Spilled beer on my laptop.

[venom0706]

I just spilled a considerable amount of beer on my laptop's keyboard. I immediately wiped out what I could with paper, but I don't have the tools to open it, nor a removable battery so I can't take it out. I literally can't do anything. The beer have probably already gone under the keyboard. However, amazingly, my laptop is working just perfect! Any ideas whether everything is ok? If something happened, when will I experience the after effects? Thank you and much appreciated.

 

[USAFRet]

I just spilled a considerable amount of beer on my laptop's keyboard. I immediately wiped out what I could with paper, but I don't have the tools to open it, nor a removable battery so I can't take it out. I literally can't do anything. The beer have probably already gone under the keyboard. However, amazingly, my laptop is working just perfect! Any ideas whether everything is ok? If something happened, when will I experience the after effects? Thank you and much appreciated.

You need to take it apart and clean it. The drying beer inside will leave behind all sorts of goop.

And turn it off!

 

[Outlander_04]

Have you considered drinking Whiskey instead?

 

[venom0706]

As I said, I don't have the tools to take it apart. What should I do other than that? And also, do you think it will continue to work normally in time?

 

[jimmysmitty]

I just spilled a considerable amount of beer on my laptop's keyboard. I immediately wiped out what I could with paper, but I don't have the tools to open it, nor a removable battery so I can't take it out. I literally can't do anything. The beer have probably already gone under the keyboard. However, amazingly, my laptop is working just perfect! Any ideas whether everything is ok? If something happened, when will I experience the after effects? Thank you and much appreciated.

You need to take it apart and clean it. The drying beer inside will leave behind all sorts of goop.

And turn it off!

If you cannot take it apart go to a shop and see if they can do it for you. And make sure to use alcohol, the higher the % the better 99% preferred) to clean it properly.

 

[USAFRet]

As I said, I don't have the tools to take it apart. What should I do other than that? And also, do you think it will continue to work normally in time?

Whoever does it, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned.
And quickly. The longer you wait, the harder the cleaning will be.

 

[venom0706]

Yeah, but if it works perfectly at the moment, why should I be worried?

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah, but if it works perfectly at the moment, why should I be worried?

That just means the currently liquid beer hasn't found a sensitive spot yet.

Pour a puddle of beer on your desk. Wait a couple of days. See that leftover goop? That is what will be inside your laptop.

But hey...it's your laptop, your money.

 

[Saberus]

A lot of laptops now use a tray under the keyboard with drain holes that go through to the bottom of the laptop to protect the guts from _minor_ spills.

A lot of beer isn't minor, get it to a service tech ASAP. Even if the guts are fine, that goop USAFRet mentions will gum up the keyboard and render it unusable. And if it sits even longer, it's going to start stinking like a dead cat. Keep using the laptop, and it will be hot dead cat smell. You do not want this, trust me.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Yeah, but if it works perfectly at the moment, why should I be worried?

My wife has spilt liquids on her keyboards quite often. He first keyboard was my old Logitech G15, it was still in great shape and clean as I clean my stuff a lot (by taking the keys off and using alcohol and cotton swabs).

She killed it. Even after taking it apart (even to the PCB) it still had issues.

She also killed a newer G510, same thing no matter how much I cleaned it some keys would either stick or not work. And that is with me instantly soaking up the extra liquid, turning it upside down to drain anymore and taking it apart and soaking everything in 90% iso alcohol.

 

[venom0706]

Okay, day 2. I turned on my laptop. Everything works fine, except that 1-2 keys from the keyboard have a "sticky" feeling when I press them. Including the Space button. The sticky feeling goes away when I press those keys several times. I was wondering, will that stickiness go away with time or it will be always there? Thank you.

 

[Saberus]

It can go away, stay the same, or get worse until the keys are unusable. Please get it cleaned properly before it has a chance to get worse.

 

[venom0706]

I once removed a key in order to clean it and ever since I put it back, it has an odd feeling when pressing it. That's why I am too afraid to clean the keys myself.

 

[USAFRet]

3 words: hot dead cat.

 

[Saberus]

Take it to a service shop and get the keyboard replaced as a unit. Tell them up front about the beerspill so they can check and clean it for you. Consider the cost a lesson.

Consider avoiding the smell a blessing. I didn't like beer before that smell. Now even fresh beer smell makes me ill.

 

[venom0706]

Is it 100% certain that it will start smelling like that? And how long before it does? My old laptop also had beer spilled on it, but after almost 2 years, it never started smelling of anything. And this was without cleaning it or taking it to a service.

 

[USAFRet]

Nothing is certain, except for the fact that you spilled beer in it.

At present, you have at least one key that is acting up. Things won't get better.
It may or may not get worse, but it certainly won't get better.

At best, you have a wonky key.
At worst, it will short something out, or the dried beer goop will cause an overheat situation and cook something.
And a wide range of possibilities in the middle.

Your laptop, your money, your choice.

Maybe you should cut back on the beer imbibing next to the laptop.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Nothing is certain, except for the fact that you spilled beer in it.

At present, you have at least one key that is acting up. Things won't get better.
It may or may not get worse, but it certainly won't get better.

At best, you have a wonky key.
At worst, it will short something out, or the dried beer goop will cause an overheat situation and cook something.
And a wide range of possibilities in the middle.

Your laptop, your money, your choice.

Maybe you should cut back on the beer imbibing next to the laptop.

You forgot that the beer could have gotten on a trace on the PCB and after drying would cause it to start oxidizing then slowly corrode until it no longer works.

I have also seen that same thing where liquid was spilt and hit some traces on a PCB and the board caught fire and the traces melted off. Then a chip overheated and popped. Was pretty cool. Smelt bad though.