Electronics that Experience Water Damage

9/21/2017 (Permalink)

With all the recent flooding from the severe storms, many homes and businesses have experienced water damage. We specialize in cleaning contents after water and fire damage. SERVPRO of Gurnee & SERVPRO Libertyville/ N. Chicago City. Lake Bluff always tries to restore verse replace to help keep insurance costs down and salvage sentimental items. So how do we assess electronics that have been exposed to water? Our first step is to determine how the electronics have been exposed to water.

Has the item been completely submerged?

When we find an electronic that has been completely underwater, these items may not be restorable because of circuit failure, the motor shorting out, corrosion and heavy rust. Our content cleaning technician looks for these signs and also notes what category of water the electronic sat in, the length of time, how much of the electronic was exposed, and other observations are made with each individual electronic brought in. In our pre-testing if a submerged item is considered un-restorable, our team removes the item from site and carefully inventories the item for homeowner/ business owner for insurance purposes.

Did water drip on the electronic?

We don’t assess the electronic just by the external appearance, but we are certain to do a thorough inspection, and we determine if we can clean and dry out the electronic. If water drips on an electronic, we open it up and inspect if the water has affected the internal components. Before making the final decision that the item was able to be saved, we do a final test to be certain of proper preloss functioning.

Has the electronic been exposed to high humidity only?

After a home or business experiences any water damage, the humidity in the environment increases. High humidity with electronics exposed for any amount of time is a cause for concern. Over time, electronics naturally attract particles from the air and dust. When an electronic is exposed to humidity, the dust on the electronic can act as a sponge for moisture particles and pull in the moisture internally. The electronics may initially work, but over time may see that corrosion and rust set in without an inspection. Electronics exposed to high humidity also have to be opened up, inspected, cleaned, dried, and undergo final testing before determining that the item will function.

***

Each content that we receive is looked at individually if the item can be cleaned and restored. SERVPRO of Gurnee & SERVPRO of Libertyville/N. Chicago City/ Lake Bluff restores several different contents including electronics after a fire or water damage in a residential or commercial loss. Each loss is unique and different, and affects the structure and contents differently depending on the type of loss, length of time, and category of water.