Spilled coffee into a server rack last Tuesday and somehow saved the whole thing

I was working at a small office in Austin and a temp worker knocked over a full mug right onto the top of a 2U server. It dripped down through the vents onto the power supply and I swear my heart stopped. I yanked the power cord out and grabbed a can of compressed air and a microfiber cloth. Managed to blow out most of the liquid from the PSU before it shorted, then let it sit with a fan on it for 4 hours. Powered it back up and it booted fine, no errors. Anyone else ever dodge a bullet like this with spilled drinks?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinlopez7d ago

Yeah that's why I always keep a can of compressed air nearby now.

annas877d ago

Dude that is such a close call. I did a similar thing last year at my house but with a whole can of soda. I had a Monster energy drink sitting on top of my desktop tower and my cat knocked it over. It poured right into the top fan and all over the motherboard inside. I freaked out, unplugged everything, and took the whole thing apart. I used a hairdryer on low heat for like 20 minutes on every part I could reach, then left it in a dry spot with a fan blowing on it overnight. Next day I put it all back together and it booted right up like nothing happened. Still using that same PC now with zero issues. Amazing what a quick reaction and some time drying out can save.

the_adam7d ago

Man I read this article once where a guy spilled coffee on his laptop and put it in a bag of rice for a week and it actually worked. I guess the key is pulling the power fast enough because corrosion is what really fries things. Your story makes me think that hairdryer trick might be better than rice since you can actually get the moisture out of the small spaces. Lucky you had the patience to take it all apart instead of just panicking.