Month: January 2017

How to Fix Water Damaged Electrical Devices

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How to Fix Water Damaged Electrical DevicesLet’s be clear, if your home has flooded, turn off power to the room before entering or working on the room.  Switching the circuit breaker to the home is ideal as it will prevent you from accidental shock, death, or an electrical fire elsewhere in the home.  Always call professional in immediately.  The sooner you get a professional team in to help deal with the flooding and water damage, the less of an impact there will be on your life.  Water damage is a race against time and fast action is key.  This is true for smaller electrical devices as well, though you probably don’t need to call in a full team to fix a submerged MP3 player.

What to Do

If you find yourself with an electrical device that’s been submerged (anything from a phone to a laptop) you run the risk of permanent damage.  Fortunately, a little swim may not be the end of your device’s usefulness.  And our suggestion is not going to involve placing your phone in a bowl of rice (you’re better off letting the phone air dry under a fan).

Remove the Water

  • Start by disconnecting any power sources. Items that were plugged into a wall may have been saved by the circuit breaker or a GFCI outlet, but that isn’t always the case.  If the item has a battery, remove it immediately.  Always be cautious about how you disconnect electrical devices.  Do not stand in water or remove any cables with wet hands.  This is why we recommend turning off home breakers first.
  • Recycle the battery properly. Most batteries don’t handle water immersion well at all and should be recycled immediately.  FI the battery itself is bubbling, smoking, or melting don’t chance it.  Avoid handling the device if at all possible.  Replacing your phone or laptop is better than having to seek medical care later.
  • If by some miracle your device is still active, turn it off to prevent further damage.
  • Shake the device and rotate it until you’ve emptied all the water out of the device.
  • Disassemble the device if possible. Opening up the case will allow you to ensure that any excess water is gone and will give you easier access to the water sensitive components that need to dry.

Clean the Device

Especially if you’re dealing with acidic or caustic fluids such as fruit juice, you’ll want to clean out the device.  Even water, if it’s simply allowed to dry, could rust or corrode some internal components.

  • Disassemble the device completely and remove all connectors and plugs.
  • Place the device in a large container where it can be completely covered in isopropyl alcohol.  Use a concentration that’s at least 90% alcohol.  In an emergency use distilled or de-ionozied water.  The water option will take longer to dry and needs to be completely clean.  Do not use solvent solutions of any kind.
  • Use a small, soft brush to clean the logic board and components of any dust, debris, or other contaminants left behind.
  • Place the device under a desk lamp and allow it to dry.  A better method would be to place the device in front of a fan or use a hair dryer that’s set to ‘cool’ to dry out the device.
  • Once everything is completely dry, inspect the electronic board for signs of corrosion.

If everything checks out, reassemble the device and install a new battery.  Your device is now restored and ready to be used again!

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Biological Contaminant Cleanup

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Biological Contaminant CleanupRestoPros is adding a new service to our impressive cleanup portfolio!  While we are experts in restoring your home after damage from mold, mildew, water, and smoke, that doesn’t cover everything.  Hazardous materials and filth can accumulate in a house from injury, disease, or even just absence of cleaning.  Biological contaminants consist of human waste, blood, or remains from trauma after an accident.  All of these events should be seen to by professionals which is why RestoPros now offers help with:

  • Hoarding Cleanup
  • Filth Cleanup
  • Odor Removal
  • Toxic/Biological Contaminants
  • Blood Decontamination and Cleanup

Blood Diseases

One of the most important things to remember in the event of an accident is just how dangerous blood can be.  We all have blood, and in the event of an accident or injury there can be quite a lot to cleanup.  The problem is, blood is incredibly good at carrying dangerous pathogens.  Often someone who has a blood-borne pathogen is either unaware of it or is unable to warn you.  Exposure to blood, even blood that has been left out and dried up over two weeks, can infect you with a number of deadly pathogens including HIV, HBV, and HCV.

Even if you take the proper precautions and protect yourself, not knowing how to clean up a biohazard spill can lead to simply spreading these pathogens around a surface.  Hosing off a garage floor or driveway will simply move the contaminants elsewhere, and ineffective cleaning solutions will only serve to dilute the pathogens, not remove them.  Always consult a professional.

Filth Cleanup

Cleaning up a decaying room is messy.  At RestoPros, we have years of experience in dealing with mold and mildew, which are essential at breaking down collections of biomass (any organic compound that can decay).  Stacks of hoarded newspapers, cardboard, even leftover food can become a breeding ground for bacteria, insects, and mold.  Cleaning out a home that’s beginning to degrade due to leftover filth or hoarded items is a grueling process and is best left to professionals who know how to keep themselves healthy while they work.

Why Seek Outside Help?

For many situations, cleaning out a home after a dangerous spill, infestation, or biological contaminant is dangerous.  We have the skills, training, and experience to know how to protect ourselves from the dangers of dealing with trauma disasters and biological contaminants.  Even when trauma isn’t a factor, such as with cleaning up after a black-water flood or cleaning out storage from a hoarder, the cleanup can be a daunting task.

We’re professionals and know how to quickly move in and clean up a space to make it usable again.  From removing stacks of newspapers to taking out the foul odors left behind from mold, pets, or trauma, we’re at your disposal.  For instances where insurance covers the cleanup, we’re used to working with insurance companies and can help navigate during what is certainly a trying time.

We’ll begin by analyzing the site for potential dangers.  This gives us the opportunity to identify any other services you may need to restore the environment. A thorough cleaning will take place, with trash and filth removal.  This is followed by a decontamination procedure and follow-up investigation to ensure that we’ve caught everything.

