Evaluating Water Damaged Equipment

Throughout the south there are schools, universities and professional theatres with electrical equipment that has been submerged in flood waters from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  They're biggest question is, "What can I dry out and use, and what do I have to replace?"  NEMA (the National Electrical Manufacturers Association) has a guide for this (NEMA GD 1-2016 Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment) that you can download here.

Some larger pieces of equipment can be reconditioned, but that doesn't mean simply drying them out.  It includes using appropriate cleaning agents, and the success of reconditioning depends on the "nature of the electrical function, the degree of flooding, the age of the equipment, and the length of time the equipment was exposed to water."  The problem is that equipment submerged during a flood isn't just wet, it's now contaminated with whatever was in the water.

What does that mean for a theatre?  Here are some key items that should be replaced.

• Fuses, switches, circuit breakers

• Components containing semiconductors and transistors.  That means lighting and sound control consoles, dimmer rack control and power modules, and all LED fixtures.

• Transformers.  If the transformer feeding your dimmer racks was submerged, it has to be replaced.

• Outlets and switches

• Wiring in conduit

• Stage cables

• Uninterruptible power supplies

• Communications systems

• Batteries

What might be successfully reconditioned?  Not much.

• Conduit and tubing, if it can be completely dried out

• Motors.  Consult the manufacturers of your stage and pit lifts.

Yes, it's a lot.  But, it's better to replace damaged equipment than to risk failure, or worse, of equipment with hidden damage.

Here's the plug for Studio T+L:  Give us a call.  We can help you to determine what needs to be replaced, write a specification for the replacement equipment, bid the replacement, and check up on the contractors as they're doing the work.  And, we're nice!