So I was hanging out in my room when my AC started leaking water because the pipe bent for some reason. About two glasses of water fell right onto my PC, which was turned off at the time. I quickly unplugged it and moved it away. I think the motherboard is safe, but the GPU and CPU cooler took the brunt of it. The GPU has a backplate that protected the chip somewhat. I'm really worried—am I in trouble? What steps should I take to fix this?
3 Answers
First things first: you need to clean everything with isopropyl alcohol. It’s the best way to get rid of any moisture. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, it might be worth taking it to a shop and explaining what happened. They can give it a thorough look for you. Ideally, the components should be fine since you haven't turned it on yet.
Just a heads up, while you're dealing with this, it's important to also clean the AC unit to prevent future issues. Sometimes the drain pipe gets blocked and causes leaks. But for your computer, clean out any moisture and keep it in a dry spot with silica gel packets. You should be okay with time!
Definitely take out the GPU and wipe it down gently with a microfiber cloth. After that, let it dry in a container filled with silica gel packets to absorb any leftover moisture. You should also remove the backplate and cooler to dry those too. Make sure to check everything else like the motherboard and hard drive. I’d recommend letting it all dry for at least 48 hours before you put it back together and plug it in.
Cleaning the AC isn't my main worry right now, but I appreciate the advice!