# Phone took a swim



## Doc

We rented out an indoor heated pool and had all the kids, grandkids and some other friends and relatives to the little party.  Had  for 3 hours.   
Reese, one of my granddaugthers, could not wait to get in the pool.  So I walk her down in the shallow end of the pool and we play around a little.   Guess who forgot to take the phone out of their pocket.   

I have the phone in a bag of rice.  I've hard that can recover a submerged phone sometimes, but it will take days.  Any other ideas on what might save the day?


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## 300 H and H

Place the bag of rice and the phone in a warm place. I once dried mine out in an after noon of laying open on the dashboard of a pick up truck with the windows closed on a sunny day. Maybe just the place today if the sun is out... It's hot but not too hot..

Regards, Kirk


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## Jim_S RIP

Otterbox?

http://www.otterbox.com/en-us/preserver-series


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## Melensdad

I often slip my phone in my shirt pocket.

I've leaned over the pool a couple times and watching my phone slip out and fall to the bottom of the pool.

OTTERBOX for me and the lovely Mrs_Bob.  Works.

Melen has the LIFEPROOF case.  Its nicer, trimmer, and twice the price of the OTTERBOX.


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## MrLiberty

Top of the stove worked for hearing aids when I got them wet.  

Has to be an old gas one with a pilot light for the burners though.


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## JimVT

I found one in a dried up mud hole . I opened it up back by a card and put it next to the fireplace. 
the owner said it fell into the mud while pushing his 4x out.
he put a password in it and worked. it said droid on it


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## tiredretired

I dropped one of my pagers in a toilet once.  That was the end of that.  Should have seen the look on the bosses face when I handed it to him and told him I fished it out of the toilet.  

I dropped a flip phone once 40 feet while working in a bucket truck onto blacktop.  That was the end of that too.  No fancy case was going to save it that day.  

I agree with the rice trick.  Use Uncle Ben's.


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## Av8r3400

Doc, you wanted a new iPhone 6 anyway, didn't you?


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## Kane

I'm pretty sure that inside the fancy new phones is a small tab of "litmus" paper that proves the phone has been compromised by moisture. A sure-fire way for phone manufacturer to deny warrantee and/or replacement coverage. Sux.


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## Doc

I've dropped the phone a few times due to having it in my shirt pocket and bending over.  Luckily never over water when it fell out.   So I normally carry in my pants pocket.   I have a thin case on the phone so that it easily slid in and out of my pocket.   

My brother got one of the Otterboxes ..or something similar that floats after he lost his 2nd phone in the river.   I'd hate to wait till I lose two to take preventive action, so most likely I will get one of those protective cases.  

I do have insurance on this phone and yes and iPhone 6 might be in my future but for now I'm semi patiently waiting as my phone rests in rice.


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## Doc

Kane said:


> I'm pretty sure that inside the fancy new phones is a small tab of "litmus" paper that proves the phone has been compromised by moisture. A sure-fire way for phone manufacturer to deny warrantee and/or replacement coverage. Sux.


You might be right for warranty but the insurance does indeed cover it if submerged, dropped or left on the roof of your car and gets smashed.  You have to have the defective phone to turn in but as long as you have the dead phone it will be replaced.  Of course there is still a $99 charge for the replacement.  Better than $400+ or so for a new one.


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## JEV

I have the Otterbox Defender with belt holster for my iPhone 5s ($39.95 @ Sam's Club). Never understood why people put their phone in their shirt pocket, no offense, it's just a disaster waiting to happen. Good luck with the rice...I'd be more concerned about the chlorine than the water...not to mention the pee in the pool.


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## Tractors4u

I did the same thing 300 H and H did, dash board of the truck.  Now I've got a Galaxy S5 now and I throw it in the pool just to freak people out.  Shallow end only though.


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## Tractors4u

Kane said:


> I'm pretty sure that inside the fancy new phones is a small tab of "litmus" paper that proves the phone has been compromised by moisture. A sure-fire way for phone manufacturer to deny warrantee and/or replacement coverage. Sux.



Correct.  If you look there is usually one and sometimes two little white squares and they will show a red or pink dot if they have gotten wet.


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## jwstewar

We recently had both of our Galaxy S4s replaced under warranty. I think there are 3 dots in it indicating water submersion.

 Funny thing, I just got my new phone a couple weeks ago. The very first day I'm carrying it, I was outside with the goats as we had one kidding. Well, being at the barn, I had to take a leak. Not wanting to have to go to the house and take my boots and everything off, I went to the back corner of the barn and dropped the front of my Carhartt bibs. Went back in the barn. Couldn't find my phone. Went back outside and there laid the new phone in the snow - no, I didn't pee on it  Picked it up and dried it off and it is fine. Still need to order cases for these phones, just haven't done it.


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## Av8r3400

Tractors4u said:


> Correct.  If you look there is usually one and sometimes two little white squares and they will show a red or pink dot if they have gotten wet.



...and if you carry your phone in your pocket (shirt or pants) your perspiration will be enough to trip these tabs.


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## Doc

Well, the rice trick did not work.  Had it been summer time I do think putting the rice bag w/ phone in the car window in the sun would have been enough heat to draw out the moisture.   It cost me $99 for being dumb.   I'll have a new iPHone 6s 64gb later today they say.  I'll be surprised if it makes it.  it was in Ft Worth last night at 9pm and in Indy (aka Dargo country) this morning.   It's in transit somewhere now but if they deliver today I will be very impressed.


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## Doc

Just got word the phone has arrived at my house.   Damn.  That's fast.  Fed Ex is awesome!!!!!


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## tiredretired

Doc said:


> Just got word the phone has arrived at my house.   Damn.  That's fast.  Fed Ex is awesome!!!!!



I am not surprised Doc.  I have always gotten my phones from Big Red overnight the next morning.  They're not afraid to spend the bucks to get the phones out in a hurry. 

Are you going to get one of those 18K solid gold $10,000 Apple watches to go with it?


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## rlk

My LG phone went through a complete wash cycle in the washing machine.  Once I realized what happened, I put it in the cold air return of the HVAC system and left it there for 24 hours.  Afterwards I powered it on, and it is still working today.  That was not a smart phone, but a flip phone.

Bob


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## rback33

Old thread I know, but I have had the rice work on an old LG Slider style phone. I spent 30 minutes on the bottom of a pool... was too excited to swim and jumped in with it in my swimming trunks... did NOT have insurance at the time...  left it in rice overnight, powered it on the next day and it worked! put insurance on immediately knowing it would crap out eventually... waiting period expired... and it went through the wash in the side pocket of my carpenter jeans... did not survive that swim...


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## Doc

Rice worked for my brothers iPhone after a swim in the river.   Did not work for mine after just a minute or two in a pool.  Go figure.   I had insurance and they upgraded me from a 5s to a 6 so I'm a happy camper.  I like the size of the 6 better.


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