Like most electronics, cell phones are highly susceptible to water damage. Once inside a phone, water can bridge the gap between different electrical contacts, creating short circuits that can damage or destroy a phone and its battery. Under the correct circumstances, you may be able to prevent or repair damage to your phone and its battery.
Remove the Battery
As soon as your phone's battery is exposed to water, remove it from the phone. Do not attempt to power-down the phone, simply open the phone's rear cover and remove the battery. Remove any other removable components, such as SIM cards or SD cards, as well. Do not attempt to power on your phone or charge its battery or you may further damage the battery and the phone.
Check for Evidence
Verify that the water damage to your phone actually permeated the battery. Dry the surface of the battery with a paper towel and check for more water leaking out from inside the battery. If the water did not penetrate to the inside of the battery, it is probably still functional. You can also check for a small white or red sticker on the battery or in the phone's battery compartment. If the sticker is white, large amounts of water did not penetrate to the inside of the phone. If the sticker has turned red, the inside of your phone has been exposed to water.
Dry
Fill a Tupperware container halfway with rice. Remove any removable faceplates from your phone and put all of the parts of the phone and your battery in the container. Fill the rest of the container with rice and seal it. The rice will draw the moisture out of your phone and battery. This is important to prevent short circuits when you power up your phone. Leave the phone in the sealed container for three days, then remove and reassemble the phone. Attempt to power your phone on; if it does not turn on, you may need to replace the battery or the entire phone.
Replace
If only the battery was exposed to water and the rest of the phone avoided major damage, you may be able to replace the battery and continue using the phone. You can purchase replacement batteries for most phones over the Internet in standard capacity and expanded capacity models. If the white water damage label on the battery or the inside of the phone remained white, you can send your phone back to the manufacturer if it is still under warranty. If the label changed to red, the manufacturer will not accept it.
Tags: your phone, phone battery, exposed water, inside phone, power your, power your phone
