Water Spilled on PC

[apcs13]

Let me begin with saying that I am an idiot in distress here. I just accidentally spilled some water on my brand new PC that I built for myself, its really devastating especially since I've had a lot of trouble with broken hardware and set-up and glitches with it, and it has been working well for only maybe 2 weeks. I spilled some water on the side and a tiny bit on the top. I saw some droplets on the Hyper 212 + heatsink installed in the system but only a small amount and no water was near the motherboard or RAM. There was however some water on the shroud of the GPU and a few droplets on the back of it as well. The thing that worries me the most is that there were a bunch of droplets on the PSU fan that I think were still there when the fan was spinning, maybe pushing the droplets into the PSU itself. The worst is that the system was on when it was exposed to the water. It continued running normally for the 30 seconds it was on before I manually shut it down in Windows. I thoroughly inspected the case and the components, dried them carefully, and did some final inspection. Just to see how terrible the damage was, I booted up the system again (probably shouldn't have done that though right?). The system booted normally but after maybe 2 minutes of being on it just shut off. I took it apart again removed the video card checked the PCIe slot for water, double checked all the components, triple checked the video card, dried off some more, and reinserted the card. The system booted normally and then shut off a few minutes into being on. I have disassembled much of the PC now and it is sitting to dry. My questions for YOU good helpful people are as follows:
1. Have I killed my brand new PC based on my descriptions?
2. I think the damaged part (if there is permanent damage) is the PSU since the system just shuts off quickly. Would you agree with that statement?
3. What steps should I take to make sure my hardware is safe if it is at all possible?
4. How long should I wait before rebuilding and testing the system?

Thank you so much!!!!!!

 

[Computer__GUY]

Take individual components out of the computer one at a time, and determine what works and what doesn't.

 

[apcs13]

Take individual components out of the computer one at a time, and determine what works and what doesn't.

Well the system boots okay and nothing seems weird, until it randomly shuts off, which makes me think its either the power supply or the motherboard. I do have another power supply, however its not the same with the motherboard. Also, I'm worried to power on the system risking water being still in the system, how long should I wait for the water to be gone?

 

[xero99]

If there are any parts you're certain haven't got water in them then leave them aside. If you're worried any of the other components apart from the PSU have water in them let them dry for a couple of days. Do you have a PSU from another computer anywhere you can borrow that way you'll be able to determine whether it's the PSU that's the problem?

 

[ronintexas]

Depending upon the humidity level in your home - it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to completely dry out. The more humidity in the air - the longer it will take to dry. The good news - if it is cold outside and you are running the heat - it should take less time.

I would leave it off for a minimum of two days....today starts the timer, tilt the CPU 45 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, and then 45 degrees to the left for 5 minutes (to help move water out of tight spots), and let it sit for 24 hours. Repeat the tilt tomorrow, and let it sit for another 24 hours and give it a try.

Most modern power supplies have built in circuit protection, and unless it was submerged in water or you dumped gallons of water on it, it should only take a couple of days to dry out.

If there is still moisture in it (it shuts down unexpectedly again), do the tilt and wait another 24 hours.

 

[apcs13]

If there are any parts you're certain haven't got water in them then leave them aside. If you're worried any of the other components apart from the PSU have water in them let them dry for a couple of days. Do you have a PSU from another computer anywhere you can borrow that way you'll be able to determine whether it's the PSU that's the problem?

Yes I actually do have a PSU I can use to test it, however it is only 520w and I am running a fx-6350 and gtx 770 which would work with it especially since it is a high quality 520w PSU, but I don't really want to use it permanently. Any other parts I would need to borrow from a friend, which would be possible. I'm almost certain that it didn't get the CPU or motherboard since I only saw droplets on the very edge of the huge heatsink, and the CPU was farthest from the spill. I know that a small bit of water got on the gpu and more on the PSU but only still like 15 drops, and I'm pretty sure there was none on the motherboard, but I can't be certain.

 

[apcs13]

Depending upon the humidity level in your home - it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to completely dry out. The more humidity in the air - the longer it will take to dry. The good news - if it is cold outside and you are running the heat - it should take less time.

