Info for flood areas

BillW

Sorry this is so late, but I just got my power & internet back.  I had sent this out earlier this year, but this latest round of Ma Nature's wrath warrants a resend.

DO NOT attempt to relight ANY combustion appliance that has been flooded!  You risk fire, explosion, personal injury and further damage. Oil ignition modules, gas valves, ignition modules, thermocouples, burners etc. MUST be replaced. This includes water heaters, too.  Replace the equipment, it can not be salvaged safely or economically. Contact your heating/cooling professional for more help.

You have about 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Once the water is pumped out, and the muck and debris is removed, fans and dehumidifiers should be used to ventilate and dry the place out.  Wet carpeting must go, and no matter what anyone says, you can not dry wet sheetrock!  It's a mold factory, get rid of it. You can spray the area with Simple Green and water from a bottle or hand pump sprayer, and wipe down with rags from the waterline down.  Follow your local authorities, FEMA or the Red Cross if they give any instructions.

Flood water contains all kinds of toxic and dangerous materials like raw sewage, petroleum products, drums, gas cylinders, pails of unknown chemicals and propane tanks.  Stay away from them and notify authorities of anything like that you find.  Have an electrician check your electric box to make sure it is safe before you turn it on.  Be careful of gas leaks, and do not enter any structure until  authority says it is safe to do so.  Walls can collapse without warning, and buildings may have shifted off their foundations.

After these events, anyone who has a valid credit card can get a pressure washer and a wetvac from a box store, and become an cleanup contractor. Avoid them, and don't let anyone pressure you into anything.  Stick with local, known businesses, or national chains like ServePro or Servicemaster, don't get ripped off.

Finally, people are running generators, pressure washers and pumps, and they ALL can produce CARBON MONOXIDE, which WILL kill you.  Don't become a victim of this silent killer.  Good luck, and stay safe out there.

DanHolohan

This is so important.

I'm moving it up. Thanks, Bill. 

JohnNY

I've been fighting people on this all week long.

I posted this information on a community forum in New Jersey. Another plumber posted to please call his company if you want to save money and have him repair your flooded water heater because Gateway Plumbing and Heating must be bad people.

BillW

Thank you.

I used to get calls constantly after these natural disasters about relighting flooded appliances.  No manufacturer's ignition controls are flood proof, period!  Wet water heater insulation is another mold matrix, plus the other contamination from the filthy water.  Replacement is the only option.

BillW

Hi, John!

I'm glad I could help.  This was always a big problem after floods, and things haven't changed any.  Take care, and good luck out there.

DanHolohan

I mean this in a polite way.

The guy who said that is a world-class idiot.

JohnNY

All in a day's work.

But thanks for the support, friends.