Chosen Solution
Morning everyone, I’ve been given a HP Pavilion X360 Convertible laptop to look at that has had water spilt over it. Initially there were no lights and the laptop would not turn on at all. I performed a hard reset but no change. After leaving it overnight the laptop now shows an orange charging light when plugged in, with or without the battery connected. When you push the power button for about 10 seconds, the orange light goes out and the computer still does not start. The light next to the power button does not turn on at any point. I have tried disconnecting various components such as the SSD, memory, touchpad etc to see if any of those are preventing it from starting but I get the same issue, I have also tried another known working HP charger. Any advice greatly appreciated. All the best.
Hi @f4ll3n What is the full model number of the laptop as shown on the information label on the bottom of the laptop? The water causes corrosion and provides circuit paths for the electricity which were not in the laptop’s operating design and could damage the components. The corrosion starts immediately and is ongoing until it is completely cleaned away First do not try to charge or to turn on your laptop and then remove the battery as soon as possible from the laptop to minimize any further damage. Then you need to dis-assemble the rest of the laptop and clean all the affected parts using Isopropyl Alcohol 99%+ (available at electronics parts stores) to remove all traces of corrosion and water. If possible, do not use “rubbing alcohol” as in some cases this is only 70% IPA or less, can contain additives and is not as effective. If you do have to use it, check the label to verify the amount of IPA. Here is a link that describes the process. Electronics Water Damage As always with electronics, especially surface mounted pcb be gentle when handling and especially when brushing away the corrosion. You do not want to remove any components from the board. Remove the shields that may be covering some components as the water may have got in under them and there is corrosion. The ends of any flex cables and their connectors need to be cleaned as well Hopefully after you have done all this the laptop might possibly work correctly again. Here’s a link to the available ifixit HP x360 repair guides that may help if your model is amongst those listed that is If this process seems too daunting, take your laptop to a reputable, professional laptop repair service, experienced in liquid damage repair and ask for a quote for a repair. If you decide to do this, do it sooner than later.
Water is not harmful to electronics…IF you let them dry out completely BEFORE you try turning them back on! Water is only harmful if it shorts something out due to power being on. ALWAYS leave an item to dry out. Take apart if possible, sit it in the sun, etc. Should be good as new when it’s dry.
