Recovering a flooded Dexcom receiver

Tips, Tech & Gear C/GM
1

It is always difficult to recover electronics that were immersed in water. The Dexcom G4 or G5 receivers are not waterproof, while the transmitters are. There are many stories of wet Dexcom receivers, some of which have happened to members of this community :slight_smile:

Stephen Richert, @LivingVertical on Twitter, had that happen to him recently: his Dexcom receiver required EMT treatment after an unfortunate laundry adventure. He was able to successfully recover it by plopping it into a bucket of dry rice for 7 days, then trying to power it several times – it eventually came back to life! Here is the resurrected Dexcom receiver:

A few personal notes on this: I have tried the rice trick many times, and saw it succeed often, but not always. What I have found helps:

  • Dry the item quickly and thoroughly

  • Plop it in dry rice right away

  • Leave it there A LONG TIME. Stephen Richert left it there a week.

  • When you are ready to try it, try it SEVERAL times. Shakes it, warm it, try a few things. Don’t give up right away if it doesn’t start.

One last trick: I have a heated floor in one of the rooms of my house. I leave the rice container with the flooded electronic item on the heated floor: it seems to increase the likelihood of success for us.

Thanks to Stephen Richert for giving us some details on his rescue!

3 Likes
2

Just let it sit in a dry place for a month and it’ll be good as new. I’ve done it twice now. :slight_smile: Put it in my sock drawer and left it be.

2 Likes
3

yup the usual trick for an immersed cell phone-just accidentally put mine in the wash so trying that trik and blow drying it with a hair drier

1 Like