When damp gets into your electrical system, havoc can ensue. An old consumer unit will not immediately recognise damp as an issue. It will take a long time for fuse wire to blow and in the mean-time damage can be done to your electrical accessories and cabling.
There are a number of reasons why DAMP IN SOCKETS will occur, we look at why this happens and what to do:
- Leaks from the property
- Condensation
- Spillages
- Damp issues
1) Leaks from the property
Water can enter the electrical system in homes when it escapes from elsewhere. A common issue we come across is where there is a leak in the bathroom which may not be known about and this makes its way into the electrical system.
The way in which our homes tend to be wired is by creating a channel in the wall for electrical cables to sit into and then plastering over the channels once the wires have been installed. This tends to leave a small gap or void running down behind the plasterwork. When water escapes from the bathroom for example, it is not uncommon for this water to works its way across the floor cavity and find the easiest way downwards. This is usually through a pre made channel where wires have been installed. The water then travels down the channels and into sockets and switches. This water damage can happen suddenly causing noticeable electrical problems straightaway or it can occur over time causing problems to occur more slowly.
Roof leaks can sometimes cause water to enter the electrical system. If you have roof tiles missing then water can drip into light fittings or junction boxes in the loft space. Water can run down internal walls into first floor sockets or straight down into the fuse box/consumer unit equipment. Have your gutters cleaned regularly and any loose or missing tiles replaced or repaired.
Back to top2) Condensation
A combination of cooking, washing and drying activities can create a lot of moisture in our homes. When this happens, the moisture will hold in the warm air until it reaches a colder surface and will then condense on the surface creating water droplets. The water droplets can form on the face of plug sockets, walls, ceiling, and windows.
This water will then drip down inside electrical wiring, sockets and back boxes for the equipment causing the fuse box to trip
The issue of condensation is far more pronounced in older homes where insulation may not be present and in particular where external walls have no insulation.
3) Spillages
Spillages can occur in our homes every day. Drinks placed on side tables, exuberant washing up activities and careless mopping can lead to water being in places where it shouldn’t be.
A spillage can sometimes not appear to cause a problem until later. A plug socket can suffer a spill and appear fine then 30 minutes later the power will likely go off as water has had the chance to seep into the socket and now there is an issue. This does depend on the age of your mains electrical box/consumer unit/fuse box of course. The more modern the box the more likely the issue is to be detected and dealt with safely.
It is a common situation where a spill occurs and water runs down a wall where we forget there is a plug socket installed. Spillages account for a fair few emergency electrical call outs an we always swap the plug socket for safety. Once an electrical socket has been good and soaked it's always safer to swap it out for a new one.
Back to top4) Damp Issues
Damp is a common problem especially in older homes. It was not always standard practice to install damp proofing measures such as a damp proof course in older homes and as a result there are often issues with rising damp, surface damp and damp appearing through walls. A damp problem can be a headache to solve once a building is already built.
Where electrical wiring and plug sockets are installed into the walls of the building there is always the likelihood that damp will penetrate then and cause problems.
One solution to this type of problem is to have your electrician rewire the affected areas with surface mounted trunking and plug sockets that sit away from the walls. Whilst aesthetically this doesn’t look great, it will go a long way to preventing damp entering the electrics.
Back to top5) Modern Consumer Units: A help?
A more modern consumer unit may recognise the damp quicker and begin to trip. This is only as useful as the person in the property however. It is not good if a consumer unit keeps tripping and the cause continues to be ignored.
When you continually reset your consumer unit without having the fault investigated then components within the consumer unit will fail. These components are designed to trip occasionally to protect your cabling against various electrical faults and to protect you against electric shock.
When damp sockets occur, this can cause short circuits, arcing and sparking and damage to wiring and electrical outlets. Wet electrics are bad but modern technology in newer consumer units can help turn the power off before serious damage is done.
Back to top6) What can be done?
Sometimes we can replace damp sockets if there are no problems on the rest of the circuit or problems with wiring on the circuit. We can test the wiring whilst we are there to ensure there are no hidden issues affecting your home. If you need an Electrician at short notice and live in the north west then we can probably help you! Otherwise, contact your local electrician to attend as soon as possible to advise on what measure can be taken to improve the electrical system.
Back to top7) Common Questions and Answers:
7.1) Will a wet socket dry out?
This depends on whether the source of the water has been removed and if the issues causing damp have been tackled. If so, then the wet outlet or plug socket will eventually dry out but that does not mean it is necessarily safe to use.
Water can cause electrical equipment and accessories to short out, arc, or melt. A water-damaged-outlet is often a serious risk of electric shocks or electrical fire - the best way to ensure safety is to have items replaced once damp has entered them.
7.2) How long does it take electrics to dry out?
This does depend upon the severity of the water ingress, the ambient temperature, and other factors. We talk about this more here.
Bear in mind that even though electrics may have dried out, cables can be left with minerals and salts as a residue from the drying out of water and this can affect their insulation and resistance values. Water can absolutely wreck electrical wiring and a full and thorough test of the electrical system is advised by a professional electrician once this kind of damage has occurred.
7.3) Can you use a plug after it gets wet?
Plug tops are generally very cheap and fairly straightforward to install. It is often more sensible to replace the plug top on the electrical appliance rather than take the risk of any damage occurring from using a faulty plug top on an appliance.
We explain how a plug top is changed in this article.
7.4) What is an RCD/GFCI?
A Residual Current Device or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is an electric shock prevention device usually found in the consumer unit or breaker box. These electrical components are designed to detect missing electrical current from the flow of electricity and to trip the power off when they detect an issue.
Electrical shocks are potentially deadly and wet electrical outlets increase the risk of shock occurring. All property owners should consider having one of these devices installed into the electrical system if there is not one present.
If you have any further questions about damp sockets, contact us here.
Back to top
