Utah Water Damage

Undertaking flood restoration in your business property or home can be an upsetting process following flooding. It is understandable that our instinct is to begin the clearing up process as soon as possible, with the aim of returning the property to its original state. One frequent problem is that people will overlook the importance of following the correct procedure regarding electrical goods. Here we provide five steps to electrical goods flood restoration which should help you stay safe and get your items working again.

Handling electrics

As water and electricity create a potentially fatal combination you should always seek to turn off the electric before touching anything. So make sure that you first turn off the power at the mains and stop all power to the property. Now you can turn off the electrical item at the socket to be doubly safe, before unplugging.

Remove from effected room

The second step of the process is to remove the electrical item from the room and place it in a dryer room. You could place the item outside in the garden for a period of time if the weather is dry. Be certain to secure the help of a second person to move heavy items such as fridges and washing machines to avoid injury.

Starting the drying process

Take a cloth or towel and dry off any excess water that is present on the top and sides. Also try to dry the bottom of the item thoroughly as this area will usually be the wettest.

Removing fascias

Remove any fascias and panels that can be taken off without having to completely open up the item. Doing this will go a long way to creating a through-flow for air, which should speed up the flood restoration process. Now use a fan to blow air through the electrical item, repositioning every thirty minutes or so to cover all angles.

The waiting game

Most electrical items will not be damaged by water unless they are switched on. In the event that you items were switched off when the flooding happened there is a great chance that they will still work. The real danger of damage arises if you turn the item back on when it hasn’t properly dried, which can lead to the short-circuiting of its electrics. So as part of your flood restoration process, do leave all items in a warm location for as long as you possibly can, before you try turning them back on.