I would leave it off for a minimum of two days....today starts the timer, tilt the CPU 45 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, and then 45 degrees to the left for 5 minutes (to help move water out of tight spots), and let it sit for 24 hours. Repeat the tilt tomorrow, and let it sit for another 24 hours and give it a try.

Most modern power supplies have built in circuit protection, and unless it was submerged in water or you dumped gallons of water on it, it should only take a couple of days to dry out.

If there is still moisture in it (it shuts down unexpectedly again), do the tilt and wait another 24 hours.

Luckily (I guess) it is pretty frigid right now outdoors and the heat is going inside. The house isn't too humid I think so I'm not going to worry too much in that area. Unfortunately, I am going away this weekend, but a friend will be watching the house for me and I'm sure he would be willing to tilt my case for 10 minutes. Thanks for the advice, I guess the best thing to do would be to wait until Sunday evening when I return home to test it?

 

[xero99]

Depending upon the humidity level in your home - it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to completely dry out. The more humidity in the air - the longer it will take to dry. The good news - if it is cold outside and you are running the heat - it should take less time.

I would leave it off for a minimum of two days....today starts the timer, tilt the CPU 45 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, and then 45 degrees to the left for 5 minutes (to help move water out of tight spots), and let it sit for 24 hours. Repeat the tilt tomorrow, and let it sit for another 24 hours and give it a try.

Most modern power supplies have built in circuit protection, and unless it was submerged in water or you dumped gallons of water on it, it should only take a couple of days to dry out.

If there is still moisture in it (it shuts down unexpectedly again), do the tilt and wait another 24 hours.

Luckily (I guess) it is pretty frigid right now outdoors and the heat is going inside. The house isn't too humid I think so I'm not going to worry too much in that area. Unfortunately, I am going away this weekend, but a friend will be watching the house for me and I'm sure he would be willing to tilt my case for 10 minutes. Thanks for the advice, I guess the best thing to do would be to wait until Sunday evening when I return home to test it?

Yes, that would be a goo idea.

 

[apcs13]

Depending upon the humidity level in your home - it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to completely dry out. The more humidity in the air - the longer it will take to dry. The good news - if it is cold outside and you are running the heat - it should take less time.

I would leave it off for a minimum of two days....today starts the timer, tilt the CPU 45 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, and then 45 degrees to the left for 5 minutes (to help move water out of tight spots), and let it sit for 24 hours. Repeat the tilt tomorrow, and let it sit for another 24 hours and give it a try.

Most modern power supplies have built in circuit protection, and unless it was submerged in water or you dumped gallons of water on it, it should only take a couple of days to dry out.

If there is still moisture in it (it shuts down unexpectedly again), do the tilt and wait another 24 hours.

Luckily (I guess) it is pretty frigid right now outdoors and the heat is going inside. The house isn't too humid I think so I'm not going to worry too much in that area. Unfortunately, I am going away this weekend, but a friend will be watching the house for me and I'm sure he would be willing to tilt my case for 10 minutes. Thanks for the advice, I guess the best thing to do would be to wait until Sunday evening when I return home to test it?

Yes, that would be a goo idea.

Thanks for the help! One last question for you and anyone else reading here: Do you think there is permanent damage based on the fact that it booted normally but shut off a few minutes into operation, and if so, would it be the PSU, which probably took the most water, or the motherboard, which I didn't see any water on but could be a possibility? Thanks!

 

[xero99]

Depending upon the humidity level in your home - it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to completely dry out. The more humidity in the air - the longer it will take to dry. The good news - if it is cold outside and you are running the heat - it should take less time.

I would leave it off for a minimum of two days....today starts the timer, tilt the CPU 45 degrees to the right for 5 minutes, and then 45 degrees to the left for 5 minutes (to help move water out of tight spots), and let it sit for 24 hours. Repeat the tilt tomorrow, and let it sit for another 24 hours and give it a try.

Most modern power supplies have built in circuit protection, and unless it was submerged in water or you dumped gallons of water on it, it should only take a couple of days to dry out.

