Water Damage Service Centre - All Models - 1 Day

Whats the big deal about liquid/water-damage?

This page is directed to helping our customers understand the issue of liquid damage to their devices, and assist in managing their expectations.

All digital devices, phones, laptops, tablets, etc are liquid-phobic. Depending on the extent of the liquid exposure, these devices are sometimes beyond repairing.

Devices commonly go through a washing cycle, get dropped in swimming pools, toilet bowls, bath tubs, or snow, and get quenched with water, milk, juice, coffee, beer, suntan lotions, etc.

The one thing you should not do is turn it on, while the one thing that you should do is to bring/send the device in to us, at The TechKnow Space, ASAP.
 

Refer to the following flowchart to easily understand our liquid damaged device repair process:

EXPOSED! What Now?

Most typically, after a bout with the pernicious liquids, the first human response is to see if the device is alive by powering it up. This damages the device since the battery power heats up the circuits and dissipates and flushes the liquids through the devices. All digital devices are composed of integrated circuits. When the moisture comes into contact with the component circuits in the device, the circuits begin a process of corrosion. Depending on the time elapsed following the liquid exposure, the corrosion might become irreversible. The more frequently the device is powered on, or the longer it stays powered on, the more corroded the circuits get, and the  less likely we will be successful in saving the circuits from corrosion. 

• Warrantys and Extended Warrantys do not offer coverage or provide protection
• Accidental Warrantys typically allow for swapping the liquid-damaged device with a new or refurbished device. Worse, these Accidental Warrantys cost between $200 to $300 per year, plus a deductible of $100 to $300 for the replacement device. 
• In both these situations, you would have lost all your data....ouch

The TechKnow Space will bring smiles to your wet and weeping devices:

• Save 80% of your devices (phones/laptops, tablets, etc) typically within 2 to 10 hours 
• The cost will range typically between $60 and $150
• Once the device is brought back to life, you typically have:
  • All your data (calendar, emails, contacts, pictures, music, etc) 
  • All your applications 
  • All your configurations set to your preferences and comfort settings 

Liquid Damaged Devices - Analysis Process

Initially, all devices typically seem to work with one or two functions impaired or lost. Most customers call us asking us to repair that failed function/s, since the device seems to otherwise work fine.

We have to then spend time explaining to them that liquid-damaged devices exhibit a behavior that can be described as a “cascading” failure, beginning with a failure of one function, and over time, having other functions start to fail.

We explain how, depending on the extent of liquid exposure, repairs are often futile and a waste of money, unless we can ascertain the extent of the damage and go through a damage diagnostics process as follows:

1. We thoroughly clean each component in the device to remove all traces of  moisture and humidity. This process takes about an hour of work, completed over one day.
2. If we are satisfied that the moisture has been completely removed, we then complete a diagnostics to ascertain the functionality and the repairs needed.
3. We then call you to let you know the problems identified and the cost of repairs. Upon getting  your authorization, we complete the repairs within a few hours.
4. You could possibly experience additional problems in the following weeks. Follow-up cleaning takes care of all such issues. 
5. Depending on the extent of liquid damage, and only you know this best, the probability of saving your devices is typically 75+ percent.
6. If your device has experienced significant liquid-damage (dropped in swimming pool for more than a couple of minutes, experienced a wash cycle, etc), we suggest you abandon and buy a replacement device. If liquid exposure is less severe (typically less than 30 seconds), it would make sense to bring/send it in.
7. If your device cannot be saved (when moisture has damaged the main board or the brain of your device), we call and advise you as such. We do not suggest replacing main logic boards since this can be exhorbitantly expensive, and we certainly encourage you to replace the device with a new one.

