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Is it possible to get a TV to work after a flood? Interior cleaning, repair, photos

p.kaczmarek2  39 7272 Cool? (+38)
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TL;DR

  • A flooded Samsung LE32A330J1N TV was dismantled and cleaned after half a day under water to see whether flood-damaged electronics could still be revived.
  • Cleaning focused on silt inside the PCB area, connector legs, ribbons, polarising films, and fluorescent-tube backlight sections, using isopropanol and careful drying.
  • The set was first handled 3 weeks after it was flooded, and the worst trapped moisture was still in the screen grooves and behind the films.
  • A premature test eventually succeeded: VGA produced an image, the satellite tuner gave picture and sound, and the side keypad still worked.
  • The repair remained an experiment, and long-term reliability stayed uncertain because this older model uses a CCFL backlight, not LEDs.
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Flood-damaged Samsung TV with visible mud stains on the screen. .
What does the inside of a TV set flooded look like? Is it still possible to get such a television working? How much work does it take to clean it, how deep is the water able to reach inside? Will a flooded Samsung still work? Let's find out! In this topic, I will just deal with such a TV, model LE32A330J1N.

The TV was flooded halfway through by water, you can basically see the liquid level in the picture. It was under water for about half a day, the electricity had been switched off earlier, so basically the worst of it had passed. However, it is, of course, all dirty:
Back of Samsung LE32A330J1N TV with visible dirt from flooding. .
Silt has settled everywhere, even at the mains connector:
Power connector of a flood-damaged TV with visible silt deposits.
Plate:
Nameplate of Samsung LE32A330J1N TV with technical information.
I took care of the TV 3 weeks after it was flooded, so it had time to dry out a bit.
I left the cleaning of the outside for last, however. Let's take a look inside:
Interior of a Samsung LE32A330J1N TV with visible flood damage. .
On the face of it, it's not too bad, I checked the coils and ICs for moisture, and most of them have already dried out. Nevertheless, there is still dirt on the PCB:
Circuit board inside a flooded TV with visible dirt. Flood-damaged Samsung LE32A330J1N TV with visible dirt on the circuit board. .
I cleaned the circuit legs with isopropanol, removed the ribbons:
Close-up of a PCB inside a Samsung LE32A330J1N TV. Close-up of a dirty integrated circuit and circuit board in a Samsung TV. Close-up of a dirty circuit board inside a television. .
I also checked the other side of the tiles:
Printed circuit board with dirt in a flooded television. .
For the other tiles the same.
Unfortunately access was not good everywhere, but at least the electronics from the matrix can be accessed:
Interior of a flood-damaged TV showing electronic components and mud. .
I then removed the plastic frame at the front. Inside were another supply of dried silt:
Dirty interior of a flooded TV. .
I then unscrewed the metal frame holding the matrix. Behind the matrix are still the polarising films and the backlight - here fluorescent tubes.
Dirty television screen after flooding. .
I cleaned the plates from the matrix:
Damaged circuit board inside a flooded television. Close-up of the inside of a water-damaged TV showing dirt on the PCB and ribbon cable. Dirty circuit board from a flood-damaged TV. Flood-damaged circuit board interior in a television. Flood-damaged circuit board interior in a television. Close-up of a dirty circuit board with silt deposits after flooding. Close-up of a dirtied circuit board inside a television. .
I then indulged in something slightly against the art - a premature test. I simply wanted to know if there was any point in playing at all. I just made sure that I was sure the moisture was removed from all the PCBs:
Television with an open casing displaying static noise. .
It works, but there is moisture under the die. So we remove the die:
Interior of a TV screen showing moisture marks .
Dirt can also be removed from it:
Close-up of a hand holding a part on the side of a flooded TV. .
You can see the patterns from the moisture, the films hold water:
Lower part of the plastic frame of a flood-damaged TV with visible sediment and dirt. Image of a flooded TV screen with visible sediment and moisture stains. .
I took off the plastic "sides" so I could remove the foils. Even there the water arrived:
Dirt and silt deposits on the inner frame of a flooded TV. .
You can already see the attachment of the fluorescent tubes:
Interior of a flooded TV with visible sediment and water remnants. .
With a powerful LED lamp I dried and washed the films:
Moisture under the TV screen after flooding. Moisture patterns and dirt on the TV screen. .
Interior of a TV with visible traces of moisture and dirt, illuminated by a strong LED light. .
I got as far as the fluorescent tubes, where I also removed the moisture. The worst part was the grooves at the top and bottom of the screen, there was literally still water there.
Dirty tissue against the background of a damaged television. Dirtied back cover of a television after flooding .
Time for another test:
TV screen displaying a volume adjustment bar against a background of static. Samsung TV with static on screen during post-flood test. Close-up of a TV screen with static and artifacts. .
But will it pick up any signal? This is where there was a bit of a problem, because. the connectors didn't make contact and also had to be flushed with IPA in them.
TV screen displaying the source selection menu.
But with VGA it was possible to move:
Image of a TV screen displaying a website about electronics. Television screen displaying a webpage with technical articles. Close-up of a TV screen displaying a website with a discussion forum about televisions. .
Then I also checked with the sat tuner - there is picture and there is sound, a complete success!
Image of coffee advertisement displayed on Samsung LE32A330J1N TV. Samsung TV displaying an Eduscho coffee advertisement. .
For the record, I should add that the keypad on the side of the TV also works, so I can navigate the menu, change the signal source, etc....
Samsung TV model LE32A330J1N displaying a television program.
Now all that's left to do is to summarise...
Was it worth it?
Well, for such an old model of TV, this was just an experiment rather than a major repair. Anyway, it was evident in the subject line,
that this is still a CCFL-based backlight model, not LEDs. In addition, I don't know if there won't be any further problems with this unit after a while, although it has been drying for a good three weeks. We'll see.
Apart from that, it's still worth bearing in mind the risks of flood water. I did my best to disinfect and clean the entire housing, just as I did to wash my hands after all the work, but even so, I would not urge anyone to repeat my experience.
However, in terms of cleaning the TV itself, the biggest problem was with the polarisers/diffusers behind the matrix which held moisture. You have to know how to take the whole thing apart and then put it back together again. The matrix is quite a sensitive component, one tap and all the fun is gone. I was also surprised that there was still literally water in the grooves (behind the films).
In any case - you can. Have you already made similar repairs, or do you scrap all flooded equipment straight away?