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Prevent Flood Damage with a Sump Pump

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Prevent Flood Damage with a Sump PumpHeavy rains, melting ice, or just a pipe that’s burst after a cold snap can all lead to the same thing:  A flooded basement.  When the lowest point of your home floods, many things suffer.  Carpets and walls are damaged and may need to be replaced.  Timbers can warp after a flood and mold begins to grow and spread.  Water that leaks into the surrounding ground will find its way into your foundation where it eventually leads to a cracked foundation as the ground becomes uneven or the water freezes.  A sump pump is an important tool for keeping your basement from flooding and preventing future problems.

What is a Sump Pump?

New Sump Pump
Brand new sump pump for suctioning collected ground water from a sump pit such as in a basement of a house

A motorized water pump located at the lowest point of your home (typically a basement, cellar, or crawl space).  By placing this pump in the lowest point, water will collect there first.  This submersible pump is activated by heightened water levels caused by flooding.  As soon as the pump is submerged (or the pump’s sensor detects pooling water) it activates and begins pushing water out of your home.

If you’re looking to install a sump pump in your home, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Submersible pumps are easily hidden, since the pump itself rests inside the well. That will make it a little more difficult to maintain in the future, but it does give you a little extra space in your basement.
  • The return flow should be direct away from your home. Older pumps fed directly into city sewers but this practice is no longer ideal (if you have an older sump pump, check with your plumber to see if it leads to the sewer, you may need to update) since it can lead to backed up sewer systems during heavy rainfall.
  • A manual sump pump is usually cheaper, but it won’t activate unless someone turns it on. Sump pumps are a type of emergency flood device, so it’s usually worth it to pay the extra for an automatic pump.

How to Test a Sump Pump

Testing a pump is very simple.  Get a gallon of water (either fill a gallon water bottle or a bucket with about a gallon) and pour it into the pump well in your basement or cellar.  Have someone standing outside where the outflow pipe is to monitor flow there when you do this.

Installed Sump Pump
A sump pump installed in a basement of a home with a water powered backup system.

If your pump is manual, once the well is full turn on the pump and wait until the water is removed.  If the pump is in working order, the water will be removed from the well and the outflow pipe will direct water away from your house (you don’t want it pooling against your home again).  If the pump doesn’t engage, check the breaker circuit to make sure the pump has power.

For automatic pumps, as soon as you pour the water in the pump should engage almost immediately.  If it doesn’t, check the float valve or pressure switch to make sure that there is enough water in the basin to trigger the pump.  If there is, double check the circuit breaker to make sure the pump is receiving power.

If your sump pump isn’t working, get it fixed immediately! Rain storms can be sudden events and getting a maintenance technician to repair your pump mid-storm is a bad idea.  You don’t want to be caught with a flooded basement during a heavy storm.

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Preventing Frozen Pipes

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Preventing Frozen PipesJanuary and February are the coldest months for Texas.  The near-constant shift in weather is all too familiar for DFW residents as well.  We’ll face off against 20-degree weather today and temperatures in the 70s just a few days later.  With that, it can be easy to forget that we have to keep indoor plumbing defended against harsh changes in weather.

Why You Should Protect Your Plumbing

Pressure in your pipes keeps a constant volume of water inside them.  That way you don’t have to wait a few seconds for water to start running as soon as you turn the tap.  But, since that water is already in the pipes, freezing it can lead to severe damage.  Water, unlike most liquids, expands as it freezes.  With nowhere to go inside the pipe, freezing water will break seals or crack pipes.  You won’t even know this has happened until the water thaws out and starts flowing out of the fresh break.

The problems involved here should be apparent: ruptured pipes mean leaking water.  Leaking water will lead to in-home flooding or water damage in walls, floors, and some ceilings.  The excess water will soak insulation and lead to mold growth and spread throughout your home.  But there are other problems as well.  A small leak may be slow enough to dry out before it causes problems, but that leak can grow, slowly expanding the size of the gap in your pipes.  Even if it doesn’t, one or multiple constant leaks (or dripping faucets) mean wasted water which can add up to gallons of dollars lost every year.  Leaks aren’t easy to find, so it’s best to prevent them in the first place.

Indoor Plumbing

The pipes in your walls should be protected first.  This is where most in-home damage can spring from.  The goal is to keep the water warm and running.  Running water is less likely to freeze during a cold-snap.  Ice takes the shape of a crystal (an orderly crystalline solid).  When water is running, the molecules within it cannot connect into orderly strands, preventing the crystalline lattice from forming.  This is why we advise letting your faucets drip when you know that a cold snap is on the way.  Other tricks, such as opening cabinet doors to give them access to the warmer room air or insulating exposed pipes and hot water tubes with special pipe sleeves and jackets will keep your pipes from freezing.

In short:

  • Leave faucets dripping
  • Insulate exposed pipes and your water heater
  • Open cabinets to expose pipes to warmer air
  • Leave your thermostat set to 60 when you aren’t home

Outdoor Plumbing

The plumbing outside of your home is just as important to protect.  While it’s less likely to cause flooding in your home, leaking outdoor piping can lead to foundation damage or seepage into a basement or underground crawl space.  Look for water that’s pooling around the edges of your home or for damp spots where dry ground should be.

Aside from leaving faucets dripping, it’s difficult to protect outdoor plumbing.  The best you can do is wrap any exposed pipes in a heavy blanket to insulate it against the cold.  Remove water hoses and drain them of any water to prevent the hose from cracking during the cold winter.

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