Once the rainy season begins and typhoons start coming to the Philippines, it’s expected that some places will get flooded. Unfortunately, this will include houses, everything they own, as well as their appliances.
If this happens, what should you do with your appliances after they get soaked in dirty flood water?
What should you do with the appliances after the flood?
If you evacuated your home during a storm, leaving your appliances behind, here are some tips to ensure your safety once the water recedes.
- Turn off the switch and unplug your appliances to ensure no electric current is flowing.
- Turn off your main power switch to avoid electrical accidents, as submerged power outlets may still have water in them.
- Unscrew the submerged power outlets, clean them, and let them dry before using. If you don’t know how to do this, call a professional.
- Never turn on an appliance after it has been submerged in the flood to avoid further damaging it, starting a fire, or causing electric shocks.
Depending on the type and size of appliances, some of them can still be salvaged, cleaned, and ready for use again. However, some may also be beyond repair and will require a replacement.
When to repair an appliance:
Remember: Don’t turn on your appliances after they are submerged in flood waters, even if the flood waters have already subsided. This is to avoid short-circuiting them, as the circuit boards may still be wet and will conduct electricity, leading to unrepairable damages.
Instead, take your appliances immediately to a professional technician to inspect and repair them (if necessary).
You may clean the external casing of your bigger appliances, such as washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners, but ensure that a qualified technician does the internal checking. Don’t turn them on yet until it’s checked.
You should also clean and sanitize your refrigerator shelves and compartments to avoid mildew growth before getting it checked.
To prevent accidents, it’s important to avoid checking the appliances yourself if you’re unqualified to do so. This includes instances when appliances may look good from the outside but have already compromised internal circuits.
Important: Unfortunately, damages caused by force majeure, including floods, are usually not covered by your appliance warranty, so you may need to replace them.
- 10 gadgets you should have in your home emergency kit
- 7 disaster preparedness and recovery measures for work-from-home employees
When to replace an appliance:
If your appliances have been submerged in flood water for more than 24 hours, they may be beyond repair. Mud and other debris may also prevent your appliances from being repaired completely, especially those with complex circuits, like flat-screen TVs, laptops, desktop computers, and more.
Unfortunately, many flood-damaged appliances are unrepairable and will require replacement. However, you may still retrieve useful parts, even if the rest of the appliances are broken.
For repairable appliances, if the cost of the repair and replacement parts is high or the appliance is already too old, it’s better to buy a new one to avoid potential performance issues in the future.
Things to do to prevent flood damage
If you must evacuate your house and leave your appliances behind in the future, it’s important to remember these things:
- Unplug your appliances to avoid short circuits and other electrical hazards.
- If you can, transfer your appliances to higher ground, like on top of chairs or tables.
- Turn off the main power switch to avoid electrical hazards, especially when you return home.
The goal is to ensure that your appliances will still have a chance to be recovered or salvaged once the flooding stops while also protecting you and your family from any potential harm.
During floods, it’s important to secure yourself and your family first before saving your appliances. Though it’s difficult to lose items you value and that cost a lot, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
What are your flooding tips for appliances? Please share them in the comments.