What Causes a Laptop to Short Circuit?

What Causes a Laptop to Short Circuit?

Technology is advancing day by day very fastly. Laptops are part of life for everybody either he is a student, teacher, doctor, engineer or writer. Everybody using laptops randomly and roughly. There are 2 to 3 laptops in every home nowadays because it is the need of everybody.

In this article, our editors have explained all the reasons which cause a laptop to short circuit. Along with this, we have added a detailed guide about fixing problems caused by the laptop short circuit.

As it is very important in our life so when its processor shows some problem many of work stuck down due to defect in laptop. People use laptop recklessly and it causes a laptop to short circuit.

First of all, we have to know what is a short circuit?

What is the short circuit?

It can be defined as low resistance of the connections in laptop. Low resistance between the circuit and power supply that are giving it to Electrical power. Due to low resistance high current will be passed and it causes a short circuit.

A short circuit can be an alternating current AC and also can be in direct current DC circuit. The short circuit in the laptop produces a high temperature that damage the whole circuit and battery can explode due to heat. You must always keep your laptop secure from a short circuit. 

What Causes a Laptop to Short Circuit?

Any physical damage or any electrical damage can cause a short circuit in laptop. A short circuit will consume all the power and it causes your laptop not to turn on.

 If your adapter is working when you put up on the wall and then stop working when you connect it into your laptop then it means short circuit takes place in laptop. When two wires in the circuit that should not be connected, they get connected short circuit takes place.

Causes of Short Circuit in Laptops and how can we fix it

There are many causes of a short circuit in a laptop:

Spilling of liquid:

The electrical circuit of the laptop can be damaged by the spilling of water or liquid on it. A liquid can cause these types of damage:

• A short circuit caused by wet liquid (problem removes after liquid cleaned and dried)
• A short circuit caused by dried liquid residue
• Corrosion (especially with Coke or Pepsi)
• Electronic components damaged by above short circuits

During using a laptop if you spill water or any liquid on a laptop, it can cause a short circuit. It is very common that we keep eating and drinking during work on the laptop. So it can cause a short circuit.

Fix it:

if you spill liquid while using your laptop then these tips can give you fighting chance to salvage parts of your laptop.

• Turn off your laptop immediately.
• Unplug the laptop from its power cord. Press the power button for the 4 seconds that it turns off the power of a laptop or shut down the laptop.
  Remove the battery of the laptop. Disconnect the battery from the laptop.
  Clean the laptop with a highly absorbent cloth that it cleans visible liquid on a laptop so that it could not cause a short circuit.

Dry it with dryer and wait for 3 hours then you can use a laptop easily.

Issues in Laptop Power supply can cause a short circuit

Check power supply by plugging it into the wall of outlet to check the LED of the power supply lights up. The power adapter should not plug into the laptop, only the wall of the strip outlet.

Laptop adapters have LED light, which allows users to identify either current is passing from the adapter or not.

If the LED light is not turning on, check it in another outlet. If you still see no light, then the surge protector in the cable is burnt and the cable needs replacement.

Fix it:

 this can be resolved by buying a new adapter for the charging of laptop otherwise it would because of short circuit. Because burnt cable could not provide a sufficient amount of current to the laptop.

High Voltage:

Due to damage to the cable or power supply or any other cause of high voltage. Any problem with electricity that increases the voltage input can cause a short circuit of laptop.

High voltage effects on the circuit of the laptop that decrease the resistance of current and large amount of current pass from the circuit and short circuits happens. High voltage can also cause errors in the laptop processor.

Fix it:

Test the output voltages. Put a positive pin inside the cable power connector that inserts into a laptop. Put the negative pin on the outside of a cable connector. Check the digital display to see the reading.

Test that the output is correct by reading the recommended output levels. Replace the power cable if the voltage output has a large variability.

Low Voltage:

Due to an error in power supply, not proper current can pass from the power supply and it causes a short circuit in the laptop.

A laptop requires a sufficient amount of current for charging so when not proper current converts into the socket of power, it causes a short circuit to the laptop.

Fix it:

By replacing a power supply, one can secure its laptop from short circuit.

Hardware devices cause short circuit:

A short circuit can also be caused by any defective hardware devices like floppy, USB, DVD, CVD or CD player hardware. Because this hardware might contain any virus that affects the circuit and short circuit can take place.

Fix it:

Use millimeter or an ohmmeter for testing of short circuits in the laptop. Put the positive pin inside of the power connector of the laptop. Put a negative pin on the outer metal part of the connector. Check the millimeter digital display. If reading is less than 3 ohms, it is an indication of a short circuit.

Remove devices like CD, DVD, and ROM, battery, Floppy or any other connected device to see if it is the cause of the short circuit.

Turn on the laptop without these devices to see either laptop starts or not.

Dust and improper placing:

Laptops should be placed on a neat and clean surface. A person should use a protector for its screen and its body that it can be protected from the dust. Because dust particle form clog into the laptop which can affect the circuit and short circuit can take place. You should always maintain a clean laptop.

The irregular placing of laptop or placing a weight on the laptop can cause short circuit and damage of the laptop. A laptop should place on the plain surface to protecting from the damage.

Fix it:

This problem can be solved by drying out the dust from the circuit by the dryer. Blow dry moves out the dust particles from the circuit.

How to prevent a laptop to short circuit?

there is some safety precaution to prevent from the short circuit:

• While using laptop avoid the use of liquid or water near the laptop.
• Avoid taking the coffee or tea during using a laptop but if you don’t work without these things then take them with special care.
• You can also use motherboard protector that if something is spat on the motherboard it will not cause the short circuit.
• The power supply should be placed at a safe place that it could not breakdown or damage.
• A laptop should be placed in its bag and power supply with it.
• The laptop should be used in room temperature because high temperature can cause a short circuit. You can use a laptop without a battery.
• Make sure that electricity supply is in range, and then connect the power supply with laptop otherwise short circuit can take place due to insufficient or high voltage.
• A laptop should be placed out of the reach of kids.
• Hardware devices should be installed in the laptop after rechecking that they are free from virus, these drives interrupt the circuit and shirt circuit takes place.
• A laptop should place in a dry and clean surface.
• Any weight gaining thing should not place on the laptop it damages the laptop and short circuit might be possible.

Final Words about Electrical Short Circuit in a Laptop

As we are talking about the short circuit of a laptop so I am sharing my story of laptop. We all know that load shedding and electrical fluctuations is a common problem from the last few years.

so 6 months ago my laptop was on charging and suddenly load shedding happens and I forget to remove my laptop from charging. Now, when the light comes it comes with high voltage power and it damages many electronics in the area.

Fortunately, only the laptop was on charging other appliances was not switched on, so when checking my laptop its power supply was not working.

High voltage damages my laptop charger by not my laptop because the laptop power supply contains a protector. whenever high voltage or improper voltage passes from it, it acts as a fuse and destroy itself and protect the laptop from the damage. So in this way, my laptop remains safe from a short circuit.

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