Water Damage Could Cause an Electrical Fire — Here’s How You Can Prevent It

3/26/2018 (Permalink)

If your home has a roof leak, a leaky pipe in the ceiling or leaking windows, you may discover water coming from strange places, including light fixtures. This type of water damage is extremely dangerous, as water in a light can lead to circuits popping, harmful sparks or even electrical fires. If you notice ceiling damage or water surrounding a light fixture, you need to act immediately. Some things you should do prior to contacting your Johnson City, TN water damage cleanup team include:

• Turn off the electricity
• Diagnose the issue
• If the problem stems from a leaking pipe, shut off your water supply line
• Contact an electrician

Safety First

The very first thing you want to do if you discover water damage near an electrical source is to turn off your home’s electricity entirely. You can do this by throwing the “main” switch on your home’s breaker box or panel. Once you’ve hit the switch, get a no-contact electrical tester and hold it near a few outlets in your home. If it doesn’t beep or flash green, you’ve successfully shut off your home’s power.

Diagnose the Issue (and Have It Fixed)

Once you’ve shut off all power to your home, it’s time to investigate. You need to know if the water in the light stems from a leaky pipe, a poorly installed window or a hole in the roof. Without finding and fixing the problem, you risk having the same issues next time it rains or snows.

Contact an Electrician

Once you’ve diagnosed and fixed the issue, call an electrician to remove the bad wiring and replace it with new, safe wiring. While you may be able to repair the leak on your own, you should never attempt to do electrical work by yourself.

Discovering water in a light can be frightening, as everyone knows that wet electrical appliances are bad news. However, if you are careful and follow the advice above, you can eliminate the issue and restore your home to a safe condition once more.
Visit http://www.SERVPROwashingtoncountytn.com for more information on water damage.