Thread: Heads Up in Chicago Area Flooding

I just wanted to put out a warning about the flooding we have had here in Chicagoland area. If a water heater has been in a flood, DO NOT ATEMPT TO RELIGHT IT! All the manufactures tell you if their heater was in a flood replace it do not try to relight it at all. The moisture that gets in the pilot and burner tubs can cause the safety device for the pilot to rust in the open position. When the pilot goes out, the gas may not turn off.

Also the tank insulation can wick water up along the outside of the tank and start growing mold, as well as rust out the tank from the outside in.

I have gotten 100's of calls asking me to come out and relight the pilot. I even had one guy ask me to come out and turn his gas back on, that the fire department had turn it off for no reason. I asked him how much water did he get. He replied only 3', I explained to him all his gas appliances in the basement need to be replaced, furnace, gas dryer, and the water heater. Even the appliances with no standing pilot can fail due to the solenoid for the burner may stick on and not turn off if the flame sensor does not sense a flame.

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Just got this service bulletin in the email from State Water Heaters. http://www.statewaterheaters.com/bul...lletin0823.pdf

bulletin0823.pdf

Originally Posted by Ron Hasil

I just wanted to put out a warning about the flooding ...
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If ... has been in a flood, ...
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All the manufactures tell you if their ... was in a flood replace it do not try to ...

Changing the above to electrical items - if the electrical item has been submerged, do not attempt to try to reuse it, replace it.

This goes for ALL electrical items except for conductors which are rated for wet location installation (will have a 'W' in the type, such as TW, THW, THWN, etc.) and items intended to be submerged (fountain lights, etc.) ALL electric motors, panels, equipment, etc., need to be REPLACED once submerged, and many times when not even submerged, but from excess moisture and water accumulating it the items. That advice comes from NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association http://www.nema.org/Standards/Compli...-Equipment.pdf ).

Note that when I state "REPLACED" that I am including in that 'having the manufacturer recondition the equipment' as that is basically the same as 'replacing it'.