There is nothing more frightening than knocking a glass of water or cup of coffee and watching it spill over your MacBook. If it has happened to you, you know the feeling. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean all is lost, No. A little knowledge and quick action can go a long way to save your Mac from water damage.
One thing about electronics is water (any form of liquid) is not their best friend. We can’t deny the fact that accidents are bound to occur, and you have to take precautions to prevent them or even worse damage. The good news is that many people worldwide deal with liquid spills over their MacBooks and successfully fix them without spending extra money for new parts.
Since you may have experienced terrifying instances of water getting dangerously close to our MacBooks or already had an accidental spill, you’re at the right place. Here, we look at how to protect your Mac from water damage and MacBook Air water damage repair cost, suppose you couldn’t prevent water damage. Stay with us.
Key Takeaways:
- Avoid eating and drinking around your Mac device. Even food particles can potentially damage your machine, especially the keyboard. If you must, use liquid containers with caps.
- Spilt water (liquid) on MacBook Pro/Air is a common disaster. In such an occurrence, disconnect your MacBook from the charger, shut it down and remove the battery.
- Do not dry your MacBook in direct sunlight; instead, open it in a tent position and let it dry in a room with proper airflow for at least 48 hours.
- Water, coffee and tea are the easiest to clean and repair since they are not acidic. Some liquids, such as alcohol, wine and soda, can be challenging due to their acidic nature.
Is A Water Damaged Macbook Repairable?
Generally, as much as repairing a water damaged MacBook is doable; it’s not an easy repair. Even minor spills pose serious issues that require technical expertise and lots of tools. Beware of misleading advice telling you to clean it with alcohol or let it dry under the sun.
The most commonly experienced problems with water damage are keyboard failure, trackpad damage, screen cable short-circuit, undetectable battery, water spots on the screen, or MacBook not turning on. When such problems arise, you can restore your MacBook by repairing or replacing the damaged parts at the component level.
Average Repair Cost
Generally, the overall repair cost of a MacBook depends on damaged components. The more damaged components, the higher the price. Each component has its repair/replacement cost. Here is a summary chart of the average repair cost of individual components of a MacBook Pro/Air:
| Damaged Component | Average Repair Cost |
| Cleaning | $80 |
| Keyboard | $120 |
| Trackpad | $100 |
| Screen backlight | $100 |
| Motherboard | $200 |
| No power | $80 |
Keep in mind the cost of Mac air-liquid damage repair is not equal to that of a Mac Pro due to the built and complexity of each of them.
Why Are There Price Ranges?
It’s important to understand that MacBooks have different models, are built differently and have different components. The two lines of MacBooks are Pro and Air. MacBook Pro and Air are built with different quality components because they are designed for different purposes.
The screen on a MacBook Pro is not the same as that on a MacBook Air. Also, the screen on a 2020 MacBook Pro is not similar to that of a 2014 MacBook Pro. The same applies to the keyboard, trackpad, motherboard and other components. All these factors are what bring the different price range of MacBook repairs.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Water-Damaged Macbook Air?
Apple provides a tiered repair pricing plan that ranges from about $280 to a max of $1,475, depending on earlier factors. The chart below shows the repair cost range for a water-damaged MacBook Air and Pro:
| Products | OOW Flat Rate 1 | OOW Flat rate 2 | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
| MacBook Air: (2017 or earlier), (Retina, 13-inch, 2018 and 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch Retina), (13-inch 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) |
$280 | $475 | $280 | $475 | $675 | $755 |
| MacBook (12-inch Retina) | $280 | $575 | $280 | $475 | $735 | $975 |
| MacBook (13-inch)
MacBook Pro (13-inch) |
$280 | $475 | $280 | $360 | $520 | $755 |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch) with Touch Bar | $280 | $475 | $280 | $475 | $825 | $1140 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina) | $310 | $575 | $310 | $680 | $1030 | $1475 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch Retina) with touch Bar.
MacBook Pro (16-inch, Retina) |
$310 | $795 | $310 | $680 | $1030 | $1475 |
To help you understand Apple’s pricing tiers, here are the types of repairs to expect under each tier:
- Flat Rate 1: RAM, HDD, power adapter, speakers, I/O ports, fans, flex cables, audio board, optical drive, touch ID, microphone, bottom case, trackpad, top case, keyboard case, and wireless card.
