[newberry52]

As I write this, my Curve is drying out in a bag of rice, under a lamp and near the heat coming from the wood stove (not too close!). Last night we had a beauty of a thunderstorm here in Hotlanta and my daughter used my phone to ask my husband to open the door so we could run in out of the drenching rain and lightning and thunder. She then dropped my phone in my purse, still on, and zipped it up. I got out of the car, hugging my purse to me, and dashed to the house. About three hours later I went to get my phone and it wasn't in my purse. My husband went to the car to look for it and found it lying in the grass outside the driver's side door! In the dark, my daughter missed the zipper part and stuck my Curve in an open part of the purse, ending up in it falling out in my mad dash to the house. I can't disassemble it because I don't have the right tools.

I am planning to leave it in the rice for at least a week. I can wait for a week or even two to order a replacement phone because I have borrowed my husband's Samsung and put my SIM card in it while he is using our son's extra emergency Tmo Nokia phone. I admit to being curious to see what will happen if I am patient.

But my question is this: Is it likely to revive after being thoroughly soaked during a bad thunderstorm and then lying in the grass for at least 2-1/2 hours? If so, do you think a week is long enough to leave it in the rice? Or should I ante up the deductible and get a new phone through the insurance already?

TIA

[kjjb0204]

Wirelessly posted

Hard to predict, but many have had success. I'm assuming you removed the battery since you didn't specify. The key is whether or not current was flowing when it shut off from the water. If it was, it might not be good. Good luck!

[monkeypaw]

How did it look when you found it? Was it working ok? The biggest problem is the damage done to the phone while it is wet and on.

A week is probably more than enough time. You might as well wait and see if it survives. I had a Nokia get dunked and after drying it worked for a long time afterwards. But then I had to go to Louisiana for work and the humidity got to it.

[newberry52]

Thanks for both responses. Yes, the phone was on when it fell out and, yes, I took the battery out immediately on finding it, but as you indicate, probably too late. I would like to see what happens, so whether it works or not, and I feel that it probably won't, I am still going to let it dry out for a few days and see what happens. I'll report back.

[newberry52]

The good news is that I let the Curve dry in the bag of rice near a heat source for five days and then left it in a window inside the house where it got good and hot from the sun for a few hours. Popped in the battery and the phone fired up and is working just as usual! So far, no key issues, no function issues, picking up Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as usual. Flash/camera/video camera all in working order. The battery does appear to be shot and needs to be replaced but I have to order it. Once I do, I will know if the short time the battery charge is maintained is due to the battery being shot or something else wrong. A fairly happy ending after all! (But insurance is still good for a replacement if it becomes necessary.)

[monkeypaw]

Cool.