I recently had a bit of an accident where some water fell onto my PC. It got onto the side panel where the fans are, and a little on the floor of the case. In my panic, I pressed the power button instead of unplugging the power supply. I'm worried about damaging my components. What steps should I take now?
3 Answers
If most of the components stayed dry, just let everything air out for a while. It's important to make sure everything is dry before you turn it back on. If any parts got wet, grab a toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol to clean those spots carefully.
I’d recommend turning off your PC and disconnecting the power. Remove the side panel and dry off any wet spots you see. Setting a fan to blow at it for a day or two can really help. If it was just a small spill, it should be fine, but if you're concerned, taking everything apart to dry it might be the safest route.
The best action is to shut everything down immediately and dry up any visible moisture. Computers can handle a bit of water, but only to an extent. Keep an eye on how wet the critical spots are, as that will influence how cautious you should be.
Wow, you really seem to recommend the fan approach! But it makes sense to get airflow going.