Water damage can be cruel, and it can kill any device in moments. In all cases, the best possible outcome is extending the device’s life, but it will ultimately get worse as time goes on due to damage. We will always recommend getting professional help and backing up all data in preparation for getting a new device.
Hopefully our water damage iPad myths article has helped, and you now have a better understanding of exactly what happens when you get liquid in your iPad. Please remember to book an appointment for the best chance of saving your device, but we can’t make any promises.
Don’t let water damage myths ruin your iPad. Contact imFixed today for reliable, professional repair services!
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Address - 101 Tonge Moor Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL2 2DL
Phone - 07754854869
Email - info@imfixed.co.uk
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