Liquid Damaged Devices - Cleaning & Repair Step by Step

1. Cleaning Process:  First, we disassemble and thoroughly clean each component in your device to remove all traces of  moisture, humidity and corrosion. This process can take 2 hours to 1 day to complete.
2. Ultrasonic bath:  Depending on the state of the device after the initial manual cleaning process an ultrasonic bath may be required to complete the removal of corrosion.  
3. Interaction:  We call you to let you know the problems identified and the cost of repairs, if the device can be saved. Upon your authorization, we complete the repairs within a few hours to 1 day.
4. Component Reflow:  If at this point it is determined that the circuits or logic board components have been damaged by corrosion we will initiate the reflow process (upon your approval) which is a controlled high-heat treatment meant to internally re-solder any damaged electrical connections between circuits and semi-conductors.
5. Liquid Damage Repair Warranty:  Once we ascertain that your device can be saved, we repeat the cleaning process until  such time that we are satisfied that all moisture has been removed. In the event your device experiences any future liquid-related problems, we will provide addtional no-charge cleanings that takes care of these liquid-related problems. You therefore have a life-time warranty for any liquid-related issues (which are typically manifested through inexplicable and erratic device behavior). These cleanings ensure that any problems experienced are solved and addressed completely. Of course, this protection does not extend to additional exposure to liquids.
   ...see the Liquid Damaged Device Repair Warranty section.
6. Expected Success Rate:  Depending on the extent of liquid damage, and only you know this best, the probability of saving your device ranges from a dismal 25% to (more typically) 75% -- even higher in many cases (especially with water - as opposed to other fluids).
7. Unrepairable Devices:  If your device cannot be saved (when moisture has damaged the main logic board beyond reflow recovery), we call and advise you as such.

Liquid & Water Damage Repair - Managing Expectations

Managing expectations is a key component of any relationship, which is the goal of this communication. Rather than sending us your favorite device from Vancouver or even driving all the way to our store, we would hope you use this page to ascertain the risks and proceed accordingly.

For customers Who Are Aware of Liquid Damage: We charge an upfront non-refundable cleaning fee of $60 for all liquid damaged devices.

We attempt up to 3 bouts of liquid cleaning, until we are satisfied that the moisture has been sufficiently cleaned from your mainboard for your device to have a reasonable chance for survival, we will call you with our estimate for the actual repairs, if any. If approved, we will proceed with the repairs.

The total charge to you will be the up-front cleaning charge of $60, which you have already paid, plus the cost of repairs approved by you.  If the device is not repairable or not cost effective to repair we will return the device to you with no further charge.

For Customers Unaware of Liquid Damage to their devices

If we discover during the course of diagnosis or repair that the device has experienced liquid damage, we will stop the diagnostics and call to advise you about the additional cleaning charge of $60.. If you approve, we proceed with the cleaning.  The total charge to you will be the cleaning charge plus the cost of any repairs approved by you.  If the moisture cannot be adequately removed after three rounds of cleaning,  we re-assemble the device and call to advise you to pick up (or return ship) your device. The cleaning fee that was not collected up front, will be due.

We do look forward to helping you save and repair your devices.

How Long Does it Take To Repair Liquid/Water Damage?

Liquid damaged device repairs require several stages of service -- each which take a fair amount of time to complete.

Typical Liquid Damage Repair Time:   1 Day 

In some cases multiple liquid cleaning processes must be undertaken which could take up to 3 days.

To properly diagnose the issues caused by the liquid exposure we must allow all of the required processes to run in full.  

Not all processes are required in every liquid damage situation.   

The entire repair procedure from cleaning to corrosion removal to ultrasonic bathing of the smartphone's circuits to re-flow of the semi-conductors can take up to three days. We might need to complete 3 cycles of this cleaning before we are satisfied that the moisture has been completely removed and that the repairs are worth doing. If we conclude that the device has been corroded beyond repair, we will let you know and return the device.  

How Much Does It Cost To Repair Liquid or Water Damage?

Regardless of the type of liquid, be it water, juice, coffee or alcohol, that your device was exposed to an internal cleaning process is required. Once we have removed all traces of liquid and subsequently any corrosion that may have developed we will diagnose the device and identify any parts that were damaged by the liquid exposure requiring replacement.

  Cost of cleaning process:  $60.00.

In some cases, the internal cleaning is sufficient to restore your device to be functioning.  

In the event that we find additional repair requirements, we will notify you, provide an estimate and proceed with your approval.

