Are Your Batteries Dead or Is It Time To Replace Your Electronics?
Now we all know that there is a time that the battery in your device will have gone through enough charge/discharge cycles that it decides to not play anymore and you need to replace it. There are ways you can tell that your battery just won’t last much longer. Such as when the device lasts for only a short time after a full charge, the cordless phone that only lasts 15 minutes into a conversation before sending you scrambling for the rarely used phone in the other room. Like when your laptop dies 30 minutes into a movie right after a good plot twist.
We had a call the other day for a camcorder battery, the device had all the earmarks of having a dead battery; it wouldn’t turn on, the charger “seemed” to be charging the battery, and it was an older battery having served faithfully for several years. As I searched for the battery for the camcorder (which the battery apparently is no longer made anymore) I learned something interesting had happened to the camcorder.
One thing about electronics that anyone who has dropped their cellphone in the toilet or other water can attest to, is the fact that electronics and water do not usually mix well. This person’s camcorder apparently got hot in the heat of the day and decided to go swimming in the lake.
Having served the family so long, the owner could not bear the loss and jumped in to rescue the electronic servant. After letting the camcorder dry out and carefully wiping it down with a towel it was turned on. Realizing that nothing was happening the owner assumed the battery had finally given its last hoorah and needed replacement. However unless you own a device that is either water-resistant or waterproof such as an underwater camera the chances are pretty good that the device committed suicide when it took that plunge into the briny deep.
Written by
Ken
June 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I have had a personal experience with two different cell phones that actually managed to survive this experience.
One of the phones was in my pocket when I jumped into a pool and the other went through an entire wash and rinse cycle in the washing machine.
In both instances, I removed the battery for about 24 hours, allowing the battery and the phone to dry. I then put the battery back onto the phone and plugged it in to charge for 24 hours without turning the phones on.
When I did turn the phones on, they were perfectly fine and worked as well as ever before and went on to last the lifetime of the phones.