Usually, you panic after spilling water on your laptop and watching it die. Also, it can cause you to not turn on the laptop after the incident. But before you do anything, take a deep breath and read this post. It is a common mistake that we all make at a certain point. But, that does not mean letting your laptop die or becoming despair at all.
Laptop won’t turn on after water spill? This is what you should do to bring it back and let your laptop functional again.
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Immediate Action After Spilled Water On The Laptop
Yes, you made a mistake, that is no doubt. But, this is not the end of it. Now follow these procedures to take good care of it and overcome this problem with a proper solution. In addition, if you spill soda, tea, coffee, or any other liquid on your laptop, follow the same procedure to fix it.
Kill the power
It makes sense what you need to do first. If your laptop is not turned off automatically, do that manually. Even if you need to pull off the battery, do that to kill the power off. That will ensure no further damage to the circuit if the water hits on it.
As you know, when water reaches the circuit, it can create a short-circuit to ruin your entire laptop motherboard. So, your first concern is to prevent upcoming damages that you can do by killing the power.
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Dry Your Laptop
In this step, do not do something crazy that some people suggest. For example, putting your laptop in the oven is not helpful at all. It may quickly dry all the water, but also possible to damage other parts of the laptop. So, that is not the proper way by any means.
First of all, use a clean cloth to wipe out all the water that is visible to you, Then keep it outside without direct contact with the sun, yet it can get enough light and air to vaporize the water. It may take some time. Wait 24 hours or more to let it dry properly without adding any heat externally at all.
Some people say putting a laptop in the rice can dry it quickly. There is no scientific explanation of this theory at all. And, it makes no sense to try this method at all. On the contrary, little rice grain and the dirt contained in the rice can damage more.
So, naturally, drying is the most efficient way without damaging your laptop.
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Try To Turn on The Laptop
Once you are confident about the drying part, try to turn on the laptop. You can put the battery in the sunlight to dry all the water. And before connecting it back to the laptop, check twice to ensure no water remains at all. Now press the power button and see what happens.
If your laptop does not have any more water or no damage happens, it will turn on. Now plug in the charger to see if the charger is working or not. I hope your issue ends here. But what if it is not turning on? Well, there are solutions for that too. So, now go for the advanced solution part.
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What To Do If A Laptop Won’t Turn On After Water Spill?
You have done everything that you can do to naturally get your laptop back in life. But, if the water reaches the laptop’s internal components, that could be the reason for not turning on. So, let’s take apart the laptop and try to fix it.
Diagnose Your Laptop Components
First of all, remove the battery. Then, use a screwdriver to remove all the screws and remove the back of the laptop. Now check for any water damage. Check the storage and ram first. And remove all the parts that you can remove. After that, dry everything with the laptop dryer and make sure no water remains at all.
Sometimes water enters the circuit. So, take the dryer and dry the motherboard properly. After being satisfied with the deep drying part, you can reassemble all the parts and try to turn them on again.
Take Help From An Expert
You have done everything that you can do. What is now? Well, if you are not confident doing all of the above procedures or simply failed after applying all, take it to the expert. It may cost you money, but they will ensure to check all components carefully and fix them.
Since experts know how to handle these types of issues, it would be better to let them handle them before ruining something else. If you do it on your own, it has a chance to damage other parts unintentionally. So, spending some money and ensuring better fixing is not a bad idea at all.
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Waterproof Your Laptop
Most of the laptops available in the market are not waterproof. But, if your laptop is constantly at risk of water damage, you can try some of the waterproof products to make it better for use without risking water damage.
Waterproof Case
The most common way is to use a water-resistant case. There are a few different types of water-resistant cases, but they all work in a similar way. The cases have a watertight seal that keeps the water out.
The cases also have a built-in screen protector that keeps the laptop screen from getting wet. It helps to keep your laptop safe while you are carrying it and it suddenly starts raining.
Waterproof Keyboard Cover
In most cases, if you spill water that enters the laptop via keyboard. So, protecting the keyboard is an efficient way to get rid of the water spilling problem. Fortunately, there are various keyboard covers available in the market.
These waterproof keyboard covers fit over the keyboard and keep the water out. They also protect the keyboard from dust and dirt. Also, it costs not that much money at all.
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FAQs on Spilled Water On Laptop: Won’t Turn On?
Can a laptop be fixed after water damage?
In most cases, if the laptop has been exposed to a small amount of water, the damage can be repaired relatively easily and for a relatively low cost.
However, if the laptop has been exposed to a significant amount of water or the water has been sitting in the machine for an extended time, the damage is likely to be more extensive, and the repair cost will be much higher.
In some cases, it may not be worth trying to fix the laptop, and it may be more cost-effective to purchase a new machine.
How long should I wait to turn on the laptop after the water spill?
If the laptop has been exposed to water, it is best to wait until it is scorched before turning it on. Turning on a laptop that has been exposed to water can cause damage to the internal components. I recommend letting it dry for at least 24 hours.
How long should you leave a laptop to dry out?
The amount of time a laptop needs to dry out depends on the extent of the water damage. For a small amount of water, drying it out with a hairdryer for a few minutes should do the trick.
Leaving it to air dry for 24 hours should do the trick for a larger amount of water. If the water has seeped into the keyboard or other electronic components, then the laptop will need to be taken to a professional to be repaired.
Does putting a laptop in rice work?
It does absorb water naturally. But this is not the efficient way at all. Instead, you can let the laptop dry naturally and wait for 24 hours to ensure better drying.
Water damage laptop screen won’t turn on, what to do?
If your laptop screen won’t turn on due to water damage, take immediate action before it spreads all over the screen. Open the laptop display cover via a screwdriver or a plastic card.
Then carefully pull out the laptop screen and pull out the connector. Now wipe out all the water from the screen and other parts of the laptop. After that, let it dry for a few hours to make sure there is no water remaining at all.
Finally, reassemble everything and try to turn it on. If you did not get the expected result, take help from an expert. The professional will be able to tell you if the laptop can be fixed, and if it can be fixed, they will be able to tell you how much it will cost. If the laptop is not worth fixing, the professional may be able to tell you how to get a new one.
Can I dry my laptop with a hairdryer?
In general, using a hairdryer to dry your laptop is not a good idea. However, if you find that your laptop has gotten wet and you urgently need to use it, you can try to dry it out using a hairdryer on low heat.
Keep the hairdryer at least 18 inches away from your laptop, and avoid blowing hot air directly onto the machine. Also, make sure that your laptop is completely dry before using it again.
Conclusion
Spilling water or any liquid can easily cause major damage to the laptop. And it can end up not turning on the laptop. I hope you got the idea of what to do if the laptop won’t turn on after water spill. If you accidentally spill water, immediately wipe all the water and do all the above procedures. As a result, water will not get too deep into the laptop, and it will be less hassle to fix it.
But, if a large amount of water enters your laptop, you can be cautious. Doing all the procedures on your own can ensure better care of the laptop without spending a penny at all. However, sometimes you are not the right person to do the job. In that case, you have to take help from an expert.
Hi there! My name is Mohiuddin Alamgir and I’m the man behind of “Laptopvine”. I love learning about all sorts of technology, especially laptops. I find it fascinating how laptops have evolved over the years and how they’ve become essential tools for both work and play. I strive to provide information that is both accurate and helpful to those looking for a new laptop.