Call Your Electrician
If you do experience a basement flood and need it cleaned up, remember to put safety first. It is possible to begin the water removal process yourself, once you are sure that it’s safe to venture into the basement. A flooded basement can pose an electrical hazard to you and your family members, so one of the first calls you should make should be to your electrician, especially if you can’t access your circuit breaker. If your circuit breaker is not located in the basement, shut off power and gas immediately. Any electronics or electrical appliances in contact with the floodwater are unsafe. An electrician can help you assess whether it’s safe to enter the basement and begin the water removal process.
Call Your Insurance Company
There are two simple precautions everyone should take to prevent basement floods–regular sump pump maintenance, and keeping gutters and downspouts clear. Homeowners are responsible for these tasks themselves, but renters should check with landlords to ensure that this maintenance is completed regularly. Just like homeowners insurance, renters insurance often requires special flood insurance coverage that is added to your regular policy, so you’ll want to be sure you’re covered before you need it. Roto-Rooter will work directly with your insurance company throughout the flood cleanup process to help your claim go as smoothly as possible.
If It Happens Again
If you notice that your basement is repeatedly flooding, despite your repair and maintenance efforts to prevent them, perhaps you have overlooked something. While faulty plumbing is usually the culprit for large basement flooding messes, when the plumbing checks out, the location of the house is usually to blame. Many properties sit on topsoil that becomes saturated with water. As underground water levels rise and fall, you will notice that basement flooding comes and goes. To prevent further problems, use this Roto-Rooter sump pump installation guide to resolve the issue for good. Sump pump installation is a big job really should only be undertaken by a professional, licensed plumber or basement waterproofing specialist. We don’t recommend that do-it-yourselfers try to tackle this repair on their own.