Hey guys,

a while ago I spilled my water bottle over my RME Babyface audio interface. I just let it dry and to this day it works just fine. But something is still bugging me that I am afraid it got some sort of damage.

How could I test this? Am I just trippin?

Did anyone of you spilled water or something over your audioequipment and how did it turn out?

I guess I just need someone to calm my nerves, even tho its been a while since it happend. But sometimes the thought of something being broken buggs me out.

 

Sorry,please....I don't know...but when I read the title of this thread... This reminded a cover artwork of Nirvana's Nevermind album...
Such a bad story... All this broken hardware stuff.... Like my Virus C and small mixer for extra headphone/monitoring commutation

 

A short circuit will be shown immediately
If something happened you would see it.
But if it works till now everything will be fine

 

how long was the water in contact? was it somehow contaminated? Saltwater or Coke differs a lot from pure Water.
If i was you, i would find an experienced technician, let him open it, clean and spray it with Kontaktspray (Potentiometers are vulnerable).
The printcircuitboard is usually with a protection shield.

 

You sure it is Water?
Becouse Beer is more nasty.
Anyways, try to talk to the company that you purchased it from and tell them it was a corona water droplett
I mean the Beer Corona.

 

In Russia there are illegal cheap cigarettes called Korona... Produced either in Belarus (illegal import) or underground, in basements, low quality... Something like that.

 

What is the effect on a human body?

 

It makes your balls smell like cheese.

 

I guess "luckily" it was just water. It did not get flooded I literally just spilled water over it and immediatly got a towel and cleaned it all off. There was no water coming out of it, but IN 3 and IN 4 might have got hit by it. I'm going to see if I can find a technican who would be willing to do that. The incident was like 2 months ago, so would using Kontaktspray even do something? I could imagine, that if water would really got into it, it evaporated already.

 

I needed to hear that! Thank you!

 

Just his? Or do you mean in general...

 

Short circuit won't be visible immediately, water is largely non-conductive.
If something happened, and water got in, there may be corrosion in progress, for parts that have electrical potential between them and are flooded.
In other words, I'd advise opening it and seeing what happened inside, before the PCB gets potentially corroded.

 

That’s the important line

A Short circuit would show immediately the other thing is a different process. (Yes a corrosion can become a short circuit over time ) But after 2 Months this is unlikely. And most PCB today are coated. (And even my 1997 Masterkeyboard got coating which had to remove for a project I worked with .)

I would more afraid that a Capacitor get any damage. (Specially the contacts between the components and the PCB ) (I think but not 100% this device is build in SMD so coating + Solder on the SMD parts is still a good protection against water If they follow the standards it's nearly 99% silver. (so corrosion is unlikely here too)) And on a good SMD there is nearly no open contact for water to go in the PCB .)
But 100% we can't be sure about this
Since it's only water it's unlikely (but not impossible) that something corrode there.
I think opening the Device is still a good idea . (Swollen Capacitor or corrosion on contacts can even be seen by a total beginner easily)
With the warm weather this day's 99% of the Water will just condensate in a few minutes.

And I don't want to underestimate the OP but if he would know all this he wouldn't ask. But I believe (again hope not to underestimate coldwatrr here ) is just a total beginner with electronic so even if there would be a problem he couldn't fix it.

Interesting in this context

So even a 100% underwater PCB device work for some time . I hope that will give the OP some
Peace and courage .

(My knowledge, 5 Years of learning with my grandfather who owned a repair shop.)

 

Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2020

Your answer gave me Peace and Courage! I appreciate that A LOT! I might take a look inside, if it is not that complicated to get it back together.

 

I spilled an entire 12 ounce beer inside the uppermost keys of my beloved Komplete Kontrol MK2 88 (I cried). I took it apart and cleaned it up, and let it sit left apart for 4 days. Put it back together, and haven't had one problem with it (6 months so far). I don't know if I was extremely lucky, or if MK2's are built like tanks, but I thank my lucky stars it works. From what I understand is as long as the liquid didn't "cross-circuit" and short anything out, you should be ok. Sounds like you got lucky too

 

Yes, but I would open it and check if there is any water left somewhere. What you should do when that happens again, and that trick works with any baverage: You unplug immediadely and bath the device in isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol). And by bathing I mean bathing. Put it in a bowl or a bucket filled with isopropanol and leave it there for some several minutes and shake it that every last atom is washed out. I usually buy 5l bottles of that stuff, you can use it for anything from cleaning windows to a mess like coke on my precious keyboard.
The Isopropanol will diffuse better than the water. just let the device be for a day or two. If there's still something in, no prob, it won't shortcut anything. Don't use 70% isopropanol, buy 100%. For cleaning your floor you mix it down to 70% percent with water.
Why? because in combination with water it can go beyond cell membranes and kill bacteria and stuff like that. (edit: yes in a 70% suspension, it kills covid 19, so it's a nice thing to have around nowadays, and it is very cheap, just don't buy the highest grade in purity)

 

if it didn't sank in liquid most should have run over along its surface. so with a bit of luck no water may have got inside.but, if it did, corrosion of the motherboard will probably set in, how much? where? will it ever interfere with its function ? hard to say but at least opening it and taking a look for corrosion should be the obvious thing to do.

since its a while ago and its working if nothing is visible for the eye inside, then case closed