My Insulin Pump Got Wet: What to Do Next and When to Contact Support

Getting your insulin pump wet is one of those moments that can send your heart racing. Whether it slipped into the pool, got caught in the rain, or took an unexpected shower with you, the first instinct is often panic. That panic is understandable, but what you do in the next few minutes matters far more than the water exposure itself.

This guide walks you through exactly what to do, what to avoid, and when to call your pump manufacturer for help.

Quick answer: Remove the pump from water immediately. Check your blood glucose and activate your backup insulin plan if delivery may have been interrupted. Do not charge the pump, apply heat, or use rice to dry it. Inspect for visible water entry, watch for alerts and unexpected glucose changes, and contact your pump manufacturer if the pump was submerged beyond its rated limits or shows any signs of malfunction.

Start With Safety: Your Diabetes Management Comes First

Before you troubleshoot the device, address your health. A wet pump may or may not have interrupted insulin delivery, and you cannot always tell immediately. Treat this as a potential delivery interruption until you confirm otherwise.

Check your blood glucose right away. If your CGM is showing unexpected highs, or if you feel symptoms of hyperglycemia (increased thirst, fatigue, blurry vision), assume delivery may have been affected.

Follow Your Clinician-Approved Backup Plan

Every pump user should have a backup insulin protocol established with their endocrinologist or diabetes care team. If you do not have one, this incident is a strong reason to ask for one at your next appointment. A typical backup plan includes:

• The type and dose of long-acting basal insulin to use if pump delivery is interrupted
• When to switch to multiple daily injections (MDI) versus waiting for the pump to resume
• How often to check glucose while the pump is offline or under evaluation
• Who to call: your diabetes care team, your pump manufacturer, or both

Do not ignore a potential delivery interruption because the pump looks fine externally. Internal water damage can affect the motor, electronics, or cartridge without any obvious visible signs.

Get Out of the Water and Inspect the Pump

Once you have confirmed your immediate health status, turn your attention to the pump itself. Remove it from any ongoing water exposure and find a dry, well-lit spot to inspect it carefully.

What to Check

Go through each component systematically:

Component	What to Look For
Screen	Condensation behind the glass, discoloration, or display errors
Buttons	Moisture around the edges, stickiness, or unresponsive feel
Charging port / USB port	Visible water droplets or corrosion
Cartridge area	Moisture around the cartridge window or seal
Tubing	Water inside the tubing, kinks, or disconnection at the site
Infusion set	Wetness at the insertion site, lifted adhesive, or compromised seal

Pay particular attention to the charging port. Water inside a port is one of the most common causes of post-submersion damage, and charging a wet device can cause a short circuit that permanently damages the pump.

Know Your Pump's Water Resistance Limits

Not all pumps are rated the same. The Tandem t:slim X2, for example, carries an IP27 rating, meaning it is watertight to a depth of 3 feet (0.91 meters) for up to 30 minutes under controlled laboratory conditions. That rating applies to the pump in its factory-sealed state. If the pump has been dropped, has a cracked housing, or has previously had its seal compromised, that rating no longer applies.

A brief splash or light rain is very different from a 10-minute pool submersion. Understanding which scenario you are dealing with determines how urgently you need to act.

Do Not Do This: Risky Drying Methods to Avoid

This is where well-meaning advice from the internet can make things significantly worse. The same instincts that might work for a dropped smartphone are often wrong for a medical device that controls insulin delivery.

Avoid all of the following:

• Charging the pump while wet. This is the single most damaging thing you can do. Even a small amount of moisture in the charging port can cause a short that destroys the pump's electronics.
• Using a hair dryer, heat gun, or placing the pump in sunlight. Heat can warp seals, damage the insulin cartridge, and degrade internal components.
• Putting the pump in rice. The rice-in-a-bag trick is a persistent myth. Rice does not draw moisture out of sealed electronics at a meaningful rate, and rice dust can work its way into ports and openings, causing additional problems.
• Opening the pump or removing components not designed to be removed. The t:slim X2 and most modern pumps are sealed devices. Opening the housing voids the warranty and breaks the waterproof seal permanently, per Tandem's official safety guidance.
• Shaking or blowing air into ports. This can push water deeper into the device rather than removing it.

