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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: mage on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:19:19

Title: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: mage on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:19:19
Exactly what the topic says. I have owned my happy hacking keyboard for almost two years, and I spilled a bit of tea on it today... The keys don't stick and they feel fine, but the u and i keys (on qwerty layout) don't work. The i key works occasionally but I can't see a pattern with this.

Please let me know what steps to repair I should take. I am afraid to take the keyboard apart because I don't want to break it permanently by not knowing what I'm doing. Please help, I am in love with this keyboard and rather distraught about the spillage... :(
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Michael on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:24:19
You might have liquid trapped between the rubber and contacts, possibly. You may have to disassemble it and dry it out.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Jamesbeat on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:24:45
I wouldn't worry too much.
Others will step in with their favorite ways to clean drinks out of keyboards, but it is extremely unlikely that it is permanently damaged.
The only thing I'd be a little concerned about is the controller.
It's unlikely that it has been harmed, but you should stop electricity running through the thing until you get some cleaning advice.
Go unplug it right now, stop panicking, and wait for further instructions :)
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: lazerpointer on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:26:21
Let it dry for a while, like a week. Then try again.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:27:05
hahahahahahahahha.... yea.. disassembl-y is the only "SURE" method of cleaning this up.

If it's just regular tee.. I wouldn't bother unless you feel the keys are grinding..

If it's sugar tea, then consider full dis-assembly..
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: orlando on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:34:53
Taking the keyboard apart is very simple, remove the 3 screws on the back then the 17ish holding the pcb. Then you can check / clean the area or springs if liquid got to them; I'd probably use some electronics contact cleaner. 
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: longweight on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:36:47
Here is a guide to taking it apart, it is very bloody easy!


http://www.key-bored.net/hhkb2-silencing-mod/ (http://www.key-bored.net/hhkb2-silencing-mod/)
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: mage on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:45:13
Thanks everyone! Yes, I've unplugged it and it's sitting upside-down on my drawer. I looted my house and found no screwdrivers, but I can get one tomorrow and I can take it apart. If only cleaning is necessary, I should be able to do it.

How should I clean it, and with what? What is a good electronics cleaning product that I could try? Also it was sugar tea if that is relevant...

If anyone knows of a good guide to cleaning these things feel free to share. Thanks again for the help! I was really panicking, lol
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Michael on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:48:06
Isopropyl Alcohol would be best, as it leaves no residue. And then soak the rubber and plastic parts in warm, soapy water, then rinse and let dry.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: longweight on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:52:04
Thanks everyone! Yes, I've unplugged it and it's sitting upside-down on my drawer. I looted my house and found no screwdrivers, but I can get one tomorrow and I can take it apart. If only cleaning is necessary, I should be able to do it.

How should I clean it, and with what? What is a good electronics cleaning product that I could try? Also it was sugar tea if that is relevant...

If anyone knows of a good guide to cleaning these things feel free to share. Thanks again for the help! I was really panicking, lol


When you put it back together make sure that the springs and rubber cups are all perfectly lined up, it's worth plugging it in and testing it carefully once you have screwed the PCB back into place before putting the case back on.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Tarzan on Tue, 09 April 2013, 17:57:25
First things first.

Make another cup of tea.  Sit and drink tea, evaluate situation.

 :D
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: mage on Tue, 09 April 2013, 18:09:31
Haha Greystoke rest assured I have already done that. Tea is the best remedy for all calamities, even calamities that were caused by tea.

Should I cover the circuitboard part (is that the PCB?) with something so dust doesn't get on it while I'm soaking the rubber and plastic parts? I'm quite concerned about damaging the actual circuitry of the keyboard. Is dust, touching it with fingers, touching it with other things etc something I should be concerned about?

Hopefully those are my last questions...
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: SmallFry on Tue, 09 April 2013, 18:21:53
Just make sure you don't ever poop in the thing. VTEC kicks in, yo.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 09 April 2013, 20:03:37
Just make sure you don't ever poop in the thing. VTEC kicks in, yo.

wha....?  is this a new fetish you're getting into?
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: guilleguillaume on Tue, 09 April 2013, 20:18:40
Did it happen like that?

(http://i.imgur.com/cLh4bJ2.gif)

Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: L4yercake on Tue, 09 April 2013, 20:29:54
Brew up some coffee and spill on keyboard. It will neutralize the tea. No guarantee it will work though, just scieeeence.   :))
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Rare on Tue, 09 April 2013, 20:43:58
Hopefully you fix it... Would putting it in rice work? Lol.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: jcrouse on Tue, 09 April 2013, 20:53:59
In the old days we would just sit electronic items that got wet on top of our 21"CRT but those days are long gone.

