Everything You Must Know About Water Damage Restoration

There are lots of businesses and niches that are equipment-reliant.

18:54 23 January 2021

If you have a company with equipment that you rely on to perform particular services or functions, you need to know that it’s working properly. That way, you’ll know you’ve satisfied your clients, and also that your workers are safe.

 

Many things exist that can damage your equipment, from chemicals to corrosion, from powder and dust damage to fire and soot exposure. Water damage, though, is a particularly insidious problem.

 

In this article, we’ll talk about water damage restoration and why you might need a company to handle it for you if disaster strikes.

 

Electrical Equipment and Water Damage

 

If you have electrical equipment of any kind that your business uses, you need to watch out for heavy rainstorms, typhoons, floods, and any other event that can expose it. You may need to bring in a water damage restoration specialty company if you discover that your equipment isn’t working correctly.

 

Water damaging your equipment is extremely common, particularly if that equipment spends at least some time outdoors. Just because it’s indoors, though, that does not necessarily mean that it’s safe. You might have a leak or a flood even if you house all your electrical components within protective structures.

 

If you feel like there has been damage to your electrical equipment, a rapid response is critical. You don’t want your workers coming in to discover the damage since water is conductive. There’s always the electrocution risk for which you need to watch out.

 

The Initial Assessment

 

If there’s been a big storm, flooding event, etc., you’ll want to contact a water damage restoration company or specialist and bring them in to have a look, rather than just going back to business as usual. They can conduct an initial assessment to determine the damage extent, and they know how to do it in such a way that they’ll put no one in any danger.

 

If they find damage, they can talk to you about the options. Equipment refurbishment is possible. You’ll probably want to do water damage restoration rather than completely scrapping the equipment unless it’s so badly damaged that you can’t do anything further with it.

 

Determining conductivity will be a big part of that initial assessment. In addition to detecting electrocution risks, the company or individual you hire will also determine if you’re dealing with corrosion or contamination.

 

Galvanic Corrosion

 

The companies who do these assessments post-disaster or incident will probably talk to you about something called galvanic corrosion. It’s galvanic corrosion when concentrated, dissolved salts appear on your equipment.

 

When water dries, there are salts that crystalize. This is a natural process that attracts moisture to the surface.

 

If there is a junction where two different metals meet, you might have voltage if you introduce moisture that connects them. That’s potentially dangerous if you start up the machine in question.

 

Electrolytic Corrosion

 

Electrolytic corrosion is the other danger of which you should be aware. For instance, maybe you have a printed circuit board that uses backup batteries. Electrolytic corrosion can occur around them.

 

This means there’s water capable of carrying an electrical current between the battery’s poles.

 

Again, you’re putting your workers at risk if you ignore that danger and have them return to work after you know your equipment or machinery was water-exposed during an incident.

 

Conductivity, if the company you hired finds it, indicates a short circuit risk. This is a particular danger where you have printed circuit boards or various electrical systems.

 

What Help Can a Company Provide?

 

Restoration companies can come in and run tests if you fear erosion or contamination. They can talk to you about equipment restoration and give you an estimate as to how much that would cost.

 

Presumably, you’ll have it in your operating budget to fix the equipment. If you’re not able to, you’ll need to replace that machinery entirely, the cost of which could be even more prohibitive.

 

Some restoration companies can perform maintenance services before a disaster strikes. They can handle minor damage not associated with any one event but which occurs over time. They can even give you continuity advice that should ensure your equipment is safe in the future.

 

Trying to ignore water damage is something you should endeavor not to do. If you try to act like nothing’s wrong, you endanger your workers, and then, the next thing you know, you might face a wrongful death lawsuit.