Liquid Damaged Devices Repair Warranty

1. Warranty Period: For liquid-cleaning related issues only, we have unlimited warranty. Warranty for parts replaced follows our standard 60-day period from date of repair

2. We can save your device in 80% of the cases. Typical cleaning process outcomes:

• In 20% of the cases, no furthur repairs are needed upon compleiton of the liquid/moisture cleaning.
• In 60% of the cases, additional component repairs/replacements are needed. We call you with our diagnostics along with time and cost estimates for your approval. We proceed to repair upon receiving your consent.
• In 20% of the cases, the moisture/liquid has corroded your main logic board. Replacement of main logic boards is exhorbitant and not worth replacing. In these situations, you come and pick up your terminal-condition devices for disposal.

Our Liquid Damaged Device Repair Warranty Details:

In the 80% of the outcomes (above) when your device has been successfully resuscitated, our warranty protection proceeds as follows:

• Additional issues may be experienced down the road by some customers - fewer than 5% of the customers. We do a free follow-up cleaning when customers experience these additional glitches and bring the device back for warranty support.  
• In the event there is still additional glitches experienced by our customers down the road, less than 1% of the time, a third cleaning takes care of all issues. Customers have never come back with additional problems after the third cleaning in the 10 years we have been providing this service.

Please note that our Liquid Damaged Device Repair Warranty is unique from our Standard Repair Warranty.

Liquid Damage Repairs - What Problems Could I Expect?

For liquid damage repairs to all devices we use up-to-date, state of the art, tools and equipment and processes.

Even so -- unforeseen problems may arise during the course of a liquid damage repair.

In extreme cases of water damage or other liquid exposure the mainboard in your device can sustain heavy corrosion or even shorting. Sometimes the trauma is severe enough that even reflowing is not sufficient to recover functionality.

Occasionally after a successful repair (even some time after you've picked up your revived device) new problems may be become apparent due to the progression of internal corrosion. In all these cases additional no-charge cleaning takes care of all these situations.

Even so -- Remember: We have a very high liquid damaged device repair success rate!

Liquid Damage - What Not To Do Examples

 Examples of actual customer emails received:

mesg: my iphone was droped in water (tub) so some water went inside my iphone screen i open the touch screen with the help of youtube video but when i open there was no space to dry the water i put this screen in microwave for 10 sec but with flame its burn i have the bottom part in orignal condition but my touchscreen is burn i need estimate repairing and can u tell me after repairing my previous memory will work or not?

mesg: Touch screen stopped responding after what appeared to be traces of moisture underneath the screen plate. Tried to 'squeegee' it out by repeatedly rubbing thumb towards the edge of the screen which seemed to work at first. I suppose that what ever moisture was left finally reached some vital components and did lasting damage. Is it possible to replace the display module? 

Liquid Damaged Devices and Rice

Does or Can Rice Help a Smartphone with Liquid Damage?

We strongly recommend against using rice or any other absorbent materials to attempt to draw moisture out of your liquid-exposed device.  

There are plenty of websites that suggest this approach as a technique to reduce or stop the progression of damage after liquid exposure -- please ignore that bad, rice bag, advice.

Our experience has shown that any attempt to draw moisture from a device by any external methods does absolutely nothing to help save it or to increase the chances of a successful repair.  In fact - this method can actually aggravate the damage already caused by causing the moisture to be spread over a greater area internally and expose other components - further -- particulates from and of the rice (or other material) itself could enter crevices in the components causing damage.

The best course of action upon discovering liquid damage is to turn the device off, disconnect power, remove the battery (if possible) and bring it into The TechKnow Space ASAP! 

When your liquid damaged phone, laptop or tablet is not repairable We may still be able to recover your data

Our liquid damage repair success rate is upwards of 80%!

For those other 20% of devices where the liquid has caused more damage to the device's electronics than can be economically repaired your first question is:

Can I still get my data - my photos, my videos, and my music?

In 55% to 70% of these situations the answer is YES.

What about my contacts???

If you have properly set up your device in the first place (entering your email address when setting it up for the first time) your contacts will have been "sync'ed to the cloud."  

This means that when you set up your next phone and enter the same email address during setup - your contacts will "re-sync" to your new device automatically.

If you have not previously attached your old phone to the cloud with your email address - additional recovery steps may be necessary to extract contacts from the recovered data image or they may not be recoverable.

There is a possibility (depending on device model and your customized preferences) the contacts may have been stored on your SIM card -- if so, they will show up in your new device when you insert your same SIM card.

