Tech, regardless if it is our Gaming consoles, PCs, or phones, are great. They are also very delicate and require you to look after and maintain them properly. Gaming consoles like the Xbox normally sit on our desk or TV stand, so they don’t normally take a lot of damage. That said, what if your Xbox gets damaged? Here’s what to do.
If your Xbox gets water on it, you must immediately unplug it and try to dry it as much as possible. Do not plug the Xbox back in until you are 100% sure that the console is dry. If you plug it back in while it is wet, you will short circuit the components, and the Xbox will be irreversibly damaged.
I am sure that you have a lot of questions, especially if your Xbox just got some water on it. Don’t worry just yet, I understand how much your console is worth, and I will try guiding you in sorting it out. If your Xbox has been unfortunately hit with water, you need to keep reading, and hopefully, we can save your console.
Can Xbox One Survive Water Damage?
In theory, your Xbox can survive water damage, that is if you catch it quick enough. The problem is not actually the water itself but rather what the water does when it interferes with the electricity involved in running the console.
There are chemicals commonly found in water that are very harmful to our electronics, and I will explain why. Usually, pure water can’t do anything, but the chemicals in the water amplify the electricity.
When those chemicals amplify electricity, it can blow certain components, or it can short-circuit them. When it comes to your Xbox, one of these two things will happen, and in most cases, it blows the components like the CPU or motherboard.
Can The Xbox 360 Survive Water Damage?
While the Xbox 360 is not made up of the exact same components as the Xbox one, it uses the same type of components such as a motherboard, CPU, RAM, and things like that.
So, the same rules still do apply to the Xbox 360 as they do with the Xbox one. If the Xbox 360 takes on water, you will get the same result as you would with the Xbox one. So, in short, yes, the Xbox 360 can survive water damage if you are quick enough to catch it and unplug the console. All of that said, in most cases, the same thing will happen as with the Xbox one.
Is the Xbox waterproof?
The Xbox one is not waterproof; in fact, it is far from being waterproof. If you look at pretty much any gaming console, they have vents all over the outside of the machine. This is to deal with heat. The vents allow for airflow through the components, and they are actually designed to optimize the airflow.
While companies who make consoles do take the best measures to protect the components within a console, they cannot fully insulate them. If they did, what this would do is trap heat, and the components would run way too hot. So, they have to allow for airflow and optimize to prolong the lifespan of all the components.
Water can easily get through the vents from the outside into the console. Once the water gets through, then it can seep into the components. As we discussed above, the chemicals in water amplify electricity. This causes high surges in the volts, and your components will blow or short circuit.
What To Do When Your Xbox Gets Wet: 9 Steps!
Ok, so your Xbox has taken water damage or maybe let’s just say that your Xbox has taken on some water. There could be a few possible reasons for this. Not that it matters much, but just in case you are wondering, let’s run through them.
It could have been out of your hands, and something happened, such as your roof started leaking or something like that. Maybe your sibling or your partner by accident spilled water or some form of liquid on your console. Or perhaps you did it yourself.
Whatever happened, the best scenario would be that when it did happen, your Xbox was off. Why? Well, I am going to explain why in my 9 steps on what to do if your Xbox gets water in it. Be sure to bookmark this page and use it as a reference while going through these steps. Remember that opening your console could void your warranty if the water damage hasn’t already done that.
Unplug The Xbox Immediately
As we discussed before, the reason why water is so bad for our electronics is that it amplifies the electricity passing through, and this blows the components of the console.
So, the first thing that you want to do is unplug the console. Do not plug it back in until you have completed all these steps, and you have determined, with 100% certainty, that there is no more water in the console. If there is still water on the components and you plug it back in, you could be the reason it stops working.
You first want to make sure that the plug at the wall is off and then unplug the Xbox. You also want to make sure that no components are plugged into your Xbox, such as your controller, cameras, headsets, or even a keyboard and mouse.
Unplug everything and put your Xbox down.
Wipe The Outside Of The Xbox
Now that you have your Xbox unplugged and all the peripherals are also unplugged and set aside. You are going to want to grab a cloth. It is actually best to grab two cloths, one that will be for wiping the water off the console and the other one for drying it.
Using the first cloth, you want to wipe the entire console. Start with the big surfaces and then make sure that you get into all The small nooks and crannies. Once that is done, you want to repeat the exact same process with the drying cloth.
Using two cloths helps keep the second one as dry as possible, which is the most efficient way of doing this.
Once this is done, you want to put your console back down.
Wipe all The Peripherals
Now that you have wiped the Xbox, you want to start with each of your peripherals, and you want to do it exactly the same way that you did it with the Xbox console.
Start wiping with the first cloth that will remove the water and then use one that is a drying cloth. Make sure that you get all the nooks and crannies. With something as important as a controller, this should be done as thoroughly as it was done with the console.