If there is still moisture in it (it shuts down unexpectedly again), do the tilt and wait another 24 hours.

Luckily (I guess) it is pretty frigid right now outdoors and the heat is going inside. The house isn't too humid I think so I'm not going to worry too much in that area. Unfortunately, I am going away this weekend, but a friend will be watching the house for me and I'm sure he would be willing to tilt my case for 10 minutes. Thanks for the advice, I guess the best thing to do would be to wait until Sunday evening when I return home to test it?

Yes, that would be a goo idea.

Thanks for the help! One last question for you and anyone else reading here: Do you think there is permanent damage based on the fact that it booted normally but shut off a few minutes into operation, and if so, would it be the PSU, which probably took the most water, or the motherboard, which I didn't see any water on but could be a possibility? Thanks!

It booted for a minute or two before shutting down which is a good sign, as it means the part that's causing the problem is still functioning a little. I'm not entirely sure, but most likely it would be your motherboard or PSU, and they're probablu shutting down to prevent damage. Try it again when you get back and good luck!

 

[ronintexas]

I have actually dropped a laptop into a bathtub filled with water - watched it "pop and crackle" and die....let it dry out for 5-7 days (I did take it apart to let it air dry) and it still worked. Modern computers are pretty good about "saving themselves"....

The issues usually with spilling something is the sugars, acid, etc., that is in the drink. Water doesn't damage components too badly - spill Coke on something, you better start washing off the parts ASAP - the acid will actually eat the circuit boards....if you don't believe me - get a rusty tool and put it in Coke for 6-8 hours....the rust is gone! Shower heads that are clogged with mineral deposits - Coke is it! Works better than CLR....but not so good for computer parts.

If you are going away for the weekend - i would just tilt it a bit (maybe 30 degrees) and let it sit until Sunday, and then give it a try....

 

[apcs13]

I have actually dropped a laptop into a bathtub filled with water - watched it "pop and crackle" and die....let it dry out for 5-7 days (I did take it apart to let it air dry) and it still worked. Modern computers are pretty good about "saving themselves"....

The issues usually with spilling something is the sugars, acid, etc., that is in the drink. Water doesn't damage components too badly - spill Coke on something, you better start washing off the parts ASAP - the acid will actually eat the circuit boards....if you don't believe me - get a rusty tool and put it in Coke for 6-8 hours....the rust is gone! Shower heads that are clogged with mineral deposits - Coke is it! Works better than CLR....but not so good for computer parts.

If you are going away for the weekend - i would just tilt it a bit (maybe 30 degrees) and let it sit until Sunday, and then give it a try....

Wow, it sounds like you were lucky with that laptop , that's pretty cool actually! I won't be leaving until the early evening tomorrow, do you think it would be a good or bad idea to test the system with the alternative power supply that I have? I'm going to be worried sick over the weekend if this thing is just sitting here in purgatory, but I would much rather endure the suffering than risk intense/permanent part damage. I was going to use my backup psu to test it, and if it worked I would order a new one. I think its either the psu or the motherboard that caused the issue, psu because I think it saw the most water and it just shut off after a few minutes, and the motherboard because even though I saw no water on it after about a half hour of inspection, it seems that water issues usually do stem from the mobo. Thanks for inputs!

 

[ronintexas]

I would wait - from what you described, letting it dry out - it should be ok. The circuit protection should have saved it.

 

[apcs13]

I would wait - from what you described, letting it dry out - it should be ok. The circuit protection should have saved it.

Okay yeah I did some more research and it seems waiting is the best thing I could do right now, I was just super nervous when it happened and was still kind of "in shock". Thanks for your help, I will select an answer on Sunday after I test to see if it works!

 

[apcs13]

Okay, just a quick update for you guys, and some questions/concerns. Late yesterday a buddy of mine came over who is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to computer repair, I told him the entire story, how much water was spilled and where, told him what I did, the whole gist. He wanted to take a look and after a little inspection he wanted to power it up. I was really against it but he said it was okay he was sure and would help me out with costs/replacements if it didn't work, so I agreed and he plugged it in and booted it. Much to my relief the PC booted fine, as normal, but he and I were watching for the quick shutdown after a few minutes into being on. However, this time, it never happened. I was using the PC for about 10 minutes doing some very light compute tasks before I turned the computer off, and it shut off fine. I'm still waiting until Sunday to do some heavy testing of my system,since at this point I physically can't, but does this bode well that my PC didn't really take any damage? Thanks!

