Receptacle submerged by water


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Old 05-14-15, 05:19 AM
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Receptacle submerged by water

What occurs when an outlet is submerged by water?

stupid question time...

Say in the case of a flooded crawlspace... if an outlet was covered by water, does that mean the water is electrified and dangerous?

What is the proper procedure to take in this case?
 
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Old 05-14-15, 06:00 AM
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Flooded Area

if an outlet was covered by water, does that mean the water is electrified and dangerous?

What is the proper procedure to take in this case?
The water is electrified and deadly.

Turn the breaker off for that circuit. If in doubt which breaker to turn off, turn off the main breaker to the entire house. This illustrates the need for an accurate breaker map of all circuits.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 06:20 AM
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so essentially if you cant get to the panel you would need to call the poco to pull the meter before entering the space which could take hours/days depending on the circumstances.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 06:57 AM
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Or you or an electrician pull the meter ASAP. Then drain the water, make repairs, shut off main panel, replace meter & restore each circuit while watching for problems. Then let poco take their sweet time re-sealing the meter.
No way I'd let that situation wait for poco to triage & prioritize.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 07:00 AM
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Never try pulling the meter yourself. It is too dangerous without protective gear and proper training.
 

Last edited by ray2047; 05-14-15 at 07:27 AM.
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Old 05-14-15, 07:06 AM
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Yes that is correct. There are many cases of people being shocked, passing out and drowning in flooded basements when they go down into the water to fix the sump pump. Also a good reason why sump pumps should be on GFCI.

Further, any electrical device that has been submerged should be replaced once the water is drained. The corrosion of internal components is not repairable.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 11:55 AM
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Panel

so essentially if you cant get to the panel you would need to call the poco to pull the meter before entering the space which could take hours/days depending on the circumstances.
Is your panel in the crawl space?
 
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Old 05-14-15, 01:01 PM
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Not to beat a dead horse, but as Ray said, do not pull meter yourself. There could be an arc flash that you are not trained for, not expecting, and not prepared for. Stay away and get help.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 06:45 PM
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any electrical device that has been submerged should be replaced once the water is drained. The corrosion of internal components is not repairable
.

Agree! Any wiring that has been submerged should also be replaced.
 
 

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