Damp Electrical Wiring

1) Damp electrical wiring can create havoc with electrical systems as water and electricity are not intended to mix.

Switches can trip, cables can become damaged, electrical accessories can fail and dangerous situations can occur. Damp electrical wiring should be avoided at all costs.

2) Wiring in Basements and Cellars

In many of our homes there are basements and cellars, this is especially true of older homes. When these properties were built, they were not necessarily damp proofed especially well in the basements and cellars and as such, moisture build up and damp are commonplace. In lots of these properties, the incoming electrical supply can also be found along with the consumer unit for the electrical installation. This is less than ideal for a number of reasons, the accessibility of the electrical system is often poor due to steep basement steps and if switches do trip, then it is quite a hazardous journey, often in the dark in order to reset the switches. Damp can also affect the consumer unit and switchgear inside it causing premature failure of components, corrosion, and wiring degradation. 

3) Wiring in Garages

A garage is not a liveable space in most properties and as such the building codes and regulations that would otherwise apply to homes do not apply inside a garage. This can mean that the elements such as the rain and wind can drive in to the garage causing moist air also. Insects are also more likely to affect wiring systems in outdoor building causing tripping, shorting out of circuits and other damage and nuisances. 

4) Wiring and Electrical Equipment Installed Outside

If wiring in a damp garage can be affected then wiring and electrical equipment outside can certainly be affected. Direct rainfall onto electrical equipment can cause insulation faults, short circuits, arcing and sparking and will adversely affect wiring systems and electrical accessories. 

Without careful and professional installation, outdoor wiring such as garden lighting systems and outdoor sockets will prematurely fail. Manufacturer’s instructions need to be followed to ensure that not only will the warranty be valid but the installation will not present a danger to those using it or in the presence of it. Electrical installations should have suitable protection from external influences such as weather, insects, dust and more. Without this protection from external factors, we can see failure of the immediate wiring and in some cases an entire building. 

5) Why does Damp Affect Electrics?

Damp affects electrical installations primarily by lowering the impedance / resistance path between conductors. What the heck do I mean? Well, water is actually conductive to an extent, that is, electricity can pass through water. So, when water, moisture, damp, vapour comes into contact with electrical cabling and accessories it can cause electrical current to pass from the circuit to earth as there is a path through the damp. Many modern electrical installations will detect this “leakage” and will act to turn off the circuit. 

Damp also causes corrosion accelerating the degradation of metal components within switches, sockets and other electrical accessories creating a high resistance path for electrical current to attempt to flow through and creating excessive heat, wear and tear on the installation. 

Water can also leave behind deposits of minerals and salt deposits which can aid the conduction of electricity between conductors and parts of the electrical installation. This again can cause conduction of electricity and means that the insulation (coloured stuff wrapped round copper cables) can be permanently affected by water damage.

6) Do I need a rewire after a flood?

Ideally, if there has been an electrical test and inspection at some point prior to the flooding and then a test and inspection carried out after the flooding then we can see the difference in any test results and establish if any permanent damage or degradation in the wiring has taken place. 

It may be necessary to rewire electrical installations after such an event. A good place to start would be to consult with the manufacturer of the electrical cables and electrical accessories and ask if they have tested their equipment and products following floodwater ingress. I suspect that most manufacturer would recommend replacing their products and cabling following such trauma to an installation and I also suspect that few electricians would be happy to confirm the safety of an installation after such an event. Damp electrical wiring Is unlikely to be suitable for continued surface but only testing and inspection can tell. 

7) What other issue caused by damp can affect electrics?

As mentioned above, many external influences can affect wiring systems. Damp entering into electrical systems can create havoc and cause tripping switches. When switches trip, power to entire electrical installations can be lost in an instant and the issue not resolved until an electrician carries out some fault finding and investigation works. 
I have personally seen a switch fail in a damp environment, tripping, shorting out and blowing the main incoming fuse plunging the entire property into darkness. We then have a dangerous situation where, in the dark, the homeowner has to navigate through the basement, cellar, house or wherever the consumer unit is located in order to attempt to restore power to the property. 

8) Can a consumer unit be moved out of the basement?

A consumer unit can and should be moved out of a basement where possible in circumstances where basement access is poor and / or there are damp issues that are causing problems. 

Relocating a consumer unit requires replacing the consumer unit in most cases with the exception of all but the most modern and up to date consumer units. The existing cables that enter the existing unit will likely need to be extended which will add to the costs of the replacement. The extended cables should be enclosed in a suitable enclosure that will prevent dust, debris, moisture, and insects from entering so far as is possible and then the cables extended to the new consumer unit position. 

Damp electrical wiring is extremely dangerous, don't delay help. Contact us today.