Page 649 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 521

Gas and oil appliances. If a furnace, water heater, stove or other gas or oil appliances was flooded to the
level of the burner, the appliance may have a cracked heating element. The appliance should be cleaned
and checked by an expert. If you decide to restart a gas appliance, first be sure the room is
well-ventilated and that there is no open flame. Turn on the gas valve and let the gas flow for a few
seconds. That should clear any air or impurities out of the pipe. Then shut the valve for a minute so gas
in the air can escape. Finally, try lighting the appliance.

Oil appliances have an oil pump. If the pump was flooded, it should be cleaned and checked by a
professional. Look for any sign that supply piping or the oil tank moved during the flood. Oil tanks, even
buried oil tanks, will float when flooded.

When the electricity is back on, open the main oil valve and turn the pump on. The electric system.
Most building codes require that electrical work be done by a licensed electrician. For example, a
service entrance box that was flooded should be cleaned and checked by an electrician. But an
electrician isn't required to clean flooded circuits.

1. Be sure the power is still off. Switch all breakers off or remove the
fuses.

2. Wash out any mud or dirt you find in switch boxes, outlets boxes and
light fixtures.

3. Clean or replace any contaminated or corroded switch, outlet or light
fixture. You can clean most switches, outlets and light fixtures in a
pail of tap water. Allow 24 hours for drying.
4. Plastic-covered copper wire survives submersion, even for long
periods. But replace aluminum wiring that's been flooded by salt
water. Replace any fabric-covered wire that has been submerged.

5. When drying is complete, re-install the switches, outlets and light
fixtures.

6. Test the circuits one at a time. Turn all circuits off. Then turn on the
main. Energize the circuits one at a time. If a breaker trips or a fuse
blows on any circuit, there's a short somewhere. Walk through the
building searching for signs of sparking or the smell of charring. Get
help from an electrician if the source of the short isn't obvious.

7. Bathroom, kitchen and outdoor circuits are usually protected by a
GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter), either at the breaker box or at
a wall outlet. If a circuit doesn't come back on line, the GFCI is
probably tripped. Look for a popped GFCI button somewhere on the
circuit. A single GFCI can serve several outlets in several rooms.

Dry electric motors, switches and receptacles with a blow dryer. Then spray on a moisture
displacement such as WD-40 to stop corrosion. Appliance motors may have to be disassembled for a
thorough cleaning.