The good news: liquid damage is usually repairable. The bad news: the longer you wait, the more oxidation spreads across your logic board, and the harder—and more expensive—the repair becomes.
We've worked on more than 18,000 liquid-damaged devices over the past decade, and we've learned exactly what determines whether a device survives, what the repair actually costs, and why timing matters more than most people realise.
What Happens When Liquid Hits Your Device
Water itself doesn't kill electronics. Electricity does. When liquid seeps into your MacBook or iPhone, it creates a conductive path between components that aren't designed to touch. Your device shorts out immediately—or seems to. Sometimes it keeps running for hours before dying completely.
The real killer is corrosion. Once liquid sits on a logic board, minerals and impurities in that liquid begin oxidising the copper traces and solder joints. Even if you dry the device out, those oxidised areas remain compromised. They'll fail weeks or months later.
This is why we always recommend: don't wait. Don't try to dry it yourself in the sun or with a hairdryer. Both generate heat that accelerates oxidation. And don't ignore the damage because the device "seems fine now." It isn't.
Our Liquid Damage Assessment: What We Charge and How Long It Takes
When you bring a liquid-damaged device to our Hyde Park workshop, we start with a thorough diagnostic. We don't guess. We inspect the logic board under magnification, test power delivery, check for corrosion markers, and assess whether the liquid reached the display, battery, or both.
The assessment itself costs from R599. That fee includes a full hardware examination and a written repair plan. If you decide to proceed with us, we credit R299 of that assessment cost back towards your repair.
From there, the repair cost depends on what we find:
These are genuine prices based on what we've charged Randburg and Johannesburg clients over the past three years. They vary because liquid damage never looks the same twice.
Why Our Workshop in Hyde Park Gets It Right
We don't send liquid damage repairs to a franchise or to a third party. Our team—trained in micro-soldering, logic board repair, and component-level diagnostics—handles every case on-site. That's the difference between a R599 assessment and a quick "we'll order you a new device."
When you bring a device to us, we use ultrasonic cleaning, isopropyl alcohol flushing, and thermal imaging to identify exactly where corrosion has taken hold. We replace individual components—capacitors, resistors, VRM modules—rather than entire boards. And crucially, we test under real load before we call the repair done.
We've also invested in the diagnostic equipment most repair shops don't have: a PAT tester, a thermal camera, and a logic board rework station. That's the cost of getting liquid damage repairs actually right.
Our 3-Year Warranty and Aftercare
Every liquid damage repair we complete comes with a 3-year warranty against the same fault. That's not a sales promise—it's because we're confident in the repair. If that corroded capacitor fails again in 18 months, we fix it for free.
We also recommend aftercare. If your MacBook's spent time wet, even after repair, dust and salt residue can settle in corners and vents. Every 6–8 weeks after repair, we'll do a complimentary re-inspection to catch any hidden corrosion before it spreads.
Load shedding and Johannesburg's climate mean devices spend time in damp conditions more often than they should. That's why aftercare matters here.
When to Attempt DIY Drying (and When Not To)
We're honest: if your device is still powered on, you can take it home and leave it in a warm, dry room for 24 hours. Don't use heat. Don't use rice (rice dust will get inside). Just air.
But the moment your device doesn't power on, or if liquid has visibly seeped into the keyboard area or ports, stop. Bring it to us. DIY drying will make oxidation worse, not better. You'll delay professional repair and increase the final cost.
Why Randburg Clients Choose Our Hyde Park Workshop
We're centrally located. We turn around most assessments within 24 hours. We quote honestly—no surprise invoices. And we document everything: before-and-after photos, component inventories, test results. You'll know exactly what was wrong and what we fixed.
If your device is out of warranty or covered by insurance, we'll provide a detailed repair report that most insurers accept without question.
Next Steps: Book Your Assessment Today
If your MacBook, iPhone, or iPad has been exposed to liquid, don't delay. The sooner we assess it, the sooner we can tell you whether it's salvageable and what it'll cost.
Book online at zasupport.com/book or WhatsApp us on 064 529 5863 to schedule your assessment at our Hyde Park workshop. We also offer remote diagnostics if you're not in Johannesburg.
For more on what happens inside a liquid-damaged device, see our full guide to liquid damage. And if your device has made it through liquid damage, you might also want to learn about logic board repair to understand the component-level work we do. If you're unsure about next steps, contact us and we'll talk you through it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can liquid damage be repaired, or do I need a new device?
Most liquid damage is repairable if caught early. Once corrosion sets in across the logic board, or if saltwater has been involved, repair becomes uneconomical. We'll assess your device and tell you honestly. If repair isn't viable, we discuss data recovery and responsible recycling.
Q: How long does a liquid damage repair take?
It depends on what we find. A light surface clean-up and component test takes 2–3 business days. If we need to replace multiple components or micro-solder damaged traces, it's 5–7 business days. Multi-component damage can take 7–10 business days. We'll give you an exact timeframe after your assessment.
Q: What does the R599 assessment include?
The assessment covers a full physical inspection under magnification, power delivery testing, corrosion mapping, and a written report with repair options and costs. If you proceed with us, we credit R299 of that cost back towards your repair invoice.
Q: Do you offer any warranty on liquid damage repairs?
Yes. Every repair includes a 3-year warranty against the same fault. If that component fails again within three years, we fix it for free. We also recommend complimentary re-inspections every 6–8 weeks after repair to catch any hidden corrosion early.
Q: Is my device covered by Apple's warranty if it's been liquid damaged?
No. Liquid damage voids Apple's standard warranty. If you have AppleCare+, it may cover accidental damage, but there's usually a flat fee (around R4,000–R5,000). We recommend checking your coverage directly with Apple before deciding whether to claim.
Q: What's the best way to dry a wet device before I bring it in?
If it's still powered on, turn it off immediately and leave it in a warm, dry room for 24 hours—no heat source, no rice, just air. If it's already off or won't power on, stop there and bring it to us. We'll handle the rest. Attempting to dry a non-responsive device yourself usually makes corrosion worse.
