It is common knowledge that you shouldn’t let anything related to electricity near water because of how dangerous this could be. Then again, there might be times when you actually notice that water is leaking out from an area where you don’t want it to leak out—the electrical outlet. But why is this happening? And what should you do when you notice that water is leaking out of the electrical outlet?
When water is leaking from an electrical outlet, turn off any appliances connected to or close to it. Go to the circuit breaker to turn off the power in that outlet. From there, unplug the appliances that are connected to it and make sure that you dry them off. Deal with the leak by calling a professional.
A leak in your electrical outlet is nothing short of dangerous because of how water conducts electricity really well. This is why it is important that you immediately remedy the situation by taking safety precautions first. In that regard, we have to look at the things that you need to do immediately when you detect that one of your electrical outlets is actually leaking water. As they say, safety first.
Why Is Water Leaking From The Electrical Outlet?
One of the most important things that homeowners should know is that the electrical components of certain appliances should always be kept away from water. That’s because water conducts electricity really well, and that can be a problem because this can cause accidents that can be disastrous to the people living in the home and to the home itself.
But there will be times when water suddenly starts to leak from electrical outlets. This can be something that you are wondering about because homes are constructed in such a way as the water flowing throughout your home should be kept away from the electrical lines through a series of pipes. So, why is water leaking out from the electrical outlet?
The first things you need to look at are the windows nearby because these can be the causes of the water leaking from the outlet. This should be more common in places where the weather can be a bit volatile such as when thunderstorms and rains are common. That’s because water can seep through the windows and make their way to the electrical outlets found right under the windows.
Meanwhile, a leak in the roof can also cause water to pile up somewhere in your home, and the water may end up seeping into the walls until they reach the electrical outlets. Again, this should be more common in places where the weather can be a bit more volatile than in most regions.
Another common occurrence that can lead to this problem is when you are in the kitchen and you are cooking food or are cleaning the dishes. So, what can happen here is that water can splash into the electrical outlets, where it might seep into and eventually start to leak out later on. This can be quite common in kitchens and even in bathrooms whenever you are washing your hands or have just gotten out of the shower.
That said, even the smallest splash can cause water to seep into an electrical outlet. That is why it is important to make sure that your windows are sealed off and that your roof doesn’t have any leaks. Always avoid having anything liquid near any electrical outlets especially if you are in the kitchen or in the bathroom. And while this issue can be easy to avoid and identify, it could be a different story if it is already happening.
What To Do When Water Is Leaking Out Of The Electrical Outlet?
Turn Off Appliances Or The Outlet Itself
So, when you notice that water is leaking out of your electrical outlet, the first thing you need to do is to turn off any appliances that are connected to the outlet. That’s because you might end up damaging them if they are still functioning while water is leaking out of the outlet. However, take note here that you shouldn’t unplug them yet because of how you might be putting yourself in danger due to the current running through the outlet.
If your house has newer GFCI outlets, these should automatically turn off the moment water touches the outlet. However, there are some cases where these outlets don’t turn off. As such, you should manually turn them off by looking for the switch that would turn the GFCI outlet. When the GFCI outlet has been turned off, this essentially interrupts any electrical connection on the outlet.
Turn Off The Circuit Breaker
After turning off any appliances connected to the outlet and after you have turned off the affected GFCI outlet (if you have GFCI outlets), what you need to do is to go to your home’s circuit breaker and then turn off the current in the affected outlet. That is, of course, if you know the switch on the circuit breaker that would turn the outlet off.
If you don’t know which switch will turn the exact outlet off, then the best thing to do is to turn the entire circuit breaker off to cut the power from your home. This should be the safest thing to do if you are unsure of whether or not only one outlet is affected.
Unplug And Dry The Appliances
Next, you should unplug the appliances that are connected to the electrical outlet. This is now safe to do because there is no longer any current running through the outlet. If you notice moisture on the appliances, wipe it off and allow the remaining moisture to air-dry. You can also use a hairdryer to dry off the appliances.
Dry the Outtlet
After drying off the appliances connected to the outlet, the next thing to do is to dry off the outlet as well. Because time isn’t a luxury for you because you may need the power back in your home, you can use a portable hair dryer that is battery-operated to dry the outlet off. Allow the moisture to completely evaporate before attempting to turn the power back on and plug in your appliances.
Call a Professional
However, if you have a reason to believe that this is a serious issue such as when you notice that water still keeps on leaking out of the outlet after doing the abovementioned steps, it’s time to call a professional.
This is due to the possibility that water might be leaking from broken pipes in your walls or because the moisture has seeped into the walls from a leak in the roof. This is something that only a professional should handle as dealing with anything electrical can be dangerous to you and the entire house.
