What Should I Do With My Furnace After A Flood?
A springtime flood can be devastating to your home and your belongings – including home comfort appliances like your furnace or boiler, which tend to sit unprotected in your basement.
The question many customers ask after a flood is, “is my heating system still safe to use?” The short answer is maybe – but more on that in a minute. First, let’s take a look at three things you should do immediately if you awaken to a flooded basement.
3 Immediate Steps To Take If Your Basement Is Flooded
If your basement flooded,
- Shut down all breakers to your basement before you go down there. If your breaker is in the basement, only attempt this if conditions make it safe to do so; if they don’t, contact an electrician for help.
- Begin removing water. While you will need to wash and sanitize everything to prevent mold damage, some items and décor may be salvageable. Take everything you can out of your basement to dry elsewhere – preferably outside the house.
- If it’s safe to do so, access your appliances, including your furnace or boiler, water heater, washer and dryer, etc. If your appliance has a pilot light, do NOT re-light it without a licensed service tech inspecting it first.
Furnace And Boiler Use After A Flood
While restoring your furnace or boiler to working order could simply amount to giving it a thorough cleaning, you won’t know for sure without a professional heating system inspection. If your equipment has been exposed to water, do not use it before calling a heating inspector!
In the meantime, you can examine your outdoor condensing units (if you have a furnace), which are durable and can often withstand some exposure to water (although this is not always the case). Look for a line to see how high the water rose; if that line extends only a few inches, the unit may be salvageable after inspection. If the water rose higher than halfway up the unit, the damage will likely be too expensive to repair.
The takeaway here: if your basement has flooded and your heating equipment was affected, contact a qualified professional immediately. If your equipment is not properly inspected and cleaned, safety measures that protect you from fire or carbon monoxide hazards could fail. It’s simply not worth the risk to run your furnace without a clean bill of health from a heating expert!
If you need your boiler or furnace inspected after a flood, contact the pros at Rucci right away. We’ll get it looked at quickly and either fix or replace your equipment correctly so you can get back to enjoying your warm home again. Contact us today to learn more about furnace repair and maintenance in New Jersey and Staten Island.