Alexa Morales
If rainwater flooded the basement and damaged the extra refrigerator you keep there, you may wonder what you can do about it.. If you would like to save this appliance, you may want to hire an appliance repair company that has experience with water damage and restoration.
Step 1: Cut the Power
The first thing you should do if you find your refrigerator in standing water is to go to the circuit breaker and cut the power. If power is still running to the refrigerator, you could get an electric shock if you touch it. Once you shut the power off to the refrigerator, you should unplug it.
If there is food in it, place it in a different refrigerator or dispose of it. At that point, you will need to worry about getting rid of the water in the room before you do anything else.
Step 2: Hire a Water Damage Restoration Company
If you cannot remove the water from your basement by yourself, you may need to call in a company that offers water damage removal and restoration. This company will be able to remove the water and dry the room out, and these are both necessary steps in the restoration process.
As the company performs the necessary procedures to clean up the mess, you may want to go through the basement and remove items that are valuable to you. This can include furniture, books, or anything else that you want to keep. In addition, you may want to haul the refrigerator out of the room and determine what you will do with it.
Step 3: Hire an Appliance Repair Company
An appliance repair company can come to your home to inspect your water-damaged refrigerator, and they will be able to tell you if it is salvageable. To make this decision, they will have to first let the appliance dry out completely. They will then test the components to determine if there is permanent damage from the water. If so, they can replace any parts that are no longer working.
Getting a refrigerator fixed after water damage occurs can be expensive, and you may want to find out the costs first. If the refrigerator is really old, you may want to just replace it with a new one.
Before you make this decision, call an appliance repair company like Infinity Appliance & Refrigeration Inc. They can give you more information about this, and they can also make the repairs if you decide to have it fixed.