What To Do If Your Computer’s Power Cord Gets Wet

How should I deal with my laptop’s wet power cord? I spilled some water on the connector while it was lying on the floor.

From your description of what has happened, it sounds like your A/C adapter was not plugged into the laptop. That is a very good thing, and the rest of this article will assume that is the case.

Rule #1 in a situation like this is to relax and not panic — you are dealing with the very dangerous combination of electricity and water, which demands a clear head that can make safe decisions. Here is your basic order of operations for dealing with this situation:

• Take as many precautions as possible to avoid being electrocuted.
• Turn off the power.
• Unplug the A/C cord from the outlet.
• Dry out the A/C cord thoroughly.
• Consider whether or not you want to take the chance of using this power cord again.

Now, let’s take care of this problem:

1. If there is a puddle, or any liquid on the ground at all, do not stand in it.
2. Before you go near the power cord, the computer, or try to unplug anything, turn off the electricity from your circuit breaker.
3. Wires are housed in rubber sheathes for a reason: rubber does not conduct electricity. Do not touch any of the A/C cord’s metal contacts.
4. Carefully remove the power cord from the outlet and move it away from the wet area.
5. Thoroughly dry off the power cord — I usually use a clean, dry cloth and then let the cord sit for anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Now, do you really want to use this power cord again?

Unfortunately I cannot answer this final question for you. If your A/C adapter has been soaked, it may have been damaged beyond repair. On the other hand, if it was just splashed a little bit, it may be good to go after drying thoroughly. I have experienced both of these situations:

• I have discarded a laptop A/C adapter that was waterlogged in a flood. The water rendered it completely unable to deliver a charge, and it became extremely hot to the touch whenever it was connected to the computer. I ended up purchasing a new A/C adapter.
• I have spilled small amounts of liquid on power cords, dried them off, and used them again.

As you can see, the situation can go either way depending on how much water came in contact with your A/C adapter, and whether or not any damage was done to the unit. I’ve used my own personal judgement in both of these situations. Unfortunately I can’t make a housecall to take a look at your power cord. At this point, you must make your own educated decision. Ask yourself a few questions:

• “How much water came in contact with my A/C adapter?”
• “Was it wet for an extended period of time?”
• “If I’m unsure about it, is trying to use this A/C adapter again really worth the risk?”
• “Would I rather discard a $30 A/C adapter, or damage an expensive computer?”

If you do decide to try using your A/C adapter again, remember this: never, ever plug a wet power cord into a computer or an outlet. If you are going to take the chance, everything must be completely, 100% dry. No exceptions — you could damage your computer, or worse… electrocute yourself.

Photo by Ed Kohler.