About Author
p.kaczmarek2
p.kaczmarek2 wrote 14233 posts with rating 12132 , helped 647 times. Been with us since 2014 year.

Comments

klm787 07 Oct 2024 20:53

. Great respect for your approach to the matter. For such a repair :D . [Read more]

gulson 07 Oct 2024 20:57

Amazing report! So practical... So that your neighbours don't start dropping off various flooded RTVs ;) now. And probably the number goes into the thousands. What saddens and worries me is how water... [Read more]

Ture11 07 Oct 2024 21:04

. This year's floods (oh, I sympathise strongly with my colleague) may have pushed my curiosity to try to repair something flooded - or at least look inside. My mistake was to buy car audio equipment... [Read more]

gulson 07 Oct 2024 21:08

Generally, if one has the time, buying previously disconnected equipment after a flood and not running, for a few per cent of the value, is not a stupid idea. In a car, however, it is always the voltage... [Read more]

Ture11 07 Oct 2024 21:12

Let me ask you one more thing... How about the CNC3040? Was there a lot of effort to bring it back to life? - Or is it not yet known? [Read more]

p.kaczmarek2 07 Oct 2024 22:03

. I would seriously love to showcase some more flooded equipment on the forum, but alas.... my "storage" rooms have all been flooded with water up to the ceiling and are now emptied to 0, even of furniture,... [Read more]

Energy_freak 07 Oct 2024 23:23

Was it worth it - yes worth it to show that you can fix equipment that no one will spend time on. Super presentation. Is it financially worth it - yes - you won't pay for the TV, yes - we won't pay for... [Read more]

szeryf3 08 Oct 2024 07:55

@pkaczmarek2 I thought you wouldn't save the TV because water and silt would get into every tiny crevice. Respect for your thoroughness and patience while working. Was it worth it? We'll see in a few... [Read more]

tomekptk 08 Oct 2024 09:45

After the 1997 flood I tried to salvage flooded computer equipment including HP laser printers. Except that this equipment had been underwater for longer, completely flooded, although unplugged, because... [Read more]

keseszel 08 Oct 2024 10:09

Son was refurbishing a Philips TV after a fire . TV smoked (you could see on the screen) and flooded with fire extinguishing agent. It was disassembled and dusted. It worked for a few months. Then lines... [Read more]

gulson 08 Oct 2024 13:15

Not very optimistic. But right, it's not tap water, it's carrying the neighbour's septic tank, for example. [Read more]

krzysiek7 08 Oct 2024 14:03

I have not been in contact with electronics after such a flood, so it is difficult to judge. I only once rescued a car radio panel that had been drowned in water with some washing up liquid, but to save... [Read more]

CMS 08 Oct 2024 18:33

I once rescued (several, or even a dozen years ago) a projector of someone from us on the forum. It was also post-flood. Everything inside was covered with a beige-brown deposit. It was a lot of work.... [Read more]

Jacekser 08 Oct 2024 19:43

When I was servicing office equipment: fax machines, telephones, exchanges (after being flooded with coffee, tea, coca-cola (after being flooded with coffee, tea, coca-cola)? When I was running a service... [Read more]

