How are Electrical Outlets Affected During a Flood in Idaho Falls?

5/8/2017 (Permalink)

If flooding reaches your outlet and causes a fire, make sure that you call SERVPRO to remediate your propery quickly before secondary damage sets in.

SERVPRO Technicians Can Remediate Both Fire and Flood Damage After a Disaster

When flooding rises high enough to enter an electrical outlet, the usual result is usually just a loss of power. In some cases, however, the resulting sparks and damage can start a fire in a house, apartment, or commercial building.

There are restoration companies that specialized in water damage, but very few have the experience and knowledge to handle the effects of both fire damage and flood damage in Idaho Falls. SERVPRO has decades in the business of returning your home to its original condition; our response teams can pump out a basement and scrub away smoke residues with equal ease.

Fortunately, fire damage caused by a flooded outlet is generally small and primarily smoke damage in nature. Drywall affected by either type of disaster requires removal, so the workload for our team members is not increased by dealing with two disasters on one job site. The rising smoke, however, leaves smoke residue higher up the walls which means that more wall panels require removal. Ceiling tiles may have to be cleaned or replaced as well.

Water damage to an outlet means a replacement from the hardware store; normally less than $5 apiece. The point of ignition is where the fire begins, and in this case, the electrical outlet is only the start of the damage. The wires leading to the outlet are melted to the outlet box and require cutting above any visible damage. An additional inspection is necessary to make certain that the burned wires did not compromise other building material.

If the damage runs very far back along the wires, then they require replacing, so the new outlet is set in the original location. Our technicians can run new wiring from any point in the structure back to the breaker box if needed to rebuild your home’s wiring system. This task is simpler once other team members finish removing the flooded drywall; exposing the electrical system for easier access.

Dealing with damage from a fire or flood is a long, complicated process. Restoring your home and property from both requires a professional service with access to a nationwide support network of equipment and training. SERVPRO of Idaho Falls is proud to call this area home and stands ready to help you whenever a disaster strikes. Call us today at (208) 523-5365.