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[peeperpc]

Hi, there was a huge flood in my area two months ago. The flood lasted about 6 days, being on the second floor the MDD was probably submerged for about 3 days.

Today, I'm a bit shocked after finding out the 1TB Seagate (ST1000DM010-2EP102) inside it is still working. Just connect it with a SATA to USB adapter and it works... It was mounted on the front bay, so it was upside down when water came. I don't know if that helped it.

I'm not very enthusiastic to do anything with the MDD at the moment because it already had a serious problem before the flood and there're still many things to work on in the house.

But if your hard drive happens to get submerged, don't write it off yet.

Cheers.

[robespierre]

Water damage seems very destructive, but the water itself usually does not damage electronics. This makes sense, because most of them were cleaned using water when they were made. What causes corrosion is when the water drains away, leaving droplets that hang around without drying quickly. It's moisture plus oxygen from the air that promotes corrosion.
Knowing that, it can rescue equipment to open them and spray a moisture displacer into them when they are in the process of drying. "WD-40" is the most common moisture displacer, but there are others like PB-Blaster.

[aBc]

Saddened to hear of the flood. Nasty business indeed.

Yet absolutely amazing to me that the MDD boots at all under the circumstances. And while it is booting, I’d be much more inclined to completely back up the Seagate to another drive before it does possibly fail.

The thought of possibly using WD-40 (Multi-Use) or PB Blaster internally, with the Seagate spinning platter HD gives me the heebie jeebies, especially when considering the oily residue that both products leave behind. Of course, maybe a complete flush with 91% (or better) alcohol afterwards, might remove that oily residue? Might be an interesting test for someone to do on an older spinning HD.

But if there are something(s) on that HD of importance, I’d certainly try the backup route first, OR simply copy over all individual selective files to other media..

I’ve never used the WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner but perhaps that’s something else to possibly consider. (Google results seem to promote it over the WD-40 Multi-Use product.)
From Google:

Standard WD-40 Multi-Use Product is not recommended for computers, as it is oil-based, leaves a sticky residue that attracts dust, and can harm plastic components. It can cause short circuits if it bridges contacts or if the oily residue attracts contaminants. Only the WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner is safe for electronics.

Better Alternatives for Cleaning Electronics:

    •    Compressed Air: Best for removing dust from fans and components.
    •    99% Isopropyl Alcohol: Safely cleans circuit boards and dries quickly without residue.
    •    Electronic Contact Cleaner: Specifically designed to clean electrical components without harming them.

What to Avoid:

    •    Never use regular WD-40 on motherboards, RAM, or other electrical connectors.
    •    Do not use cleaning products that are 70% or lower alcohol, as they contain too much water.

@peeperpc: If and when you do open the Seagate, please do post pics and keep us all informed of your findings.

And @robespierre: You have done this WD-40 HD flush before?

[IIO]

i had a burst pipe last week and lost parts of my formerly nice kitchen, so i understand how much a flooded house can cause anger. ;/

however i am not surprised that HDDs are waterproof, that was expected. and even if the electronics fails for some reason (which can happen if you power it up again while it is still wet?) one can simply exchange the controller board.

HDDs are one of the last computer releated products which are still modular and at least consist of 2 independent parts.

[aBc]

Waterproof?

It’s Groundhog Day… not April Fools Day.

Maybe “water resistant” for a short time submerged. But what about the HD open vent holes that we’re not supposed to cover — AND then… over a period of three days submerged?

[IIO]

afaik there is a very fine filter in that breathing hole, of course they do not guarantee that it can resists a certain water pressure but obviously it worked here.

modern helium drives should be completely closed.

i wonder what happens when water comes inside. i mean it will be filtered the same way air is, right? would it do damage to the data or heads?

for regions with frequent floods one could mount HDDs upside down, so that te breathing hole is on the bottom.