Anonymous 08 Oct 2024 19:55

Some people wash PCBs in dishwashers - normal dishwashing gel and programme about 50...60 degrees - supposedly works very well - I haven't checked it myself so it's hard to say - as for washing - I would... [Read more]

Jacekser 08 Oct 2024 20:00

. Oh, I forgot to write about this. It pulls out nested water well and of course blowing with air, sometimes overnight on a warm radiator. The cells that fell into my toilet when I peed I mention only... [Read more]

kris8888 08 Oct 2024 21:24

. For me, a long time ago, a three-phase squirrel cage motor from a hydrofoil that was mounted in the basement of the house flooded twice. I was amazed that an electrician-mechanic friend was able to... [Read more]

LEDówki 08 Oct 2024 22:43

Coca cola is a lot of acid though and a good electrolyte. Dishwasher pad salt,powder is an alkali, so there will be conditions for corrosion. Dishwashing liquid is also an alkali, so it falls off. The... [Read more]

Anonymous 08 Oct 2024 23:22

. A good rinse is therefore necessary - plain water to start with and then deionised water and finally drying with IPA. [Read more]

FAQ

TL;DR: Around 40–60 % of unplugged flood-exposed electronics can be revived after a full strip-down, wash and 72 h dry-out [FEMA, 2022]. “Flood water leaves conductive residue in every crevice” [p.kaczmarek2, #21254476].

Why it matters: A systematic clean can turn apparent e-waste into working gear and cut disposal costs.

Quick Facts

• Typical drying time before first power-on: 48-72 h at 40–60 °C [CMS, #21255577] • Isopropyl alcohol purity recommended: ≥ 99 % for final rinse [LEDówki, #21255917] • DIY success rate reported by forum users: ~70 % when power was cut before flooding [Energy_freak, #21254712] • Service-shop labour cost: €25–40 / h in Central EU; 4–10 h per TV [tatanka, #21261101] • CCFL inverter failure window: first 30 days after restart [michas, #21256828]

Can a flood-damaged TV work again?

Yes. Complete disassembly, removal of silt, IPA washing, and controlled drying restored picture, sound and keypad on a Samsung LE32A330J1N flooded for 12 hours [p.kaczmarek2,#21254476].

What determines survival odds?

Key factors are: 1) power disconnected before water entry, 2) fast cleaning to stop corrosion, 3) no cracked LCD glass, and 4) thorough drying of CCFL inverters and ribbon connectors [tomekptk,#21254984].

How deep can water penetrate an LCD panel?

Moisture reached matrix grooves and polariser films even 60 cm above the floor, trapping liquid under foils for weeks [p.kaczmarek2,#21254476].

Which cleaning agents are safe?

Sequence: tap-water rinse to remove silt, mild detergent, distilled-water rinse, then 99 % IPA flush to displace moisture and residue [ledo99,#21255672].

Is dish-washer cleaning acceptable?

A low-alkali 50 °C dishwasher cycle works for bare PCBs, but remove coils and transformers first to avoid trapped water shorting windings [Anonymous,#21255672].

What is the biggest failure risk after repair?

Edge-case: latent corrosion under BGA packages can surface after weeks, causing intermittent lines or shut-downs, as seen in a Philips fire-flood TV that failed months later [keseszel,#21255016].

Three-step quick how-to for a flooded TV

  1. Strip casing, boards, backlight, foils. 2. Wash and rinse as per safe agents above; blow dry at 40 °C for 72 h. 3. Re-assemble and test with an isolation transformer.

Should transformers and coils be washed?

Avoid soaking wound components; trapped water inside leads to shorts. Remove or mask them before spraying boards [kiss39,#21259965].

What PPE is required?

Wear nitrile gloves and mask; flood water can contain sewage and chemicals, creating real sanitary hazards [p.kaczmarek2,#21254612].

How much does a professional repair cost?

With 4–10 h labour at €25–40 / h plus €10–20 in solvents, shop cost runs €110–420, often exceeding value of older sets [tatanka,#21261101].

Any statistic on post-repair lifespan?

Forum anecdote: a rescued projector stayed functional for years with no return issues after deep clean [CMS,#21255577]. Long-term TV data still pending follow-up [p.kaczmarek2,#21254476].

What about car electronics?

Modules left powered during flooding corrode trace lines into open circuits; success rate drops below 20 % in such cases [Ture11,#21254516].

Can desiccants replace oven drying?

Yes. Sealing boards with calcium-chloride pellets pulls residual moisture without heat, useful for plastic-sensitive parts [żarówka rtęciowa,#21256147].

Why do CCFL inverters fail first?

Their high-voltage trafos arc across damp windings; failures often appear within a month of restart [michas,#21256828]. "Expect the inverters to be the first to fly," he noted [michas,#21256828].
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