How much does liquid damaged device data recovery cost?

For all phones and tablets: we charge $99.95 for successfull data recovery.

In those situations where the data recovery is unsuccessful we will charge $25.00 for our efforts

How long does it take to recover my lost data files?

Liquid damaged data recovery may take as little as 4 hours or as long as 1 day - depending on the amount of stored data and the extent of damage.

How do we provide your recovered data back to you?

We will load all of your recovered data onto a USB flash drive which will allow you to access your files from any computer.

What kinds of files can you recover?

Typically the files stored on your phone or tablet's internal memory are:

• Photos
• Videos
• Music
• Some kinds of documents

Other local device-stored data such as SMS messages, and calendar appointments are difficult and time-consuming to recover as they require additional software to analyze and extract the data.

If your celendar and SMS messages are vital - we may still be able to recover them, although addtional charges may apply -- let us know of these further needs when you bring in your device, otherwise we will proceeed to attempt recovery of Pictures, Music, Videos & Documents.

OK, I've received my recovered data - now how do I identify and find my files?

Your recovered data will usually be stored in a file-structure format (the same way it was stored on your device) much like the files on your computer.

The easiest way to find your files is to plug in the USB drive to a computer and use the folder search function as follows:

• To find pictures and photos: search for ".jpg", ".gif" or ".png".
   
• To find videos: search for ".mp4".
   
• To find music (from Android or Windows devices): search for ".mp3", ".m4a", ".aac", or ".ogg".

To find music (from iPhone devices): a little more difficult and extration tools are often necessary - however iphone users typically would have their music purchases stored in their iTunes account and would be able to access them by logging into iTunes.

My Mobile Phone was Exposed to Liquid. What Should I Do Now?

We repair the following liquid damage smartphone brands:

Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Blackberry, Google Pixel, HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia, OnePlus & Sony

  When you discover that your smartphone has been exposed to liquid of any kind:

• Turn your smartphone off.

Allowing the smartphone to continue to run after a liquid spill or exposure can cause irreversible internal damage including shorting of electrical circuits and semi-conductor overheating.

• Disconnect power and all peripherals.

Even with your smartphone powered off -- if the power is left connected electricity continues to flow through its circuits. This means electrical shorting and/or logic chip burnout can still occur.

• Remove the battery if possible.

As with external power if the battery is left in your smartphone, electricity continues to flow through its circuits leaving open the possibility of irreversible damage.

If your battery is not user-removable it is of utmost importance that you bring your smartphone in as-soon-as-possible because the damage can continue to worsen right up until we disassemble it.

When you visit the Techknow Space with a drowned iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, our technicians begin the liquid damage cleaning process immediately from the minute it reaches the workbench.

This cleaning process is not merely a single step, but can include multiple methods and even multiple cleaning attempts.

For this reason, we won’t know an exact time frame for the completed repair when you visit us to drop off your iPhone.

However, we promise to keep you apprised of any developments in your iPhone’s liquid damage repair process every step of the way.

When you visit the Techknow Space for a liquid damage repair for your iPhone 6, Galaxy Note 4 or S6 Edge, you can rest easy knowing our expert technicians are more than prepared to complete liquid cleaning for any damage that the liquid might have caused inside your phone.

“My Samsung Galaxy S6 was in the sink/bath tub/swimming pool/lake/washing machine/etc. but it seems to be working fine. Do you think I need to do a liquid cleaning for my S6?”

The worst thing you can do with a smartphone that has been a little too friendly with liquids is to continue to use the phone normally.

Usually when your smartphone has gone head to head with a liquid, your first instinct is to see if it works. But powering up your Galaxy S6 to check on it can actually make the situation worse.

All batteries generate a little heat when in use, and inside your phone that heat can actually help the liquid travel deeper into your phone.

This means it is more likely to do more damage, or even worsen the damage to your phone. Damage to the battery from liquid damage can not only stop your phone from working the right way, but can also be dangerous.

A liquid damaged battery can cause injury or harm, if the damage to the inside of your phone is great enough that the battery malfunctions.

Using a malfunctioning battery can cause the battery to explode, or expand in such a way that ruins the rest of your phone (i.e. lifting the screen assembly).

