Underwater breakers

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fireryan

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Minnesota
I have been working in a lot of flooded homes here in Iowa with most of the homes having 8 or more feet of water in them. What I have noticed is that with the panel being completely sumerged and other devices being sumerged that none of the breakers are ever tripping. Why is that?
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Retired Electrical Contractor
fireryan said:
I have been working in a lot of flooded homes here in Iowa with most of the homes having 8 or more feet of water in them. What I have noticed is that with the panel being completely sumerged and other devices being sumerged that none of the breakers are ever tripping. Why is that?
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Water is not a good conductor and the breakers will continue to operate under water. I hope that when the flood subsides you are replacing these panels and breakers. They may appear to function properly but they need to be replaced. IMO
 
Buck Parrish

Buck Parrish

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Location
NC & IN
fireryan said:
I have been working in a lot of flooded homes here in Iowa with most of the homes having 8 or more feet of water in them. What I have noticed is that with the panel being completely sumerged and other devices being sumerged that none of the breakers are ever tripping. Why is that?
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You statement sounds like you are working under water. Perhaps the power was alreay off when the water came up.
Like Dennis said water will completely ruin a breaker.
Take your side cutters and bust one open. Chances are you will see a big glob of rust. Instead of a trip switch.
 
peter d

peter d

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Location
New England
Dennis Alwon said:
Water is not a good conductor and the breakers will continue to operate under water.
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That is true, however, to be accurate we should always say that pure water in an insulator, but as we know most water is not pure and will therefore pass some amount of current.
 
R

rattus

Senior Member
Yes, and!

Yes, and!

peter d said:
That is true, however, to be accurate we should always say that pure water in an insulator, but as we know most water is not pure and will therefore pass some amount of current.
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And please bear in mind that that amount of current is often enough to kill someone.
 
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fireryan

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Yeah the inspector is req. we change the panels out and also install the main outside with also a gfci on the outside to that is fed off that main outside.
 
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fireryan

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
buckofdurham said:
You statement sounds like you are working under water. Perhaps the power was alreay off when the water came up.
Like Dennis said water will completely ruin a breaker.
Take your side cutters and bust one open. Chances are you will see a big glob of rust. Instead of a trip switch.
Click to expand...
No the power was still on when the water came up.
 
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fireryan

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
peter d said:
That is true, however, to be accurate we should always say that pure water in an insulator, but as we know most water is not pure and will therefore pass some amount of current.
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What would pure water be?
 
iwire

iwire

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Massachusetts
fireryan said:
What would pure water be?
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Like distiled and filtered water.

But even dirty water will not cause a problem immediately at 120 volts to ground.

I had a call to a strip mall with a 600 amp 3 phase 208 volt service in the basement. The service operated in 6' of water for about 4 days and the only reason it stopped was the power company finally cut off the primary to the transformer.

All the equipment was replaced.
 
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