When floodwaters recede, a lot of water-damaged cables are left behind.
Electricity and water do not mix. Most technical folks will replace any cable that has received water damage because they will no longer have confidence in it. Water-damaged cables may no longer perform as the manufacturer intended. Electrical characteristics may have changed, metals may have become unstable, and there is a severe safety hazard when power is applied to the cable. Cables intended for dry locations only, such as NM-B cables, may contain paper fillers, which cannot recover from water damage. However, not all cables that get wet must be replaced. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Turn off all sources of electrical power to any cable you intend to inspect for water damage. Always assume that power is present, and physically shut down and disconnect any power source from both ends of the cable. You can't be too careful.
2. Inspect the cable to determine the extent of the water damage.
3. Coaxial cables are constructed of bonded layers of materials, yet water can migrate from a submerged end of the coaxial cable and travel between the outer jacket and the aluminum sheath into the cable. Any water present within the coaxial cable has rendered that section of the cable unusable. However, it may be possible to cut away the water-damaged pieces, and the remaining sections of dry coaxial cable will still be usable.
4. Electrical wires and twisted-pair telephone wires (i.e. Cat 5 cable) are copper-based and susceptible to corrosion from water damage.
5. Identify the exact type of cable that has the water damage. There may be markings on the outer insulation that indicate the manufacturer and the part number of the cable.
6. Replace any water-damaged NM-B cable. NM-B cable is only rated for dry locations and contains materials that will not survive any water damage.
7. Contact the manufacturer of any water-damaged cable that is designed for use in damp locations. The manufacturer will have specific instructions on treat this water-damaged cable. Different cables will need different drying processes. There is no "one shoe fits all" method for drying cables.
Tags: water damage, cable that, coaxial cable, from water, from water damage
