Accidentally dropped USB dongle in water!!! What to do to give best chance of not damaging it?

FreeBear

GervisLooper said:

FreeBear said:

Section62 said: Counterintuitively it is sometimes better to rinse the circuitboard with [preferably distilled] clean water before allowing it to dry - but whether or not that is a good idea in this case I can't comment on, you'll need to make that call yourself.

Isopropyl alcohol is good for washing electronic devices. Water binds very well to the alcohol molecules, and it also helps to lift off any contaminants.

I have some bioethanol leftover from when using for cooking, will that do?

Ethanol will bind with water (it is the bit in wine & spirits that gets you drunk).

GervisLooper

FreeBear said:

GervisLooper said:

FreeBear said:

Section62 said: Counterintuitively it is sometimes better to rinse the circuitboard with [preferably distilled] clean water before allowing it to dry - but whether or not that is a good idea in this case I can't comment on, you'll need to make that call yourself.

Isopropyl alcohol is good for washing electronic devices. Water binds very well to the alcohol molecules, and it also helps to lift off any contaminants.

I have some bioethanol leftover from when using for cooking, will that do?

Ethanol will bind with water (it is the bit in wine & spirits that gets you drunk).

That didn't answer my question?

I said I have bioethanol will that be ok?

GervisLooper

Ok so I wasn't able to get the cover off fully, didn't what to snap the plastic, but I have got it open a few mms to expose the internal so any remaining liquid should be able to escape and still on dashboard.

Did not notice any more dampness in there but visibility very poor so just hope for the best now!

elsien

GervisLooper said:

MattMattMattUK said:

... an airing cupboard is probably your best bet.

You missed the part where I said I live in a van?

Have it on the dashboard now and sun is shining so fingers crossed.

MattMattMattUK said:

Slightly separate but what is the special feature you need?

Not really something that is relevant to the general public. Basically after a certain year they did a firmware update to overhaul the functionality of it from what I want to what I don't want. Very niche thing which allows command line access which is removed on the newer versions.

However, you do have a family member who may have an airing cupboard? 

Brie

Don't use it too soon. 

Just as a comparison we dropped our kitchen timer in a pot of water.  Thoroughly soaked.  The only bit that could be opened was where the battery goes.  I gave it a good shake to get out as much water as possible but could still see water through the plastic window where you normally see the numbers.  Placed it on the kitchen window sill where it could get full sun.  It took a good week to dry sufficiently for me to put the battery back in and it works just fine.  Obviously a dongle is much smaller so less water, quicker drying.  The timer is round about the same circumference as a snooker ball.   

FreeBear

GervisLooper said:

FreeBear said:

GervisLooper said:

FreeBear said:

Section62 said: Counterintuitively it is sometimes better to rinse the circuitboard with [preferably distilled] clean water before allowing it to dry - but whether or not that is a good idea in this case I can't comment on, you'll need to make that call yourself.

Isopropyl alcohol is good for washing electronic devices. Water binds very well to the alcohol molecules, and it also helps to lift off any contaminants.

I have some bioethanol leftover from when using for cooking, will that do?

Ethanol will bind with water (it is the bit in wine & spirits that gets you drunk).

That didn't answer my question?

I said I have bioethanol will that be ok?

Probably, but I've not used ethanol (or bioethanol) for that purpose.

I do use isopropyl from time to time for cleaning electronic devices.

GervisLooper

All working fine!

What is interesting is I am amazed how water somehow finds its way out of even the card reader I dropped in the water. This I do not care about like the other item so I just left it and noticed the condensation built behind the screen for a couple of days and then it got less and now gone.

How does the water get out from that even when not left open to air? I would have thought it would just stay in there forever.

ThisIsWeird

Result!

Yes, that always amazed me too.

It must come down to air expanding and contracting with temp. You leave it somewhere sunny, and the water inside partially evaporates in the warmth, but much of that now-'moist' air will also be expelled from the device due to it expanding with the warmth - air expands a heck of a lot with heat. Then it cools, and normal 'dry' air gets drawn back in to replace the contracting air inside. This is warmed up next day, grabs more moisture inside, gets squeezed out due to being expanded, and repeats...!