- Flat Rate 2: Motherboard, SSD, Display
- Tier 1: Chassis, I/O ports, flex cables, trackpad, audio board, HDD, touch ID, wireless card, fan, optical drive, microphone, RAM, and bottom case.
- Tier 2: Display and Top case/keyboard.
- Tier 3: Display and Top case/keyboard.
- Tier 4: SSD and logic board.
See Also: How Much Does It Cost To Fix a MacBook Screen?
How Do I Protect My Mac From Water Damage?
It’s a nightmare scenario of spilling water or any liquid on your expensive MacBook. You definitely have heard stories of individuals who accidentally dropped their phones in water but with no permanent damage. It sounds promising, right? Unfortunately, it’s not the same case with Macs.
Unlike iPhones, AirPods, or Apple Watches, your MacBook is not waterproof. If you accidentally spilt a liquid all over your MacBook, follow these simple instructions to protect your Mac from damage:
1. Unplug Your Macbook From The Wall Outlet
The first thing that comes to mind when water spills on your MacBook is safety. If you had your charger connected to your MacBook, pull it out as fast as possible. It would be best to be extra careful around electricity and water (liquids) to avoid the risk of electrical shock or starting a fire.
2. Shut Down Your Macbook Immediately
We all know electricity and water don’t work together. As soon as water spills on your MacBook, shut it down immediately. Press and hold down the power button until the machine shuts down completely. If you leave it on, dripping water may easily cause short-circuiting and damage internal electrical components.
3. Disconnect All External Peripherals
Unplug all external hardware devices connected to your computer. It helps you drain water through open ports, thus, increasing your MacBook’s chance of surviving.
4. Transfer Your Macbook To A Dry Place
Move your MacBook to another dry desk where you have spread out a clean and dry towel. Place your MacBook on the towel in an open position with its keyboard facing down. This position prevents any water from further getting into your MacBook while the towel absorbs dripping water.
5. Remove The Battery
If you own an older model MacBook with a removable battery, remove it immediately. Otherwise, for newer MacBook models, the procedure is a little complicated. You’ll be required to open the bottom pane of your MacBook.
Open and place the MacBook upside down on a table secured with a soft towel. Use an appropriate screwdriver to unfasten the screws holding the bottom aluminum pane. Since the battery in these models is non-removable, follow the connector cable and detach it from the motherboard.
6. Absorb As Much Water As Possible
Use a soft cotton towel, paper towel or a microfiber fabric to absorb spilt water on your MacBook surface and ports. Also, try to press a soft cotton towel on the internal part of the MacBook, including the battery compartment and the motherboard, to get rid of excess water.
Doing this prevents further damage to the internal components of your computer. Be cautious not to accidentally power on your MacBook by pressing the power button.
7. Leave Your Macbook To Dry
You may have the temptation to power on your MacBook to check if it still works. Please, don’t; it’s a bad idea. Even if your MacBook turns on, the probability of having water stuck on internal components is very high.
When you power it on, the electrical current flowing through the motherboard may damage electrical components in contact with water. The best idea is to leave your MacBook to air dry for at least 48 hours. You might want to place your computer fully open and in an upside-down position to allow water to drip out faster through openings on the keyboard.
Let your MacBook dry in a room that allows cool airflow around it. Also, put a soft towel beneath the keyboard area to help suck out the dripping water.
8. Seek Assistance From A Certified Macbook Repair Technician
All the hacks, as mentioned above, workarounds, tips, and tricks are fundamental when protecting your MacBook from water or liquid damage. So, if they all fail, high chances are your MacBook hardware has been damaged already; thus, you need expert assistance for further repair or replacement.
Final Thought
Water damage possibly is among the worst threats your MacBook faces. While accidental spills often occur, it’s essential to know how to protect your MacBook Pro/Air from water damage. By taking quick action and following the tips in this article, you can save your laptop from water damage or at least rescue it by minimizing water damage.
Hopefully, if correctly followed, the procedure discussed above can help you save money in terms of repair costs. Please use the comment section below to share with us your experience and if you managed to save your MacBook from water damage.
Always keep your laptop safe, avoid eating or drinking from your work area, and if you must, keep your drinks covered.