Tips - Electrical safety after a flood

Electrical safety after a flood

If you have been affected by flooding, once the water has subsided it is understandable that you will want to go straight back into your home and try to get things back to normal.

However, there could be damage to the electrics in your property, so before you do anything, follow our advice.

Do

Make sure the property is safe before you enter
Try to avoid direct contact with any water which remains. It may be contaminated
Have a torch at hand when entering the property
Switch off the electricity supply at the fuse box, if it is safe to do so. If there is evidence of water inside the fuse box or if there are signs of arcing or overheating, seek professional advice
Unplug damaged electrical appliances and move all portable ones away from the area affected by flooding
Arrange for other services, such as gas, to be switched off. Electricity and gas supplies should not be turned back on until you have had professional advice that it is safe to do so

Don’t

Use candles to guide you when entering the property
Use any mains powered electrical appliances in areas affected by flooding until advised by a registered electrician that it is safe to do so
Go near any exposed wiring. It may still be live
Start to clean up or carry out repairs until you are sure it is safe to do so

Cleaning up and making repairs

Contact your insurance company, and landlord if applicable, for advice and to get approval to carry out any repairs. Take photos of the damage and keep records
Seek professional advice about the restoration of your property and hire appropriate and qualified professionals to undertake the repair work
Use a registered electrician to assess the condition and damage to electrical wiring, equipment and appliances that have been affected by the flood

Electrical Safety Advice

Do not attempt any electrical repairs or connection of temporary supplies yourself – always use a registered electrician

Arrange for a periodic inspection and test to be carried out on the property. The registered electrician will issue you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which will identify the condition of the wiring and equipment in need of repair
All of the portable appliances affected by the flood will need to be tested to make sure that they are safe for continued use, as well as fixed equipment such as electric cookers.
If the water damage to electrics is relatively minor and caused by clean water, i.e. a burst water pipe or tank, then it is likely that the registered electrician will just need to dry out cables and replace any accessories affected by the water (sockets, switches, plugs etc.)
If there is major flood damage to the electrics caused by clean or contaminated water, then it is likely that parts of the electrical installation will need to be rewired
When rewiring is necessary, ask the registered electrician about the possibility of raising the height of the newly installed electrical equipment, including raising the fuse box and sockets to above any future expected flood level

Fire and Rescue Assistance

The job of the Fire and Rescue Services is primarily to save lives, but they will assist in other ways in severe cases involving the evacuation process and help to limit the amount of damage to property wherever possible. If in any doubt, call the fire service for advice.

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