Water damaged electrical panels & devices.

[mjoneseeng]

What is the standard practice for treating electrical panels and devices that have water damage from flooding or fire sprinkler discharge? Is it standard to replace all of the devices that have been affected by water damage or treat the devices to prevent corrosion and reuse?
Thanks

 

[LEO2854]

What is the standard practice for treating electrical panels and devices that have water damage from flooding or fire sprinkler discharge? Is it standard to replace all of the devices that have been affected by water damage or treat the devices to prevent corrosion and reuse?
Thanks

In my opinion once somthing Electrical has been damaged by water you should replace it.

 

[dkidd]

Check out the NEMA paper http://www.nema.org/stds/water-damaged.cfm

 

[petersonra]

What is the standard practice for treating electrical panels and devices that have water damage from flooding or fire sprinkler discharge? Is it standard to replace all of the devices that have been affected by water damage or treat the devices to prevent corrosion and reuse?
Thanks

I think you need to look at things rationally.

Something that has had some water sprayed on it might well be fine. Do you think some rain on conduit installed outdoors will hurt it any? Why would it hurt it inside to get some water sprayed on it?

Something that has been submerged for several days is probably toast or at best a candidate for rebuilding by someone who knows what they are doing.

Obviously there are cases between these extremes as well.

Having said that, more than once I have been involved in cases of reused electronic equipment such as PLCs that have been exposed to water, sometimes extensively, and have not had any problems with it over long periods of service afterward. Some of it did not work at all and had to be replaced. But the stuff that was dried out and that worked after being dried out did not exhibit any issues.

I would not be doing that with safety equipment like circuit breakers and panel boards though.

 

[mjoneseeng]

Check out the NEMA paper http://www.nema.org/stds/water-damaged.cfm

Thanks, this was / is great.

 

[tish53]

I was working for a paper mill, when we were flooded through two basement levels. 75 motors under water, most of the starters were also under water. The flood was dirty river water. We were able to kill the power before the water rose. Once we had the water pumped out we opened all the electric boxes, starters, etc. and hosed them down with clean water to rinse the dirt and mud out. we then dried out all the electric boxes, meggared to check, dissassembled and cleaned as needed and were able to get most up and running again. Getting the dirt out was key. All the motors had to be taken out , bearings replaced and dried out. All electronics PLC"S, control boards etc were replaced. The mill ran for the next three years with no abnormal failures for electrical gear.

 

[kwired]

In my opinion once somthing Electrical has been damaged by water you should replace it.

What are criteria to call something damaged? New piece of equipment in back of truck and a quick thundershower that only dumps .10" or less of rain and it is no good? Some people on here will say absolutely yes without any further investigation of exactly what got wet. I have taken motors full of grease (from operators that think they need to grease them way too often) and rinsed them out with very hot water (steam assisted water heating) and let them dry out before putting them back together, and have had no problems with them.


Circuit breakers - I would be much more concerned with flood water and mud, sand, silt deposits causing mechanical problems more so than causing electrical problems. There is not much electrically to go wrong but all kinds of mechanical problems that can happen.