Coffee on motherboard!

W

WiL11o6

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Messages
478
I accidentally spilled coffee (with creamer) on my table and I couldn't stop it in time for it to leak off my table and have a couple drips land into the side of my case. My PC kept running fine, no sparks or anything. I didn't even notice it leaked into my case so I took my time turning everything off, removing speakers and such off my table to give it a good wipe down.

After wiping the table, I noticed some coffee on top of the case, so I inspected closer and notice there's a streak of coffee down half way down the motherboard! It's on the left side of the board next to the big heat sinks next to the CPU and ends right on top of my 780. Everything is dried up at this point, all that's left is the sugary coffee residue. Plugging it back in, everything is working fine, I am just wondering about long term effects? I always thought the slightest water would destroy a motherboard and fry everything connected to it.

Am I safe? Everything is working fine. There's just a tiny bit of coffee residue.
 
Clean it up.
If the residue has got onto the legs of a chip or underneath it, blow it out with a solvent spray.
There should be no long term problems.
 
Well it ain't broke, still grab some Isopropyl and clean it up when you get a chance.
 
Pull the board and take everything off the board and get some distilled water and 90 percent alcohol and clean it off before it shorts the mainboard!
The problem will grow as the sugar and creamer sit. I promise you sooner or later if not taken care of you will in the least loose the mainboard maybe more.
Start with the distilled water and a toothbrush scrubbing the mainboard until clean, then clean it with alcohol and let dry at least 24 hours. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER water on the board! If you do it will leave residue that could damage the board.
 
edited:

I have 99% Isopropyl alcohol. Would that short the circuits? Q-Tip and alcohol to tab is fine?
 
WiL11o6 said:
edited:

I have 99% Isopropyl alcohol. Would that short the circuits? Q-Tip and alcohol to tab is fine?
Click to expand...

Should be fine, that stuff evaporates in seconds so just give it a a few minutes after you clean it before hooking it back up.
 
jackofalltrades said:
Pull the board and take everything off the board and get some distilled water and 90 percent alcohol and clean it off before it shorts the mainboard!
The problem will grow as the sugar and creamer sit. I promise you sooner or later if not taken care of you will in the least loose the mainboard maybe more.
Start with the distilled water and a toothbrush scrubbing the mainboard until clean, then clean it with alcohol and let dry at least 24 hours. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER water on the board! If you do it will leave residue that could damage the board.
Click to expand...

total FUD

I have cleaned many tens of components with hot tap water and a citrus based solvent (LA's Totally Awesome), rinse very well, shake the beads off and put it in the sun/behind a hot computer/on the heat register for a good day before applying power.

Tap water does not hurt electronics in the least.
 




That's what it looks like. If someone says it's fine, I don't want to take apart everything! I don't have extra thermal paste so I would need to wait. I already tried cleaning up the back, but I would need to remove the whole damn thing.
 
I'm afraid I might do more damage is the main reason. Even though everyone says it's fine, me putting dabs and dabs of alcohol on a Q-tip on the same spot trying get the stickiness off feels like I'm putting too much liquid onto the motherboard. Unless it's really okay to put a lot of it without damaging it in the process
 
I dunno man, I enjoy keeping my nice stuff, well, nice. That thing is well due for a good cleaning anyway.
 
clean the dust off if nothing else...looks like a decade of dust buildup
 
jojo69 said:
total FUD

I have cleaned many tens of components with hot tap water and a citrus based solvent (LA's Totally Awesome), rinse very well, shake the beads off and put it in the sun/behind a hot computer/on the heat register for a good day before applying power.

Tap water does not hurt electronics in the least.
Click to expand...

I've cleaned a keyboard with tap water however i'd be a little more cautious with the more delicate stuff, especially in when you live in an area with a high amount of mineral content in the water.
 
get a can of air too and don't neglect to blow the fuck out of the PSU
 
WiL11o6 said:
haha, yeah I cleaned it up after. I suppose I should take it apart and wait for more thermal paste.
Click to expand...

For sure.
Sugary residue will draw moisture from the air when the machine is turned off.
On first power up from cold is the time of greatest risk.
 
