MacBook water damage

Did your MacBook suffer water damage? Nothing to be ashamed of – everyone gets wet sometimes. But it’s important to act fast, so you can limit or even prevent the damage. The specialists at ThePhoneLab will tell you how. Read on!

MacBook water damage

Tea or coffee all over your laptop – it’s the classic mistake to suffer water damage to your MacBook. Because honestly, how many times have you thought, “oy, that only just went well?”. An unexpected rain shower is also the rule rather than the exception in our chilly little country. Fortunately, if your MacBook gets wet, there is plenty you can do yourself to get it dry again:

1. Water and electricity do not mix. So immediately disconnect your MacBook from power as soon as it comes into contact with liquid.
2. Turn off your MacBook immediately by holding down the power button until the screen goes black. However, you can still try to save the file you may have been working in (Command ( ⌘) + S).
3. Make sure accessories are also not damaged and disconnect them from your MacBook. Think of a keyboard, mouse, usb stick/loose hard drive or SD card.
4. Dab dry your MacBook with an absorbent cloth – rubbing can cause even more damage. Also consider all openings and external ports.
5. Unfold your MacBook (preferably laying it upside down) and let it dry in a place with enough ventilation. Do not use other devices such as a hair dryer to create ventilation; this may increase internal damage.
6. While your MacBook is drying, make an appointment as soon as possible with a professional repairman (such as ThePhoneLab – look here for an office near you), where they can examine and clean your laptop right away.

In case of water damage, go to a repairman as soon as possible

If your MacBook has come into contact with water, it’s important to follow the step-by-step plan above, but just as important to go to a professional repairman immediately afterwards. In the meantime, don’t try to start the laptop; moisture may have remained behind, so turning it on – even after hours or days of drying – could have catastrophic consequences. A specialist can open the laptop, examine and possibly clean it. The more visible the moisture is, the better the repairman can assess the proper course of action. If you wait too long, the moisture has probably dried up and the repair technician is less able to see where the damage is, making a precautionary cleaning necessary. In that case, residual moisture and residual substances such as sugar are removed with a chemical cleaning. Then, after thorough drying, the repairman can only really safely test what works and what doesn’t. This is the safest method to get your MacBook working again. And by!

Liquid damage indicator MacBook

Like iPhones and iPods, most Mac computers or laptops have a liquid damage indicator: a kind of white/silver light that turns red as soon as water or other liquids are found inside the device. Your MacBook’s product description will tell you exactly where this indicator is located. Should you indeed see a red color, have your laptop check and/or repair.

What do you NOT do when your MacBook suffers water damage?

• If your MacBook has suffered water damage, it is important to first perform the above steps as soon as possible. Do not turn on the laptop and go to a repairman immediately.
• Do not use other devices or ways to dry your MacBook. A hair dryer or other external heat source can only cause more damage, especially to the inside of the device. The same goes for moisture-absorbing products such as rice or silica gel. With a cell phone, this can sometimes have an effect, but not with a laptop.
• Should your MacBook become unresponsive, do not go and repair it yourself. So do not try to open the casing and have a specialist look at the damage. Preferably do this as soon as possible, so that the moisture cannot cause even more damage.

Preventing water damage to Mac

Everyone understands, of course, that you can prevent water damage to your MacBook by not exposing it to liquids. Still, we just wanted to mention it, and Apple also warns about this in its Mac safety information. Moreover, liquid damage to a Mac is not covered by the standard warranty. Therefore, try to collect as few liquids near the laptop as possible and keep your MacBook far away from damp places such as the bathroom, the kitchen or an outdoor environment where rain or snow can fall, for example.

Having water damage repaired

The specialists at ThePhoneLab recommend that in case of water damage, you immediately have your MacBook looked at by a repair technician. Unfortunately, you will also notice soon enough when the water damage is such that you need to have your MacBook repaired. Check out our page on MacBook water damage repair. The laptop may not turn on at all, or it may react differently than usual. Think of visible damage such as smoke, or spots or streaks on the screen, but also internal damage such as freezing, sluggishness or strange noises is unfortunately reason to seek the help of a specialist.

Water damage repair at ThePhoneLab

At ThePhoneLab, no water damage is too crazy for us, including that of your MacBook. Through the website you can repair your model MacBook look it up and make an appointment with our specialists. Even without an appointment, you can just drop by in one of our stores, during which we open your MacBook and do an initial visual inspection. Then we will advise you whether a cleaning (at 99 euros) is necessary and explain what a possible repair involves. We also always mention here that we are never sure if we can (completely) repair the water damage.

Water damage iPhone and Samsung

The specialists at ThePhoneLab notice that smartphones regularly suffer water damage due to, for example, an unintentional dip in the toilet. Fortunately, that doesn’t always mean you need a new iPhone or Samsung right away. In this video we show you what steps to take in the event of a water damage accident to your cell phone. Didn’t help? Then stop by in one of our stores. And on!