How To Dry Out Helix LT

[GarrySimmons]

A drink got splashed (not completely spilled) on my Helix LT around the display area. Immediately wiped it off with a towel, but the display got weird (like brightness turned way up) but it sounded OK. Finished the set. I want to open up my Helix to make sure nothing is still wet or damp before powering it back up. How does one get a cover off? I tried removing the screws on the bottom (6 feet plus 4 more) and no joy. I suspect I need to remove the side panels. I just want to get some in there. Maybe put it in a plastic bag with rice to pull any moisture out.

 

Suggestions? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it isn't hosed and in need of repair.

[gk001]

A standard way to dry out electrical things is to seal it in a plastic storage box/bag with uncooked rice (sit the Helix on top of the rice to avoid getting it inside) for a few days and the rice will absorb any moisture

The important question is what was the drink?

If it's water then process above will remove it

If it's something else then you may need to clean off the interior and boards to prevent any corrosion on the boards, I use an alcohol based cleaning spray for boards and contacts for things like this

 

Make sure you keep the Helix turned off until you've confirmed it's clean and dry as sugary drink spills can arc across the tracks and kill the board when powered up

 

I have the full Helix rather than the LT so can't advise on opening it, I could only find this for full Helix

Helix Pedal Maintenance Procedure - HELIX/HX - Line 6 Community

 

Just found this for LT, hope it helps, looks like screws on the sides as well for the LT

How to Repair a Line 6 Helix Expression Pedal - YouTube

[GarrySimmons]

So I let a box fan blow on the Helix for a couple days, then put it in a sealed plastic bin on a bed of instant rice for another couple days. I just powered it on and the display is still funky. The unit appears to be otherwise working fine. I can use HX Edit so the USB is working. On power up, the splash screen looks normal, but once the screen with the presets gets displayed, it's like the brightness is turned up too much as the lettering isn't as clear as it should be. If I then switch modes so that I toggle FX on/off, the colored blocks are way washed out  making the white very hard to read. Tuner mode has the same issue. Other than the colors/etc being all washed out, the display appears to be working. I sent an email/ticket to Line6 support. The unit is just shy of three years old.

 

Any suggestions on what to try before sending it off to a repair center?

[gk001]

Try @rd2rk's suggestion here

48v into send/return by mistake. Will it damage? - Helix - Line 6 Community

This was for a Helix with a screen problem so worth a try, it solved the screen issue in this thread

"If the screen is still black after a couple of reboots, use HX Edit to do a backup, then do a Factory Reset by booting while holding FS 9+10."

 

You still haven't mentioned what the drink was and if the inside has been checked now, soft drinks, beer, etc will dry and leave deposits on electrics that can cause issues and really need to be cleaned off, I'd suggest that the advice above is only carried out when you're happy that the inside is free of any liquid deposits/residue

[GarrySimmons]

20 minutes ago, gk001 said:

Try @rd2rk's suggestion here

48v into send/return by mistake. Will it damage? - Helix - Line 6 Community

This was for a Helix with a screen problem so worth a try, it solved the screen issue in this thread

"If the screen is still black after a couple of reboots, use HX Edit to do a backup, then do a Factory Reset by booting while holding FS 9+10."

 

You still haven't mentioned what the drink was and if the inside has been checked now, soft drinks, beer, etc will dry and leave deposits on electrics that can cause issues and really need to be cleaned off, I'd suggest that the advice above is only carried out when you're happy that the inside is free of any liquid deposits/residue

 

It was a gin and tonic. Thanks for the reply. I'm waiting to see what Line6 has to suggest, but I may just open it up and look for residue/etc that can be cleaned off.

 

NOTE: I did a full factory reset earlier this morning and no change in the screen. 

 

[PierM]

The Helix LCD display, as any other similar display, isnt sealed and if you spill a liquid over it, there is nothing preventing a leak between the matrix and the screen surface.

 

The bright you see is the water/humid trapped there, or it's already permanently damaged. Imho the best option is to leave the unit closed in a very small room (windows/doors closed), with a dehumidifier. This is the only device that can safely suck out all the humidity from the environment, and from your Helix.

 

You probably have something similar to that; 

 

 

[GarrySimmons]

Thanks for video PierM. Hopefully it's just condensation in the display, It's supposed to be sunny and warm here for the next few days, so I'm going to let the Helix sit in the sun for a bit during the day and spend the night in the sealed bin with instant rice. I hope it helps!

[HonestOpinion]

2 hours ago, PierM said:

The Helix LCD display, as any other similar display, isnt sealed and if you spill a liquid over it, there is nothing preventing a leak between the matrix and the screen surface.

 

The bright you see is the water/humid trapped there, or it's already permanently damaged. Imho the best option is to leave the unit closed in a very small room (windows/doors closed), with a dehumidifier. This is the only device that can safely suck out all the humidity from the environment, and from your Helix.

 

You probably have something similar to that; 

 

 

 

Air conditioners do a good job of dehumidifying as well. Don't think a small dehumidified room is the only safe method available for drying it out and getting it working again, but it is a good suggestion in tandem with some of the others. Assuming, as you mentioned, that there is not damage that will require a repair.

[PierM]

11 hours ago, HonestOpinion said:

 

Air conditioners do a good job of dehumidifying as well. Don't think a small dehumidified room is the only safe method available for drying it out and getting it working again, but it is a good suggestion in tandem with some of the others. Assuming, as you mentioned, that there is not damage that will require a repair.

 

Sure, there are other ways, but people tends to believe direct or indirect "heat" is the solution, while it isnt, because water is trapped in a occluded area. In fact, with just heat we'd risk to do other damages, other than producing more condensation. Same with putting a device outside in the sun. Key is air umidity, more than temperature (well, they are correlated). So, if we put a device outside in the sun, but in a day with high humidity (above ~55%), we are not doing much, maybe doing worse.

 

You are of course right about ACs. They do have the option to work very similar as dedicated dehumifiers, removing water from the room air to reduce the thermoreception.

 

Of course this is my opinion based on my own experience, restoring a bunch of guitars and devices from a flood, back in 2018. I'm sure there are more solutions. :)

[HonestOpinion]

14 hours ago, PierM said:

 

...

 

You are of course right about ACs. They do have the option to work very similar as dedicated dehumifiers, removing water from the room air to reduce the thermoreception.

 

...

 

Good point about the dehumidifier setting available on many air conditioners. Even without that setting though, part of the physics of an air conditioner is to pull water out of the air. That's why the window units drip(hopefully outdoors if installed correctly) :-)