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.
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.
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.
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!**