Instead of risking ruining your phone, or worse – sustaining an injury from a bad battery, visit the Techknow Space.

Our experts are always prepared, 7 days a week, with the skills and training to rescue your S6 or other smartphone from a watery grave. We are conveniently located in Mississauga, across from Square One Shopping Centre, and in Toronto, near the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower, to serve you best. 

Liquid damage corrosion removal is a TechKnow Space specialty.

Popular liquid damaged smartphone situations we address:

Samsung liquid damage repair
Samsung milk spill repair
Samsung beer/wine/other alcohol damage repair
Samsung juice damage repair

iPhone Liquid Damage Repair

We repair the following liquid/water damaged iPhones:

iPhone X, iPhone 8/8Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPhone 5/5S/5C, iPhone 4/4S

We remedy, refurbish, restore and resuscitate the following iPhone liquid damage situations:

water damage repair
milk spill repair
beer/wine/alcohol damage repair
orange juice spill repair
dropped in pool repair
dropped in puddle repair
exposed to shower steam repair

So your iPhone is wet – whether you dumped it in a cup of coffee, or it went for a ride in the washing machine, or you got drop kicked into a swimming pool Spartan-style à la “300” with it in your pocket, phones tend to not respond well to being attacked by liquids.

What should you do now that you have a sad, wet iPhone?

First, if your iPhone is off, leave it turned off. If it’s still on after the liquid incident, power it off. Your first thought after rescuing your phone from its watery grave is probably to turn it on to see if it still works.

THIS IS A BAD IDEA.

This can damage your iPhone further because the battery power can heat up the damp circuits inside your phone and burn them out, or overheat the battery, or force the liquid further into the phone.

The next step is to bring it straight to us at the Techknow Space. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Wasting time trying to fix the liquid damage on your own at this point will only make things worse for your iPhone.

Opening up your iPhone by yourself can be quite risky even if you think you have enough experience to handle the repair on your own. But for those of us without the relevant knowledge, DIY liquid damage repairs are downright silly.

Don’t listen to advice from the Internet either. Using a hairdryer or a bag of rice to fix the liquid damage is also not a good next step, because this is easy to do wrong as well, if you are not careful.

Trying to dry out your iPhone by heating it is like trying to push a freight train down the tracks with your bare hands. It’s technically do-able, but also very dangerous.

When you apply heat to the outside of your phone, you are risking overheating the battery and ruining it, or worse, exploding it! Don’t risk injury to yourself by trying to dry your iPhone out with a hairdryer.

Another popular suggestion from the online peanut gallery is to dunk your phone into a bag of uncooked rice. This supposedly will magically suck out all the liquid from the inside of the phone.

It isn’t a magic fix, and on top of not solving your watery iPhone problems, it can also leave little rice pieces behind in the SIM tray slot or charging port of your iPhone and cause more damage to your phone than the liquid.

Bringing your iPhone to the Techknow Space is the best solution for liquid damage repairs. Our experts have a wide and deep knowledge of the best ways to clean out the moisture and fix any additional damage to your iPhone.

MY LAPTOP WAS EXPOSED TO LIQUID. WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

We repair the following liquid damaged laptop brands:

Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP Compaq, IBM Lenovo, LG, MSI, Samsung, Sony & Toshiba

 When you discover that your laptop has been exposed to liquid of any kind:

• Turn your laptop off.

Allowing the laptop to continue to run after a liquid spill or exposure can cause irreversible internal damage including shorting of electrical circuits and semi-conductor overheating.

• Disconnect power and all peripherals.

Even with your laptop powered off -- if the power is left connected electricity continues to flow through its circuits. This means electrical shorting and/or logic chip burnout can still occur.

• Remove the battery if possible.

As with external power if the battery is left in your laptop electricity continues to flow through its circuits leaving open the possibility of irreversible damage.

If your battery is not user-removable it is of utmost importance that you bring your laptop in as-soon-as-possible because the damage can continue to worsen right up until we disassemble it.

My Macbook was Exposed to Liquid. What Should I Do Now?

When you discover that your Macbook Pro has been exposed to liquid of any kind:

• Turn your Macbook off.

