Charge 5 stopped working after getting wet

[Teri8788]

I went swimming today with my 2 Yr grand daughter. Water no deeper than 2ft. My charge 5 watch is now not working or  charging. It was fully charged before I went n now its not working. 

When I put it on  charge, the fitbit logo lights up for a second then goes off again. It's been left 6 hours now and still no luck. I thought these were usable up to 50ft.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MarreFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Teri8788. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thanks for the details provided in your post about the issue with your Charge 5.

If your device got wet, it’s important to take it off and dry it well before putting it back on. On the other hand, if your device has come into contact with any liquid other than fresh water, you should clean it with fresh water and a soap-free cleanser and dry it with a lint free-cloth.

If you've done the above but to no avail, may I know if your Charge 5 vibrated during the restart process? If it didn't, I'd recommend trying the steps below:

• Clean the charging contacts on the back of your device and the pins on your charging cable using the instructions in How do I clean my Fitbit device?
• If the error "insufficient power source" appears on your device's screen, remove other devices plugged in to your power source, or plug your device in to another source.
• Try a different USB port or a UL-certified wall charger.
• Check the alignment and try reconnecting your device to the charging cable. For more information, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
• Restart your Fitbit once again.

[Surfista]

Hi Teri, Based on the many, many messages on this board, the water damage problem is quite common. The battery charging issue is endemic.

I would suggest contacting customer support ASAP as Marre suggested. The reset procedure provides a lasting solution to very few people. You should ask for a replacement device.

[LindaT0806]

Hi Teri.  I am currently having this same issue with my second Charge 5 device.  I have a second one because I had this same issue with my first one and Fitbit at that time provided me with a replacement.  My husband also has a Charge 5 that he wears while swimming almost every day and he has not had any kind of issue with it, so I believe that I was just unlucky enough to have gotten two different defective devices.  I have a message into Customer Support and I'm hoping that they are willing to replace my device again because this issue seems to be quite common, which tells me that something is just plain wrong with some of the devices.  It is worth trying all of the steps that Marre suggested, because it looked like for a brief moment mine might be OK -- the display came back on.  But then I ran into the charging issue and it just won't charge (using the same charger that my husband's device has just been charged up on so I know it isn't the charger itself).  Anyway, I just wanted to add my thoughts since this is such a common issue.  If they can't guarantee the device will continue to work if it gets wet then they should probably remove any verbiage/features that indicate it is safe to do so!

[Surfista]

Hi Linda, If you are past the 1 year warranty period of your first Charge 5, they will not replace the second defective device. This happened to me and many others who have posted in the various threads on these 2 issues. The reset works for some, but many have reported that the even if it seems to begin functioning again, it does not do so for long.