Flooding in the basement can be a real bugbear, and while there are some occasions when it is safe and practical to deal with a minor flood yourself, simply by pumping out the water and cleaning, a lot of cases are more severe or complicated. In this instance, it is strongly advisable to bring in plumbers and restoration specialists who have the equipment and knowledge to deal with your situation quickly and safely.
Electrical Issues
One of the most immediate problems with flooding can be the unfortunate effects of water and electricity, which can make trying to deal with the flood water very dangerous. If you cannot disconnect the electricity to the basement safely yourself and the water is over two inches deep, experts like The Plumbing Info say that you really need a professional to help you. They can make sure it will be safe for them and for you to work in your basement.
Sewage
Sewage can be highly dangerous to your health, and so if the flood water in your basement is contaminated there are serious risks from bacteria. In this situation, you should always use professionals rather than try and deal with the flooding yourself.
Deep Water
If the flooding in your basement is deep, then you are unlikely to be able to dry it out quickly with the kind of equipment you’ll have at your disposal. Professional restoration and emergency teams have high powered fans and industrial dehumidifying hardware that will be able to cope with the job.
You really only have 24-36 hours to dry out a basement after a flood. Any longer and you will be looking at long-term issues like mold. Mold is hazardous to your health and also very hard to completely get rid of, and a damp basement is exactly the kind of place where it will take hold quickly. If you can’t dry things out fast, you are going to need to get help.
You Don’t Know The Cause
Another time you should call the pros in is if you’re not sure why the basement flooded, as this would indicate a plumbing issue.
In some cases, it can be obvious what happened, for example, if a storm caused a power outage that made your sump pump go offline during some heavy rain. When this happens, you can usually be confident that once the pump has power again, the original cause will be resolved. In other cases, though, you may not know what happened and will need a plumbing expert to investigate so you can avoid it happening again!
In most cases, the best course of action is usually to call in the experts, especially if you have never dealt with the aftermath of a flood before. You will probably want to take some tasks on yourself, such as drying out smaller items from the basement and general cleaning, but there is no good reason to ever put yourself at risk.
