Got wet your remote control with water, Tea, or coffee? Don’t panic. Find out the best ways to fix the wet remote control.
It is quite natural remote control gets wet from tea, coffee, or water when we drink and use the remote control simultaneously. One of the best options not to wet the remote control is, just to keep away the remote control when we are drinking something or giving a close concentration. Anyway, today in this post I am going to show you how to fix a remote control that got water, Tea, coffee, or any other liquid. This is a simple home remedy that you can try at your home.
What Happens When A Remote Control Got Wet By Water, Tea, Coffe, Or Juice?
Your remote control may stop working completely when it gets about 100% wet. The remote control will get fully wet when it falls into the water and dipped completely. There are possibilities to get some water, tea, coffee or any other liquid like juice poured into the remote control and getting wet.
There is not matter when got wet only the body of the remote control.
So what is the problem when wet?
Mostly, the water problem, remote control buttons will not work due to water accumulation on the circuit board, where water passes through the small gap between the remote control body and the button edges.
Passing water through the gap between the button and the remote control body is very quick when compared to water passing Via the central gap of the remote control since it is tightly closed.
In the first image below, see the gap between the remote control button and the remote body.
This gap is enough to pass the water inside and cause damage to it.
When water particles pass via this gap, that will cause water to accumulate under the button. But passing very small water may not be a problem since there is a mat present between the button and the circuit board so that is very little chance of getting water into the circuit board. But passing a high amount of water content surely will cause issues.
Anyway, it is good to dry your remote control as soon as got wet by water to avoid the possibility of passing water into the inner side and avoid all possible damage that may be caused.
Here the gap between the upper and lower body is very low. In most remote control it is tightly closed, with very little chance of passing the water via this gap. But a remote control dipped in water for more time your remote control gets damaged due to the water being wet completely.
Possible damages when the remote control wet
- The button not working problem
- Circuit board damage due to the stain or spots that formed on the circuit board
- IR emitter damage etc
How To Fix A Remote Control That Got Wet?
Immediately Dry the Remote control from the wet
What to do when your remote control gets wet by water?
First of all, you need to shake the remote control well where all the water content on the remote control is discharged from it. Then clean the body and the gaps between the button and remote control well with a towel or cotton cloth. Why we are using cotton cloth here to clean? Because cotton cloth will absorb water content instantly from the surface of the remote control.
Then place the remote control in a hot place, ultimately it is better to place the wet remote control under the filament bulb and turn on the bulb. Because the filament bulb will get hot within very little time and keep the emote control for some time. Make sure that, heat passes at each gap in the remote control so that water content will easily and instantly get dry. so that we can prevent water content from passing inside the remote control and causing circuit damage.
Separate the Circuit board and button mat and keep them under a filament Bulb
What to do when you realize that the water entered inside the remote control?
Many electronics technicians suggested that you should open the remote control body immediately after it got massive wet, and then separate the circuit board, the button mat, and the battery and keep them under heat for some time.
The above-mentioned method of placing the circuit board, and the button mat under a filament bulb in order to dry them immediately.
An alternate method to dry the remote control circuit board and Button mat
Rather than keeping them under a filament bulb, if you have a hairdryer at your home, you can use them to dry the remote control circuit board. Keep under the hairdryer for some time and the high-force air with a little heat will immediately dry wet content on them.
Clean or remove the wet-generated stains on the circuit board with an Eraser
This is the most common method that electronics technicians are using. Your remote control circuit should be clean and get rid of stains of thick layers generated on wet.
If your remote control gets wet by juicy liquids, tea, or coffee, there is a high chance of a thin layer forming in the circuit board. We should break that layer. In order to break the layer, we are cleaning the circuit board with an eraser.
We have an eraser, or simply pencil rubber in our home. Removing stains that are generated after wetting may cause unhealthy remote control working. So in order to remove those stains, place the eraser on the circuit board, and then smoothly rub it on it and slowly remove all those stains on the circuit board.
Here I have explained the circuit board cleaning at your home. Many electronic repair shops use isopropyl rubbing alcohol to clean the circuit board. We need not do that, just use an eraser to remove stains generated by juicy liquid or Tea.
Clean Remote Control Button Mat
Next, you have to do is to clean completely the remote control rubber button mat user surface. There is less chance of getting it damaged due to wetness. when we dry the wet content on them, it will work as usual.
Reassemble Remote control
The next step is to reassemble the remote control. For this, first, you need to place the button rubber mat in the correct spot on the circuit board.
It is better to put the rubber buttons in the remote body button holes provided, and then place the circuit board above it. Then fit the remote cover correctly.
Then insert a remote battery on it and then start using the wet fixed remote control with your devices.
How To Prevent Remote Control from Wet?
One of the best ways to prevent the remote control from getting wet is by using a Polythene plastic cover. Cover the remote control well with a plastic cover and use it. Then no need to worry about getting wet by water or any other liquid.