What to Do Instead

• Gently pat the exterior dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.
• Leave the pump in a dry room-temperature environment and allow it to air dry.
• Follow the specific drying and inspection instructions in your pump's user guide.
• If you are unsure, call your pump manufacturer before attempting anything further.

The goal is to do as little as possible while the pump dries, and to monitor closely for any signs of malfunction.

Check Whether Insulin Delivery Was Affected

Even if the pump appears to be functioning normally after water exposure, it is worth running through a delivery check before resuming normal use.

Signals That Delivery May Have Been Interrupted

Watch for any of the following in the hours after the incident:

• Pump alerts or alarms you did not see before the water exposure
• Unexplained high blood glucose that does not respond to a correction bolus
• Interrupted basal delivery shown in the pump's history or delivery log
• Symptoms of hyperglycemia: increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, or nausea
• No insulin on board when you would expect some based on recent boluses

If any of these are present, do not wait. Follow your backup plan and contact your care team.

When to Replace Supplies

When in doubt, replace. This applies to:

• Infusion sets that were submerged or had their adhesive compromised by water
• Tubing that shows any visible moisture inside
• Insulin cartridges that were exposed to extreme temperatures or prolonged submersion (heat and extended water exposure can degrade insulin)

Replacing a $10 infusion set is a much better outcome than a hyperglycemic episode from a compromised site. If there is any question about whether your infusion set maintained a proper seal during water exposure, change it.

When to Contact Your Pump Manufacturer

Many people hesitate to call pump support because the pump seems to be working. That hesitation can be costly. Manufacturers have technical teams specifically trained to help you assess post-water-exposure situations, and calling does not automatically mean you need a replacement.

Contact Support If Any of These Apply

• The pump was submerged beyond its rated water resistance (for the t:slim X2, that means beyond 3 feet deep or longer than 30 minutes)
• You can see visible water, condensation, or moisture inside the screen or housing
• The pump is displaying error codes, freezing, or behaving erratically
• Buttons are unresponsive or feel different than before
• Insulin delivery logs show unexpected interruptions
• Your blood glucose is not responding normally after the incident

For Tandem t:slim X2 users: Tandem Diabetes Care Customer Technical Support is available at (877) 801-6901. If you see any signs of fluid entry after water exposure, Tandem's official guidance is to discontinue use of the pump and contact support immediately. Always verify the latest guidance directly with Tandem, as recommendations may be updated.

What Happens When You Call

When you contact pump support after a water incident, they will typically walk you through a device assessment checklist, ask about the nature and duration of the exposure, and help you determine whether the pump needs to be returned for inspection or replacement. Most manufacturers have loaner or replacement programs for situations where the pump cannot be safely used.

Do not continue using a pump that shows signs of internal water damage. The risk of unpredictable insulin delivery is not worth it.

Emergency Checklist: What to Do When Your Pump Gets Wet

Use this as a quick reference the next time water and your pump meet unexpectedly.

Immediate steps (first 5 minutes):

1. Remove the pump from water exposure
2. Check blood glucose and assess for symptoms of hyperglycemia
3. Activate your backup insulin plan if delivery may have been interrupted
4. Gently pat the pump dry with a clean cloth

Inspection steps (next 15 minutes): 5. Inspect the screen, buttons, charging port, cartridge area, tubing, and infusion set 6. Look for visible moisture, condensation, or physical damage 7. Check the pump's delivery log for any alerts or interruptions

Decision steps: 8. If the pump was within its rated limits and shows no signs of damage, monitor closely and resume normal use 9. If the infusion set or tubing was compromised, replace them before resuming 10. If the pump was beyond its rated limits, shows visible water entry, or is behaving abnormally, stop using it and call your pump manufacturer

Do not do:

• Charge the pump while wet
• Apply heat of any kind
• Put it in rice
• Open the pump housing
• Blow air into ports

Prevent the Next Water Incident

The best outcome from this experience is a better plan for next time. For most pump users, water exposure is not a one-time event. Swimming, beach days, water parks, boating, kayaking, and even sweaty workouts all create repeated opportunities for water to reach your pump.