:)
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: daerid on Tue, 09 April 2013, 21:02:48
I'm not so sure about that.. a decent LCD can put out quite a bit of heat.

Keeping my office a decent temp since putting dual 30's in there has been a nightmare </firstworldproblems>
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Jamesbeat on Tue, 09 April 2013, 21:15:18
Isopropyl Alcohol would be best, as it leaves no residue. And then soak the rubber and plastic parts in warm, soapy water, then rinse and let dry.

I'm pretty sure sugar is insoluble in isopropanol. If you used isopropanol with water in it (such as 70% rubbing alcohol) it would dissolve the sugar, but only because of the water.
The alcohol would evaporate leaving the water behind, which kinda defeats the purpose.

A better cleaner would be deionized or distilled water. That would clean the sugar right up and evaporate without leaving a residue behind.
The problem with this method would be waiting for the water to evaporate before using the board.

Tap water would not be such a good idea because it can leave an electrically conductive residue behind.

If this was my keyboard, I'd strip it down as much as possible and wash it thoroughly in deionized water. Then I'd shake and towel as much water out as possible and leave it somewhere warmish (but not hot) to dry for at least a week before plugging it in.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: SmallFry on Tue, 09 April 2013, 21:17:57
In the old days we would just sit electronic items that got wet on top of our 21"CRT but those days are long gone.

:)
I'm getting dual 23 inch CRT's. These TN panels suck.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Michael on Tue, 09 April 2013, 21:29:22
To be more clear, 99% isopropyl alcohol, which leaves no residue. I have used it, and verified this for pretty much any spillage (koolaid.... OHHH YEAHHH)
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Jamesbeat on Wed, 10 April 2013, 11:50:14
To be more clear, 99% isopropyl alcohol, which leaves no residue. I have used it, and verified this for pretty much any spillage (koolaid.... OHHH YEAHHH)

Sorry, I was being lazy with my typing.
Isopropanol IS isopropyl alcohol, 'isopropyl alcohol' is the colloquial term for the chemical known as isopropanol, just as you might say 'ethyl alcohol' instead of 'ethanol'.
It's the 'ol' part that tells you it's an alcohol.

Either way, I'm pretty sure that sugars are insoluble in it.
Maybe it was simple mechanical action or displacement that helped remove the sugar when you used it.
It would definitely be best to do this before the sugary liquid has a chance to dry, because that would give the alcohol a better chance of washing it away.
Once it dries, you'd have the problem of insolubility and the alcohol would most likely not work to remove the dried sugar residue.

As I said, deionized water would be the most efficient solvent to use, but you are right that 99% isopropyl alcohol will evaporate much faster than water and leave little residue, though it will not dissolve dried sugar.
Bear in mind though that the remaining 1% is water (usually dionized), so it's still a good idea to leave it somewhere warm to dry completely before plugging it back in.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: Tym on Wed, 10 April 2013, 12:00:30
To be more clear, 99% isopropyl alcohol, which leaves no residue. I have used it, and verified this for pretty much any spillage (koolaid.... OHHH YEAHHH)

Sorry, I was being lazy with my typing.
Isopropanol IS isopropyl alcohol, 'isopropyl alcohol' is the colloquial term for the chemical known as isopropanol, just as you might say 'ethyl alcohol' instead of 'ethanol'.
It's the 'ol' part that tells you it's an alcohol.

Either way, I'm pretty sure that sugars are insoluble in it.
Maybe it was simple mechanical action or displacement that helped remove the sugar when you used it.
It would definitely be best to do this before the sugary liquid has a chance to dry, because that would give the alcohol a better chance of washing it away.
Once it dries, you'd have the problem of insolubility and the alcohol would most likely not work to remove the dried sugar residue.

As I said, deionized water would be the most efficient solvent to use, but you are right that 99% isopropyl alcohol will evaporate much faster than water and leave little residue, though it will not dissolve dried sugar.
Bear in mind though that the remaining 1% is water (usually dionized), so it's still a good idea to leave it somewhere warm to dry completely before plugging it back in.
(http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-more-you-know.png)
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: morpheus on Wed, 10 April 2013, 22:19:07
I would kill myself for breaking a $400 keyboard. Just kidding. Maybe I would cry a little.
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: tricheboars on Wed, 10 April 2013, 22:21:38
i want to know what happened to his keyboard.  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: rurushu on Thu, 11 April 2013, 00:17:08
i want to know what happened to his keyboard.  :rolleyes:
i also curious to know the update to this inicident....
Title: Re: Spilled tea on happy hacking keyboard, please help
Post by: PointyFox on Thu, 11 April 2013, 00:17:52
i want to know what happened to his keyboard.  :rolleyes:
i also curious to know the update to this inicident....

He now has a "sad hacking keyboard".