In the wake of what can only be described as the week it rained relentlessly, we’re calling anyone affected by flood damage to make sure they respect electricity more than ever.

Flooding

“Water and electricity are a lethal combination,” explains Angela Murphy from the ESC. “It may not immediately spring to mind when you are faced with the catastrophe of a flood in your home, but ensure electrical safety is a priority before you try to do any clearing up.”

Countless homes across Britain this week have been affected by flood damage as a result of around a fortnight’s worth of rain lashing down in just two days.  You only have to turn on the news to see how the floods have damaged properties – one block of flats in the North East had to be evacuated after half of the ground underneath the building was swept away by a massive torrent of water!

If you have been affected by the floods in your home, it is now more important than ever that you do not, in any circumstances, switch on anything electrical. It’s an old phrase but one that’s still very true – electricity and water simply do not mix, and the flood water that’s been in your house could act as a severe catalyst for carrying dangerous levels of electricity.

If possible, you should immediately switch off the power in your home. If you don’t feel confident doing this yourself ask the advice of a local electrician who should be able to help you. If you’re in doubt about what switching off the electricity will do and are worried water may have seeped into the fuse box, do not attempt to do it yourself. You can also contact your suppliers for help and advice.

It’s also important to make sure you don’t touch outlet sockets. The water from the floods could easily have seeped into the sockets and damaged the wiring, meaning if they’re switched on they’ve became a significant hazard. In these situations its best to leave these alone until you can get an accredited electrician to come out and check over the sockets for damage.

Perhaps most importantly, do not, under any circumstances, touch anything electrical while standing in flood water.  The large amount of water is just what electricity needs to turn into a severe danger, so it is absolutely essential that you go nowhere near the electrics if your home is badly flooded.

Once the electricity is off, do not switch it back on until you’ve been advised that it is completely safe to do so.  After the flood damage you should get everything in your home checked over by a registered electrician for safety, the cost of which should hopefully be covered by your insurance.

Another important point to consider is never, ever, attempt to do electrical repairs yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. Electricity is dangerous enough without components being affected by flood water, and the two combined together means attempting electrical repairs yourself could have disastrous effects.

If you need more advice, contact the Electrical Safety Council on 0870 040 0567 and they’ll be happy to help you out.