Question about swimming with fish
Question about swimming with fish
Not certain if this is the right place to share this, but here it is. A few months back a friend experienced a water leak in the laundry room, which flowed into the garage below. Their PC was on the ground, and they mentioned seeing water inside the case (it has a glass side panel). I’m puzzled about why the device wasn’t placed in a cabinet or kept out of the garage, but it was. The PSU is located at the bottom, so it’s likely it had some water nearby or around it. I can only share what I’ve seen physically since I haven’t used it before the flood. My worry now is whether it will be affected once it dries out and I’ve cleaned up dust and debris. Looking at the PSU, motherboard, case, etc., I notice dust particles and possibly spots where water might have collected, but it’s hard to confirm. It seems like whatever water was present should have drained away quickly.
Appreciate any advice. Here are the details I can provide...
- Some AMD CPU with what appears to be a Wraith heatsink/fan
- 2 Corsair RAM sticks
- Antec NE 550 gold PSU
- Asus Prime B450M-A motherboard
- Samsung SSD drive
I understand this isn’t a high-end gaming rig, but I really hope it can be fixed again unless it’s too late...
I received a laptop from a user who had their office flooded. After letting it rest in the storeroom during the summer heat for a month, it started up without any issues. The drying time affects the result. If it's been only a few days, disassemble what you can and use a hair dryer on low heat across all circuit boards to dry any tight spaces (like PCI slots). Only by turning it on can you be sure it will work.
It has been drying out for roughly 4-5 months in the same garage. Now it's safely away from a radiator heater. I'm considering taking the PSU out to inspect the inside with a flashlight and checking for power signals outside the case. Is that really necessary?
If it was powered (plugged in and switched on, even if not actively running), I would replace the PSU and any components that were wet with 99% probability of being damaged. PSUs aren't designed to be waterproof; they have large openings for fans and ventilation. These should be removed, thoroughly dried, and tested without connecting them to the PC, as a short circuit could deliver high voltage to the PC parts and cause damage.
Thanks very much for the info, advice. It was not plugged in at all so I guess that is a definite plus. I will remove the PSU hopefully in the next few days, and do the paperclip test anyway. I am pretty sure that there is no water left anywhere, but may borrow a hair dryer and give it a good once over the entire case, every corner, etc. Thanks again.
If flood water had carried salts from nearby concrete, it could have left a thin layer of pollutants on all or most printed circuit boards in the computer. These residues might cause corrosion at solder joints, component leads, and metal parts inside the device. The fans' motors could also be impacted.
You can check both sides of the motherboard for white deposits and try cleaning them, but it's not advisable to open the power supply unit unless you're very familiar with the risks. This is why many PSUs have a warning label stating "DANGER. No user serviceable parts inside."
When connecting AC mains to an ATX PSU and setting the rocker switch to 'On', the 400V DC electrolytic bulk capacitor quickly rises to about 325V DC (assuming a 230V AC mains). This high voltage is sufficient to cause serious electric shocks if touched.
Any residual conductive paths from water damage inside the PSU could allow leakage currents to bridge insulation between High Voltage circuits and SELV (safety extra low voltage) sections. Contaminants might disrupt normal PSU safety circuit operation.
Designers strive to maintain adequate "Creepage and Clearance" distances between high and low voltage circuits. If contaminants create a conductive path, the PSU becomes a potential safety risk.
Reference: https://resources.altium.com/p/high-volt...e-distance
In reality, the PSU might remain unaffected for years after soaking and could still function properly.
Alternatively, it may spark and fail immediately upon powering on, or it might appear normal for a short time before malfunctioning.
Additionally, conductive paths and corrosion on the motherboard can render the unit inoperable.
If this were my computer, I’d test the motherboard with another PSU to confirm if the motherboard still works. I could also isolate the original PSU, keeping at least 2 meters (6 feet) away during mains connection, just in case dangerous sparks emerge from the case. You might be fortunate, but proceed with caution.
Thank you for the helpful information and guidance. I won't think about disassembling the PSU. I'm considering testing the computer with another PSU. For the suspect PSU, I'll isolate it and proceed with extreme care. Appreciate your support.
In my opinion, even when the system was turned off, the CMOS battery likely caused the problem.
Thanks for the info. I think I have another battery to install. The water did not get up to the motherboard as far as I know, most likely just up to the bottom mounted PSU. I'll let the system sit for a few more days by the heater. It's been many months at least since the water issue.