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Vanity- Need advice from an electrician
Vanity | 01/17/2013 | Self

Posted on 01/17/2013 9:38:22 AM PST by petercooper

Hello Freepers, I am seeking some insight from any electricians out there before I proceed. I have a house at the beach in Long Island, NY which was hit with 5 feet of water under the house. The electrical panel was under water, but is fairly new (maybe 6 years.) The question I have is, does the entire panel box have to be replaced, or would it just be the individual breakers? LI Power will require signoff from a licensed electrician before they restore power. Also, if you could provide some rough estimates of what it should cost out there for both scenarios. Thanks


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: electrician
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Thank you in advance.
1 posted on 01/17/2013 9:38:33 AM PST by petercooper
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To: petercooper

You may not have to replace the actual wiring and the panel case and power/ground bars because they’re usually aluminum or coated or plated....however, you’ll likely have to replace all the breakers and the main breaker....

I’d strip down the panel and remove the breakers and mains and look at the distribution bars, ground lugs, etc...I’d inspect the power mains cables coming in...are they aluminum, or copper? Were they coated with No-Ox? etc.....

You’re best be is to have an electrician look at it; he’ll likely do what I’ve said, any way....depending on how bad, dirty and how long it was under water, he may recommend changing out the guts of the whole thing....


2 posted on 01/17/2013 9:43:05 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: petercooper

I’m not an electrician but as a general contractor for the past 33-years I do know a fair amount about the trade. Replace it and avoid headaches in the future.


3 posted on 01/17/2013 9:43:30 AM PST by South40
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To: petercooper

Per the National Electrical Code, service equipment that has been immersed must be replaced.

Your local codes may vary, so check with your municipal inspector/engineer.

If it was me, I’d go ahead and replace it all, especially if it was immersed in salt water.


4 posted on 01/17/2013 9:43:35 AM PST by txeagle
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To: petercooper

The damage was from salt water which is corrosive. You probably should replace the entire box.


5 posted on 01/17/2013 9:46:06 AM PST by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Implementing class warfare by having no class.)
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To: petercooper

replace it. You will have problems in the future from damage done now. Avoid the headache later.


6 posted on 01/17/2013 9:51:08 AM PST by barmag25
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To: txeagle

Yup. Submersion adds a variable that the UL testing can’t account for. The corrosion and change in dielectric properties may be minute but it’s now considered a risk.

Sucks for the homeowner.


7 posted on 01/17/2013 9:52:03 AM PST by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: petercooper

I think the cost estimate will depend on the size of the panel/number of breakers in it.


8 posted on 01/17/2013 9:52:28 AM PST by lacrew (Mr. Soetoro, we regret to inform you that your race card is over the credit limit.)
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To: petercooper

Hopefully, you had insurance. What did your adjuster say?


9 posted on 01/17/2013 9:52:38 AM PST by ken5050 ("One useless man is a shame, two are a law firm, three or more are a Congress".. John Adams)
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To: reg45

To replace a 200A service should not cost more than $2000; but all the Romex that is rated interior that was under water is suspect, all junction boxes,, switches, outlets, etc. should be replaced.


10 posted on 01/17/2013 9:52:38 AM PST by BillGunn (Bill Gunn for Congress district one rep. Massachusetts)
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To: petercooper

That was salt water, it’s toast!


11 posted on 01/17/2013 9:53:17 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: petercooper

I have never been an electrician nor played one on TV. Nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night. But just wanted to say I am sorry for your troubles with Sandy damage.


12 posted on 01/17/2013 9:56:51 AM PST by NEMDF
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To: Gaffer

Agree. A good visual should tell you more. But if you do replace it, damage it beyond any future use by “recycling” scumbags.


13 posted on 01/17/2013 9:58:16 AM PST by SgtHooper (The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.)
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To: petercooper

since you say you need an electrician to sign off on it anyway, why not ask the electrician, and not a buncha political junkies 9myself included) who may or may not know what we’re talking about otherwise.


14 posted on 01/17/2013 10:01:35 AM PST by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: petercooper
I’m not an electrician but as a general contractor for the past 33-years I do know a fair amount about the trade. Replace it and avoid headaches in the future.

I am a also a general contractor , and I agree with south40. Replace it all. Sorry. As far as estimated cost . . . I am in the great costly to do business state of California - so out here, it would cost $100,000.00 dollars.

15 posted on 01/17/2013 10:03:32 AM PST by builder (I don't want a piece of someone else's pie)
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To: BillGunn

Good opportunity to update and improve the entire service.


16 posted on 01/17/2013 10:05:14 AM PST by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Implementing class warfare by having no class.)
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To: petercooper

I’d do as the guy in #2 said, and then turn it over to an electrician since you need one to have power restored anyway.


17 posted on 01/17/2013 10:11:07 AM PST by stuartcr ("I upraded my moral compass to a GPS, to keep up with the times.")
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To: builder

Good Lord that’s expensive!

I’m glad I’m competent enough to replace my 200 amp service myself. I had an old Fed Pacific panel that I replaced with a Siemens panel.

I started at dawn and was snapping in the last circuit at dusk. There were lots of circuits in my house and I eliminated baseboard heat in the process.

I’m not an electrician but was complemented by an electrician on the quality job. I’m slightly OCD so all of my wires are perfectly aligned and secured and everything is labeled. :)


18 posted on 01/17/2013 10:11:39 AM PST by TSgt (Infringe upon my 2nd Amendment rights and learn how to speed read at 3000 feet per second...)
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To: petercooper
I'm not a licensed electrician, but I am an engineer.About 10 years ago we had a mound system put in to save our failing drainage field (septic tank system). The original panel didn't have the capacity to add more breakers for the new system. The old panel was a 60amp entrance, I had a licensed contractor come in and replace the panel with a 200 amp entrance and some thirty breakers. The job took one man about a day and cost (time & material) just a tad over $1800.00. That was new panel, new breakers, we reused the meter base and entrance mast as that was all 200 amp rated.

I'm assuming that your flooded basement was full of salt water which is very conductive and could cause problems if it soaked into the insulation of an electric hot water heater. It is also corrosive and might cause problems that don't show up immediately. I would go for a new panel w/new breakers just to be on the safe side. If your local code says 200 amps by all means, use the 200 amp as it saves money down the road if you ever add more electric appliances like air conditioning, a heat pump, or electric heat.

As I said at the start my information is over ten years old, so unless you have a brother-in-law in the business expect to spend over $2,000.00...Flood insurance??

Regards,
GtG

19 posted on 01/17/2013 10:17:58 AM PST by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
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To: petercooper

Always keep in mind what the lawyers will say.

“You knew this was submerged, but you didn’t replace it? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, wouldn’t you have replaced it? Look at my poor, toasty client.”


20 posted on 01/17/2013 10:27:31 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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