Electric blanket control got wet, now doesn't work. But why?

Our electric blanket has two controls, one of which got wet. Now it doesn’t work.

But I don’t really understand why. We opened it up, and the fuse is still good (checked with a multi-meter.)

Here is what the inside of the control looks like.

Is this sort of thing fixable? What causes electronics not to work after they’ve been wet?

Electronics tend not to work when they get wet because water is such a good conductor of electricity and can cause a short circuit. In this context, a short circuit is when the flow of electricity within an electronic component is interrupted and/or redirected somewhere it wasn’t designed to go. Even a tiny amount of water on the circuit board can easily cause a short circuit, rendering the device inoperable.

You should have let it dry a few days before trying it. Moisture probably shorted out the ic chip when you turned it on.

My cell phone has fallen into puddles twice. Each time I dried it for a few days, set it out in the sun a few hours too, and it worked.

Your blanket may work after its had time to dry. Give it a few days with the control cover off and try it again.

I would strongly recommend that you contact a professional locally before you plug in the blanket again. What you are describing is certainly fixable, but if you’re not comfortable working with electric devices, I wouldn’t recommend that you attempt to repair it yourself.

You can speed up the drying time by drying it with a blow dryer. Might be too late, if you already tried it before it was dry.

The company may be willing to replace your controller for free. You should email them to find out. Electric blanket controllers are designed to stop working if the least little thing goes wrong. This is a safety feature, but it can be frustrating. I’ve had two controllers on my electric mattress pad stop working for no obvious reason. The company replaced them for free both times.

Thanks for the advice. I’ll contact the company to see if they can replace it…it isn’t worth trying to get it repaired, I imagine I could get a new one cheaper, plus the most important half of the blanket (my side) still works.

It will be easier to diagnose with a know-good controller to compare :slight_smile:

My bet is on those two small switches as most likely to be affected by water. Give it time to dry.

I’m updating a few threads where people have been helpful–we contacted the company (Serta) and they replaced it, no questions asked. Thanks,** Posteriti!**

Hmmm… That could lead to a lot of snuggling. Maybe you don’t want to get it fixed!

Glad I could help!