For anything that you constantly plug into the console, such as the controller, it is more important than things like the headset or keyboard and mouse. So you want to treat the controller the same way you are about to treat your Xbox, and you want to take it through the exact same process as the Xbox one.
Open The Xbox
Next, you are going to want to open your Xbox. For this, you are going to require a few tools. I will list these tools below. This is one of your first hurdles, and it might happen because Xbox and all consoles take security measures to prevent people from opening their consoles.
This is because it is very easy for somebody to open the console, damage something, and then blame the manufacturer for it. In this case, though, the console is just taking on water, so you kind of have to open it. Here is a list of tools that you will need:
- Thin Plastic objects such as guitar picks to unclip the plastic covers.
- A small flathead screwdriver
- A star screwdriver
- T8 Torx screwdriver
- T9 Torx screwdriver
- T10 Torx screwdriver
Great, now you can open the Xbox. I must stress that if you are inexperienced or are nervous about opening the console, you might want to skip the rest of these steps and take it to a professional. Remember to use a trusted professional.
You could either just unclip the covers of your Xbox, or you could dismantle the entire thing. Whichever you feel is best for you is what you should do. Taking apart an Xbox is not an easy task, and you will have to know what you were doing.
Further down in the article, there will be a video explaining how to open your Xbox, so, for now, let’s continue going through the steps.
Dry The Inside Of The Xbox
Once you have the Xbox open, you are going to want to use the same two cloths to wipe all the plastic covers on the inside. Once you are done with that, set those covers aside, and let’s get to work on the inside components.
You are going to want to use a dry cloth and something like a hairdryer. How you go about drying it depends on how much you open the console. If you just unclipped the covers of the Xbox, then you are going to want to dry it thoroughly as you won’t be able to see every component.
With the dry cloth, you want to dab it on the console to make sure that you pick up any excess water. Then use the hairdryer on a low temperature, preferably the lowest, and you are going to want to hold it above all the components of the Xbox.
Check The Xbox Thoroughly
Once you are sure that the Xbox is dry, you are going to want to check it thoroughly. Turn it upside down, use the dryer again, and just do whatever you have to do to make sure that you get as much of the water out as possible.
Leave The Xbox To Sit And Dry Over A Few Days
Once you have gone through all the steps above, one of the most important things for you to do is to let your Xbox sit for a while. I know this is terrible because you want to play games.
Unfortunately, it is something that you are going to have to do. I find it is best if, while leaving it to sit for a few days, you could periodically use the hairdryer on a low temperature, of course, to continue drying the console.
I recommend leaving it for at least 7 days. Try to keep it in an open area if you can, such as your desk. Do not put it in the cupboard as you want as much fresh air to get into the console as possible.
When You Are Sure That It Is Dry, Plug It In
At the point, you have left it for a few days, preferably 7, and now you are ready to plug it in to see if it starts working. Great stuff, but there are some things that you should consider.
When plugging it in, do so on a plug that has no other electronics plugged into it. Once you have tested that it switches on, and hopefully it does switch on, you can then plug it into a plug socket that has a TV connected to it if you have to.
If everything is working, great, that is amazing, you have managed to save your Xbox from the brink of death, as dramatic as that may sound.
Take It To A Professional If It Does Not Work
If none of the steps above work, the last thing for you to do is to take it to a professional. Try and go to a professional who specializes in consoles rather than a jack of all trades. Let me explain.
Someone who specializes in consoles is more likely to have experience in dealing with consoles that have water damage, or specifically Xbox One’s that have water damage.
Why Is Water Leaking From My Xbox?
This is something that is rare, but it does happen. At first, you might think that you are losing your mind but don’t worry. You might actually be seeing water or liquid at least coming out of your console. There are at least two possible reasons for this.
- Condensation: If you live in warm tropical climates, this is very possible. It can also happen if your console is in a small space with little airflow. Wipe down your console and start using it somewhere with better airflow.
- The Xbox One X: This console has a cooling system called “Vapor Chamber Cooling.” It is a technical cooling system, but basically, it contains a liquid coolant. This could be leaking, and you will have to take the console to a professional and most probably buy a new console. The liquid will be smokey white if it is the Vapor Chamber.
Water Damage: How To Open Your Xbox One
I did say that there will be a video that shows you how to open the Xbox S console. Watch the video here from “TronicsFix.” Please remember to be cautious and know that you will void any warranty that the console might have had.
Xbox One S Teardown – Detailed Disassembly Guide
How to Open an Xbox One Console
Here Is a Video showing you how to open the Xbox One original. The video is from “MODDED WARFARE.”
Xbox One X Disassembly and Repairability!
Finally, here is a video Showing you how to open the Xbox One X from “IFixit”.
Conclusion
We pay a lot of money for our consoles, and it really sucks when something like this happens, but it does happen. That is why we exist, to help you with all your gaming needs. The goal of this article was to help you save your console. I hope that it works.
Remember to bookmark this page. It will be a good reference for you to use when fixing your console if it has taken in water.