I'm in the Philippines and accidentally let my ASUS laptop battery drain completely, then left it uncharged for around four hours. When I later connected the charger, the laptop showed no signs of charging or powering on. There had been water dripping from the ceiling nearby, and I'm worried that droplets may have splashed onto the extension cord or charger. The charger had been working normally before this. I tried drying the charger, placing it in rice, waiting about 30 minutes, and testing another cable that fits the power brick, but nothing helped. The laptop was purchased abroad last November and is still under warranty, although the nearby service center is temporarily closed because of a typhoon. What should I do next, and is it possible that only the charger was damaged?
2 Answers
The water on the table by itself probably isn’t important; the key question is whether any water reached the extension cord, charger, laptop, or wall outlet. Since you suspect droplets may have splashed onto the extension, stop using that extension and don’t test the setup again. A short circuit or surge could have damaged the charger, the laptop’s charging circuit, or both. When the center opens, take the laptop, charger, and possibly the extension cord in for testing. Because it’s still under warranty, avoid opening anything yourself.
Unplug everything and don’t try powering the laptop on again until you’re sure it’s completely dry. Leave the laptop upside down in a dry, well-ventilated place for at least 24–48 hours, and keep the charger and power brick disconnected in the same kind of area. Rice isn’t very useful and can leave dust or particles behind. Once the service center reopens, have them inspect it before applying power.
Okay, I’ll leave both the laptop and charger disconnected and let them dry properly. Thanks for the advice.
The charger and laptop had been working normally before this. I’m not sure whether there was a power surge, but I’ll stop using that extension and have the warranty service check whether the charger or laptop was affected.