When Your Pump's Built-In Rating Is Not Enough

The t:slim X2's IP27 rating covers accidental splashes and brief, shallow submersion under ideal conditions. It was not designed for:

• Swimming laps or open-water swimming, where submersion is continuous and depth can vary
• Beach and ocean activities, where sand, salt water, and waves add variables the IP rating does not account for
• Water parks or wave pools, where forceful water exposure can exceed what the seal was tested against
• Boating and water sports, where the pump may be submerged repeatedly or for extended periods

For these activities, a purpose-built waterproof case is the practical solution.

How a Waterproof Case Changes the Risk Profile

A properly rated waterproof case adds a secondary layer of protection that is independent of the pump's factory seal. For Tandem t:slim X2 users, the DiaShield-Slim waterproof insulin pump case is designed specifically for the t:slim X2, offering IPX7-rated waterproofing (tested to 1 meter for 30 minutes), a hard-shell exterior for shock protection, and a seal designed to accommodate the pump's tubing without compromising waterproofing.

The difference between wearing a case and not wearing one is the difference between a near-miss and a full pump replacement.

For a deeper look at protecting your pump during water activities, see our guides on waterproof cases for Tandem insulin pumps and splash-proof adventures with the t:slim X2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep using my pump after it got wet?

It depends on the extent of the exposure. If the pump was briefly splashed or rained on, shows no signs of moisture entry, and is functioning normally, you may be able to resume use after drying it thoroughly and monitoring closely. If the pump was submerged beyond its rated limits, shows visible water inside, or is behaving erratically, stop using it and contact your pump manufacturer before resuming. When in doubt, call support. That is what the technical teams are there for.

Should I replace my infusion set after my pump got wet?

Yes, in most cases. If your infusion set was submerged, had its adhesive lifted by water, or you have any doubt about whether the site maintained a proper seal, replace it. A compromised infusion set can cause occlusions, absorption issues, or infection risk. The cost of a new set is trivial compared to the cost of a hyperglycemic episode or a site infection.

Does the t:slim X2 warranty cover water damage?

The t:slim X2's IP27 rating means it is designed to withstand water exposure within specific limits. If the pump was damaged by exposure within those limits and the seal was intact, that may fall under warranty coverage. However, if the pump was opened, the seal was previously compromised, or the exposure exceeded the rated limits, warranty coverage may not apply. Contact Tandem's Customer Technical Support at (877) 801-6901 to discuss your specific situation.

What is the difference between water-resistant and waterproof for insulin pumps?

"Water-resistant" typically means the device can handle light splashes but is not designed for submersion. "Watertight" (the term Tandem uses for the t:slim X2) means it can withstand submersion within specific depth and time limits. Neither term means "fully waterproof" in the way most people think. No pump should be treated as safe for extended swimming without additional protection.

Getting your pump wet is stressful, but it does not have to be a crisis. The outcome depends almost entirely on how quickly and calmly you respond. Prioritize your health first, inspect carefully, avoid the common drying mistakes, and do not hesitate to call your manufacturer if anything seems off.

And if this incident revealed a gap in your water protection plan, it is worth closing before the next swim, beach trip, or rainstorm. The DiaShield-Slim was built specifically for this scenario: keeping your t:slim X2 protected so you can stay active without the anxiety.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow your clinician's guidance and your pump manufacturer's official instructions for your specific device.