C.J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Can you fix an Amazon Echo Dot?
As I’ve said and shown on our numerous social media accounts…we are not perfect DIY-ers. We’re not perfect at anything, really. The good thing, though, is the fact that we try. We may not be successful at first, but we learn from our mistakes and move forward.
With that being said, we had an interesting August 2021. My husband locked himself in our pantry when he was installing a new door. I was able to free him, thankfully. I was thankful too that we didn’t have to harm the door to get him out as I was able to insert the handle from my side and open the door.
Repairing an Echo Dot seems like it’d be easy
Around the beginning of August 2021, we pulled an incredibly rotten tree down in our yard by using a rope. At one point, the rope broke, sending both of us flying down onto our rears in the middle of our yard. We weren’t hurt and it was actually really funny. It was like a game of tug of war and the tree won that round. We eventually got it all down, with only sore bottoms.
Last, but not least, we left our Amazon Echo Dot out by the pool overnight at some point during the month and it rained while it was left outside. Of course, it rained on “Alexa” making her not want to talk anymore. So, as seasoned DIY-ers, we attempted to fix her. My husband LOVES to take things apart, so I let him have free reign and he took her apart. We learned a lot!
When it rains, it pours and Alexa doesn’t like rain
We learned that Alexa is put together with teeny tiny STAR SHAPED, or Torx screws. This made Tommy have to get a new set of tiny tools (which he was not unhappy about). If you like to take things apart or fix small things like electronics or jewelry, we got a great, inexpensive set on Amazon. Click here to check it out on Amazon.
We also learned that by putting the device in a bowl of rice, it did help her dry out. She didn’t have any sound or lights working until she sat in a bowl of rice for about 2 days. I’d recommend this drying out method for most electronics when necessary.
We used small tools to
After taking her apart, we learned it probably shorted out, causing a small burn mark to occur on one of the circuit boards. After lots of investigating, my husband was not able to fix it. He’s not an engineer and it would have required some soldering or more to get it working again.
Despite the fact that we could not get her to fully function again, we did get to see the “guts” of the device. Watch our short video on our YouTube channel (Carolyn Braden) that shows Tommy taking the Echo Dot apart. I’m not quite as tech minded as Tommy, but I did find the process of taking it apart to be quite fascinating. I think you may too!
C.J. Braden is a regular contributor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.