What electrical tests to do when someone has a flood?

[HappyHippyDad]

I am never quite sure if I am doing too little or too much when someone has a flood and I am called in.

The most recent example is a chap has had fairly major flood damage to ceilings, carpets etc and it has poured through certain ceiling pendants and downlights.

Advice on the net states that a full EICR should be carried out. I feel this 'may' be too much and also not enough.

The chap has had some of his floorboards up, he can see where the flood water has gone and we can identify which lights are within the flood zone. Today I have pulled down every ceiling rose and downlight within the flood zone (which you wouldn't do with an EICR) to have a physical check and also carried out an IR test of the entire property to make sure nothing is sitting in water. Would you guys have done more than this? If so, what?

I haven't checked the loft, oven, garage (random examples of places/items definitely not affected by the flood) which you would do with an EICR but would be silly in this case.

PS.. I'm typing this on my new laptop... which I love! It has 8 core don't you know.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

I would check that all exposed conductive parts on the affected circuits had R2 to them with the wander lead (and ideally every point in the flood zone, even where no ECPs present). Without confirming R2, you might get inaccurate IR results (for example, you had an unearthed class I light that had water sitting in it, it might not show up under an IR test if there was no earth continuity).

Also, would IR test between L+N combined, to the casing of any class II metal lights etc, again using the wander lead.

Other than that, I'd follow your approach.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I would check that all exposed conductive parts on the affected circuits had R2 to them with the wander lead (and ideally every point in the flood zone, even where no ECPs present). Without confirming R2, you might get inaccurate IR results (for example, you had an unearthed class I light that had water sitting in it, it might not show up under an IR test if there was no earth continuity).

Also, would IR test between L+N combined, to the casing of any class II metal lights etc, again using the wander lead.

Other than that, I'd follow your approach.

Really good point about the unearthed class 1. Luckily, I had only carried out an EICR on this same property a few months before, but that's besides the point and your point is a good one.

 

[littlespark]

Whether things are directly in the flood area or not, the moisture in the air can corrode back boxes, electronics, switch contacts etc.

When my neighbours had a flood, everything was replaced except for lengths of cable…. Unless it was damaged itself by collapsing wet timber structures.

You don’t want to miss something out just because it wasn’t near the actual flood, just for it to become faulty a few months down the line.

Don’t start replacing anything until the dehumidifiers have done their work.

 

[plugsandsparks]

I would be a bit concerned about water tracking along cables and ending up somewhere totally different so i would check a few switches on both levels. One flood i dealt with the water had travelled along the cables and made its way all the way back to the DB and into the breaker.