How-to library
Eight habits that turn a small leak into a bigger job, and the safer move for each
Most mistakes after water gets in are small and easy to understand: wading to the panel, scrubbing sewage, closing the house up. Each has a line in a government page about the safer move, and they are gathered here in one place.
Eight habits, and what each one costs
- 01MistakeWhy it backfires
- 02Wading in to reach the panelThe CDC says no one flips power on or off, or runs a powered tool, while standing in water
- 03Running a gasoline pump or generator insideThe CDC rules out indoor use, and also any spot with a door, window or vent inside 20 feet
- 04Mopping up a backup bare-handedThe CDC advises rubber boots, gloves and goggles, and handwashing after contact
- 05Keeping food the water touchedThe CDC's rule for food is: when in doubt, throw it out
- 06Shutting the house up and hopingThe EPA advises drying within 24 to 48 hours; the CDC says to assume mold after days closed up
- 07Running the air system after a floodThe CDC advises having it checked first, since a flooded system can spread mold
- 08Making permanent repairs firstGeorgia's insurance office warns a company may deny a claim if the damage was not inspected
- 09Throwing out damaged items earlyGeorgia's insurance office advises keeping them for the adjuster
Wading in to reach the panel
The CDC is blunt on this: never turn power on or off, or run a tool or appliance, while standing in water. A main that can be reached from dry ground can be switched off there. If the only way to the panel is through water, call an electrician.
The CDC also asks for an electrician to look over the system before power comes back, and says equipment has to be completely dry before it is used.
Running gasoline tools indoors
A gasoline pump or generator can seem like the obvious answer to standing water. The CDC says never to run gasoline-powered tools inside the house, and never in a spot with a door, window or vent inside 20 feet.
If you smell gas, the CDC's steps are to leave, avoid sparks, and alert the gas utility or the local fire department from a safe distance.
Treating a backup like a spill
Floodwater may contain sewage, the CDC says, and the advice is to keep out of the water. A person with no choice but to go in wears rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles, washes hands with soap and water afterward, and keeps children out of the area.
The EPA is plain that sewage or contaminated water means a professional. Food that touched the water goes in the trash; the CDC's rule is to throw it out when in doubt.
Closing the house up and hoping
The EPA's brief guide sets a 24-to-48-hour mark for drying wet areas and belongings. The CDC adds that mold is to be assumed in a flooded house closed up for days, and that fans can be pointed out of the house to move air outward.
It also advises having the heating and cooling system checked before running it after a flood, since a flooded system can spread mold through the house.
Repairing for good before anyone has looked
Georgia's insurance office advises documenting the damage with images or recordings before temporary repairs and keeping the receipts. It cautions that a claim can be turned down when permanent repairs are finished before the damage has been inspected.
The same office advises keeping damaged personal property so the adjuster can look at it. The insurer decides what a policy pays, and these pages do not say.
Which habit sounds like your room?
Water that arrived through a drain belongs with a drain that backed up. If it stands in a lower room, water in the lower level covers the electrical and gas checks first.
Call (678) 940-9083 after the safe steps, name the habit you want to avoid, and ask whether a contractor can come to your street.
Gather the street address, the name of the wet room and some phone photos. Renting? The landlord or property manager hears first. Then call (678) 940-9083 to ask if a contractor covers Lithia Springs, Douglasville or Winston.
Call (678) 940-9083