Allowing the Macbook to continue to run after a liquid spill or exposure can cause irreversible internal damage including shorting of electrical circuits and semi-conductor overheating.

• Disconnect power and all peripherals.

Even with your Macbook Pro Retina powered off -- if the power is left connected electricity continues to flow through its circuits. This means electrical shorting and/or logic chip burnout can still occur.

• Remove the battery if possible.

As with external power if the battery is left in your Macbook, electricity continues to flow through its circuits leaving open the possibility of irreversible damage.

If your battery is not user-removable it is of utmost importance that you bring your Macbook in as-soon-as-possible because the damage can continue to worsen right up until we disassemble it.

Can the Data on My Macbook Be Recovered After Liquid Damage?

In nearly all cases of liquid or water damage to Macbooks -- the Hard Drive (the part of your macbook that stores your files pictures and music) is still functional.  This means that the likelihood of our being able to retrieve your data is very high!

There are various means by which we can return your data to you should your Macbook be non-repairable or you decide not to repair it.    

Two of the most popular solutions are:

• Your files and data can be extracted from the Macbook's hard drive and stored on another form of media such as a flash drive or external hard drive.
  
  
• Your Macbook hard drive can be removed (if fully functional) and installed into an external enclosure making it now an external hard drive which can be read on another computer.

Typically when asking: Can my data be retrieved?  

 The Answer is YES! 

My Tablet was Exposed to Liquid. What Should I Do Now?

We repair the following liquid/water spill damaged tablet brands:

Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Transformer/Memopad/Nexus, Blackberry Playbook, & Microsoft Surface

“My iPad Air was in my bag and something spilled on it. What should I do?”

First step – don’t panic! Your iPad still has a chance at survival. The next thing you need to do is turn your iPad off if it is still powered on.

iPad liquid damage repair is  often successful, but time is of the essence. The longer your iPad sits untreated for liquid damage, the less likely your chances of reviving your iPad get.

The Techknow Space are experts at all iPad Air spill repair solutions, and if your iPad has been exposed to any kind of liquid, choosing us as the answer for all your iPad liquid cleaning needs is the only smart option.

“I want to try the liquid cleaning repair for my spill damaged Samsung Galaxy Tab on my own, where do I start?”

Liquid damage repairs, more than any other repairs, are very complicated and easy to get wrong. So if you are brave enough to attempt the liquid cleaning process do-it-yourself style, you should be prepared for things to get more than a little stressful.

Your Galaxy Tab is a complex combination of parts, and liquid damage to even one piece inside your tablet can interrupt normal usage.

Trying to repair liquid damage to your Samsung Galaxy Tab without the proper knowledge or tools doesn’t only carry the risk of ruining your Tab, but it can also mean risk to life and limb if you make a mistake at the wrong moment or with the wrong component.

Liquid damaged tablets can often experience malfunctions that can be dangerous, like battery problems.

Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones inside iPads or other tablets like the Microsoft Surface, do not enjoy coming in contact with moisture of any kind.

When moisture like water or coffee or pop or rain or any other liquids gets into the battery that powers your Galaxy Tab, it can ruin the battery in ways that can be mildly annoying at best, and explosive at worst.

Don’t risk injury by trying to repair your spill damaged Galaxy Tab or iPad by yourself. Instead, bring your sad, watery device to the experts at the Techknow Space.

The Techknow Space has all the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to safely and efficiently complete liquid cleaning repairs for all tablets, including Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad, Microsoft Surface, Blackberry Playbook, and Asus Nexus 7.

“I think my iPad Mini has liquid damage, but it still seems to be working fine. Do I need to pay for liquid cleaning?”

Tablets with exposure to spills or liquid can respond to liquid damage in many different ways, and when you bring your iPad to the Techknow Space (whether it’s just for the liquid cleaning, or for a different repair like a screen replacement), we want to ensure our repairs are done to the fullest and best of our considerable abilities.

But the only way we can ensure that is to ensure the liquid exposure to your iPad Mini is cleaned away before we go any further with other repairs.

While your iPad might seem to be working normally, that grace period might not last forever. The only way to be sure any liquid damage inside your iPad Mini won’t come back to haunt you is to visit the Techknow Space and get us to rid your iPad of watery ghosts.