Electrical Safety After Water or Fire Damage

The One Rule That Matters Most

Water conducts electricity, and so does your body. Never touch the electrical panel, a breaker, an outlet, a plug or a cord while you are standing in water, on a wet floor or while you are wet. A person standing in a flooded basement can be electrocuted by current flowing through the water from a submerged outlet or appliance, without touching anything electrical at all.

That means you do not walk into a flooded room to reach the panel. You do not wade into water that has an outlet, extension cord, space heater or appliance in it. You do not unplug anything that is sitting in water.

If you feel a tingle from water, a faucet, an appliance or a wall, back away the way you came and keep everyone out. That tingle means current is flowing where it should not be.

If someone gets shocked and is still in contact with water or a wire, do not grab them. Shut off power only if you can do it safely, or push them free with something dry and nonconductive such as a wooden broom handle, then call 911.

Shutting Off Power Safely

Whether you can turn off the power yourself depends on where the panel is and what is around it.

To turn off a main breaker safely, wear dry rubber soled boots, stand on a dry surface, make sure your hands are dry and use one hand only. Keep the other hand at your side, not on the panel or a pipe. Look away as you flip it in case it arcs.

Do not pull the electric meter yourself. Only the utility should remove it.

Downed Lines and Outdoor Hazards

Storms, fallen trees and fires bring down power lines. Always assume a downed or sagging line is live, even if it is not sparking or humming, and even if your power is out.

• Stay at least 30 feet away from a downed line and from anything it touches, such as a fence, puddle, car or tree.
• If a line falls on your car while you are in it, stay inside and call 911. Only get out if the car is on fire. Then jump clear with feet together, without touching the car and ground at the same time, and shuffle away with small steps.
• Never try to move a line with a stick, rope or anything else.
• Report it to the utility and 911.

Watch for lines hidden in floodwater, under fallen branches, or tangled in debris. Water around a downed line can be energized. Keep children and pets indoors until crews have cleared the area.

After Flooding, What Must Be Replaced

Once water has soaked electrical parts, drying them out is not enough. Water leaves behind silt, minerals and corrosion inside devices you cannot see into. Industry guidance from electrical equipment manufacturers says most parts that were submerged should be replaced, not dried and reused.

• Usually replaced after being underwater. Circuit breakers, fuses, panels, outlets, switches, GFCI and AFCI devices, light fixtures, and most wiring and cables that are not rated for wet locations.
• Appliances and equipment. Furnaces, water heater controls, air handlers, washers, dryers and other appliances that were submerged should be checked by a technician, and many will need replacement.
• Not submerged but exposed to leaks or high humidity. An electrician may be able to inspect and clean some parts.

If a ceiling leak dripped through a light fixture or an outlet, turn off that circuit and leave it off until it is checked. Water can travel inside wall cavities along the wiring and reach other boxes on the same run.

In many places the utility will not reconnect service after major flooding until an electrician, and sometimes a building inspector, signs off.

After a Fire, Damage You Cannot See

Fire damage to wiring is often hidden. Heat inside a wall can melt or crack wire insulation even when the drywall looks only smoky. Firefighting water can soak the same wiring. Damaged insulation can short, arc and start a second fire weeks later.

• Leave the power off until a licensed electrician inspects the system. The fire department or utility may have already disconnected it.
• Expect the electrician to open walls and ceilings near the fire area to inspect wiring. Wiring in heat damaged areas is often replaced.
• Replace outlets, switches and covers that are melted, discolored or smell burned.
• Have smoke detectors, CO alarms and the panel checked, since soot and heat can damage them.
• Electronics exposed to heat, smoke or water should be checked before use. Soot is corrosive to circuit boards.

A permit and inspection are often required for electrical repairs after a fire. Your electrician should know what your city or county requires, and your insurer will want copies.

Warning Signs Once Power Is Back

Even after repairs, watch the system closely for the first few weeks. Turn off the circuit or the main and call an electrician if you notice any of these.

• A burning or hot plastic smell from an outlet, switch or the panel
• Outlets, switch plates or cords that feel warm
• Buzzing, crackling or sizzling sounds
• Lights that flicker or dim when appliances start
• Breakers or GFCIs that trip again and again
• Sparks when you plug something in
• Any tingle when you touch an appliance, faucet or fixture

Never keep resetting a breaker that keeps tripping. It is doing its job and telling you something is wrong. Test GFCI outlets after any water event by pressing the test button and confirming the power cuts off, then press reset. If one will not trip or will not reset, replace it.

Gas, Solar and Generators

Electricity is not the only hazard after damage.

• Gas. If you smell gas or hear hissing, leave the home right away. Do not touch light switches, plug or unplug anything, or use a phone inside, since a small spark can ignite gas. Call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
• Solar panels. Rooftop solar panels produce power whenever light hits them, even when the grid is down. Wires between the panels and the inverter can stay live. Turn off the solar disconnect if you know where it is and it is dry, and tell the electrician and firefighters that you have solar. Battery storage systems can also stay energized after damage and should be checked by an installer.
• Generators. Never plug a generator into a wall or dryer outlet. That backfeeds power into the lines and can kill utility workers. Run it outdoors, at least 20 feet from the home, with extension cords plugged directly into it.

Step by Step

1. Check Where You Are Standing

   Before you touch anything electrical, make sure you are on a dry surface, wearing dry rubber soled boots, with dry hands.

2. Stay Out of Wet Rooms With Power

   If water is near outlets, cords or appliances, do not enter. Keep everyone out.

3. Decide Who Shuts It Off

   If you can reach the panel on a dry floor, turn off the main breaker with one hand. If not, call the utility to disconnect at the meter.

4. Report Downed Lines

   Stay at least 30 feet from any downed line and anything it touches. Call 911 and the utility.

5. Check for Gas

   If you smell gas, do not flip any switch. Leave and call the gas utility from outside.

6. Photograph the Damage

   Take photos of wet or burned outlets, panels and appliances for your insurance claim before anything is removed.

7. Call a Licensed Electrician

   Have the system inspected before power is restored. Ask whether a permit and inspection are needed.

8. Replace What Was Submerged

   Expect breakers, outlets, switches, GFCIs and some wiring that were underwater to be replaced, not dried.

9. Watch the First Weeks

   Once power is back, shut off the circuit and call the electrician if you smell burning, feel warm outlets or see repeated tripping.

Mistakes That Make It Worse

• Wading into a flooded basement to reach the panel. Current in the water can kill without touching anything electrical.
• Turning the power back on to see what still works. Wet or heat damaged wiring can arc and start a fire.
• Drying out a submerged outlet or breaker and reusing it. Hidden corrosion and silt make it unreliable.
• Resetting a breaker again and again. Repeated tripping is a warning that something is damaged.
• Forgetting about rooftop solar. The panels keep making power in daylight even when the grid is off.

Where You Live Matters