Warning on home appliances for flood victims

March 1st, 2012

As New South Wales prepares itself for the ongoing deluge, affected homeowners should consider the state of their electrical appliances.

While Sydney has escaped the worst so far, hundreds of residents in Cooma have already been evacuated and the ACT is on flood watch as the slow moving system continues eastwards.

Securing insurance papers, bagging valuables, and finding battery operated torches and radios should be given primary consideration, but, there are a few things you can do that might save your appliances and keep you safe.

It’s not like dropping your mobile into the loo and finding that it works a few days later. The risk of electrocution is great after electrical appliances are submerged in water.

The NSW Fair Trading recommends ditching all water affected appliances.

Pre-flood appliance preparation

Turn off appliances and turn off electricity at the switchboard
Turn off the main gas valve at the meter or gas bottle
Block toilet bowls with a strong plastic bag filled with earth or sand to prevent a back flow into your home
Move electrical appliances to a higher level – on beds or tables, for example. Or you can put bricks underneath the appliances

Post-flood appliance care

Do not turn on any lights or appliances until a qualified electrician has checked the entire electrical system in your home, including appliances
Do not turn on any gas appliance until a qualified gas fitter has checked the entire gas system
Some appliances with electrical components at the lower level, such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, may need to be replaced
Fridges and freezers will need a thorough clean with disinfectant and left open to dry out
Washing machines that do not require replacement will need to be cleaned out (how?) and opened and left to dry

Keri Algar

Having once had to sit on the washing machine to stop it from bouncing into oblivion, Keri is today delighted with the new (smoother running) technologies that make housework easier every day. A self-confessed lazy-bones, Keri seeks out quirky inventions that ease the human workload, such as the robotic vacuum cleaner (wow). And as soon as someone figures out a Jetsons-like self-cleaning house, she will happily lay her pen to rest and retire from appliance journalism. Until then, her pick is a fridge that will tell her smartphone when it's time to pick up more beer on the way home. Magic.

One response to “Warning on home appliances for flood victims”

Louise Carter says:

March 1, 2012 at 2:27 pm

Related to this story – a reivew of the Westinghouse WBE4300SB fridge posted on ProductReview.com.au describes it as “flood proof” – which is a pretty astonishing story! Read more here:

http://www.productreview.com.au/r/westinghouse-wbe4300sb-wbm4300pb-wbm4300wb-wbe5100sb-wbm5100pb/180914.html