Kor said:
I've cleaned a keyboard with tap water however i'd be a little more cautious with the more delicate stuff, especially in when you live in an area with a high amount of mineral content in the water.
Click to expand...

sigh

you can lead a horse to water


if you knew how many mobos I've had in the bathtub with the hose shower head...and our water IS mineralized

you use HOT water

you shake it off

you put it in a good drying place for a good long time






computers like baths
 
Thanks guys, in the process of cleaning it right now. How long do I need to let it sit and dry with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
 
Use a hair dryer, then boot it up.

I agree, hot tap water works fine for sugar or creamer, since it dissolves readily in H2O.

Mouse piss will destroy a mobo though.
 
Yup. Left an expansion card plate off the back, and mouse was nesting it in. They like warm sleeping areas. I didn't find out until the computer wouldn't boot and I took it apart.
 
The very first 80486 motherboard I got was one that somebody had spilled coffee all over it.

I took it home and sprayed it off with rubbing alcohol until it ran clean. I am pretty sure I used more than a whole bottle.

I let it dry for a day and then put together a system with it. That board never gave me one bit of trouble.
 
jojo69 said:
total FUD

I have cleaned many tens of components with hot tap water and a citrus based solvent (LA's Totally Awesome), rinse very well, shake the beads off and put it in the sun/behind a hot computer/on the heat register for a good day before applying power.

Tap water does not hurt electronics in the least.
Click to expand...


I find is amazing that somebody would be too cheap to buy a $1 gallon of distilled water with no impurities versus using tap water with everything including chemicals in it. I figure if you are too lazy to pull it you should just run it until it breaks then cry like a baby when it pukes. I could have done it in less than an hour and rinsed with 90 percent alcohol and been running in 2 hours. I would have been out like 3 bucks and not had to worry about further problems. I say don't ask for advice and don't do it, as well as don't give bad advice and call good advice bad information. That is stupid.
 
well, for one thing, bottled water doesn't come hot or in infinite supply

but whatever, I guess I've never cleaned a system up before
 
I never said you can't do it but how about giving the best advice not the cheapest advice? You could also pee on it and maybe get away with it but like I said it only cost a few bucks to make sure it is clean and a microwave will heat distilled water as well as tap water.
 
Because I think it is the best advise, been doing it for years, probably 60 systems. It is easy, convenient, and gets stuff really clean.

But I'm done arguing about it, clean your stuff the way you want.
 
Yeah don't use tap water, tis a silly idear, tap water varies from place to place.
 
DI water or ISO. Clean it up and call it a day. Dont be lazy please, unless your pockets are deep, which in that case you should just let it be and also donate some to all of us lol

Plus if you built the system in the first place, I don`t see the reasoning for the hesitation
 
The entire system is ruined. You should just pack it up and ship it to me.
 
Spazturtle said:
Yeah don't use tap water, tis a silly idear, tap water varies from place to place.
Click to expand...
+1.

Tap water is full of crap in most places?
I don't even drink the stuff much less put it on an poor little computer board. I would rather spend a few $$ and do it with the good stuff!
 
As soon as you dump that distilled water on a dirty mobo is equals tap water dumped on a dirty mobo.

Isopropyl contains water. Normally about 10-30%? It absorbs humidity.

You are using the fluid as a solvent. Your goal is to dissolve what is on the mobo. Sugar likes water. Alcohol does not. Ditto for powdered creamer.

Distilled water is only distilled until you dissolve shit in it. Then it's not a lot different than tap water as a solvent.

This is HS chem for God's sake. Wake up.
 
Qinsp said:
As soon as you dump that distilled water on a dirty mobo is equals tap water dumped on a dirty mobo.

Isopropyl contains water. Normally about 10-30%? It absorbs humidity.

You are using the fluid as a solvent. Your goal is to dissolve what is on the mobo. Sugar likes water. Alcohol does not. Ditto for powdered creamer.

Distilled water is only distilled until you dissolve shit in it. Then it's not a lot different than tap water as a solvent.

This is HS chem for God's sake. Wake up.
Click to expand...

So tap water also has cream and coffee in it? Nice!! I didn't learn that in HS.

I would rather use distilled water and 90%+ iso still, but you can use whatever you like!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top