 

[MDXX]

*Builds new pc* *puts water glass on top of it and spills it*

That can be a meme

 

[TheColaKid]

seeing as it works you might not need help but if anyone else is reading this.. RICE get bags of rice just dont throw it into your computer like your at a wedding but rice is fantastic at absorbing moisture and can be of great help with stuff like this ive seen several cell phones saved by a cheap bag of rice.

 

[apcs13]

seeing as it works you might not need help but if anyone else is reading this.. RICE get bags of rice just dont throw it into your computer like your at a wedding but rice is fantastic at absorbing moisture and can be of great help with stuff like this ive seen several cell phones saved by a cheap bag of rice.

Thanks for the input, and I actually have used rice to save my phone and my friend's phone, so for that stuff yes rice can be a life saver in an air-tight container. However I don't trust rice with thins like motherboards and that type because the grains could potentially get stuck in a tiny slot or port, and cause more damage than aid. Besides, for my specific case, I am away for the weekend, and I think 102-ish hours of drying won't make much of a difference with or without rice, instead I opted to put a fan on low power a fair bit away from my PC and pointed at the internals to help with the drying process.

 

[apcs13]

*Builds new pc* *puts water glass on top of it and spills it*

That can be a meme

Well you're almost 100% wrong, it was a half full water bottle, it was about halfway across the room when it spilled, hence mostly the floor being wet and only a few tiny droplets being on any actual PC components, it was not on the top of the PC at all, I'm not that much of a moron, and it didn't really spill, I wasn't even in the room when it happened. Thanks for your fantastic advice though, really helped me and any future people with a similar issue visiting this thread.
-_-

 

[MDXX]

*Builds new pc* *puts water glass on top of it and spills it*

That can be a meme

Well you're almost 100% wrong, it was a half full water bottle, it was about halfway across the room when it spilled, hence mostly the floor being wet and only a few tiny droplets being on any actual PC components, it was not on the top of the PC at all, I'm not that much of a moron, and it didn't really spill, I wasn't even in the room when it happened. Thanks for your fantastic advice though, really helped me and any future people with a similar issue visiting this thread.
-_-

Was someone playing soccer with the half full water bottle?

 

[apcs13]

*Builds new pc* *puts water glass on top of it and spills it*

That can be a meme

Well you're almost 100% wrong, it was a half full water bottle, it was about halfway across the room when it spilled, hence mostly the floor being wet and only a few tiny droplets being on any actual PC components, it was not on the top of the PC at all, I'm not that much of a moron, and it didn't really spill, I wasn't even in the room when it happened. Thanks for your fantastic advice though, really helped me and any future people with a similar issue visiting this thread.
-_-

Was someone playing soccer with the half full water bottle?

No, it was probably not placed in the best spot, and I was doing some work downstairs. Must have fallen I guess

 

[apcs13]

Well, here's the verdict: Tonight I got home and rushed to put together my PC again and boot it up to see if I had a $950 pile of useless silicon or an actual working PC and it seems to be just fine!! It's been on for about an hour, and before it shut off after 5 minutes tops, so I think that is a good sign. With a combination of luck, patience, and your help, it seems that for now my PC is okay. Thank you all so much!

 

[ronintexas]

Your welcome - glad everything is ok. Water isn't the worst enemy of the PC - the sugars, acids and add-ins to the water are....

 

[apcs13]

Your welcome - glad everything is ok. Water isn't the worst enemy of the PC - the sugars, acids and add-ins to the water are....

Yes, I was just worried at the fact that the PC was on when it got wet and I tried to turn it on probably too soon

 

[ronintexas]

99% of issues with spills aren't the actual water - but "additives" in the water. It isn't good to have water invading the computer - but water is far better than Coke, juices, anything with sugar, etc....