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Monday, December 12, 2022
Question:
Hi Charlie, I am assessing a property with water damage from a broken pipe on second floor. What electrical equipment must be changed on first floor. Do we need to rewire completely rewire everything? If we rewire more than 800 SQF, do we need upgrade panel up to code. Thank you, Robert Issac
A
Answer:
Robert, water damage and electrical wiring/equipment is not a great situation. There is no way to tell what type of contaminants were in the water, and what overall impact the water had on the effected wiring or equipment. For these reasons, any branch circuit wiring, panelboard, or molded-case circuit breakers that were exposed to water, will likely need to be replaced. Section 110.20 of NEC® provides guidance on the reconditioning of electrical equipment, and Section 110.21 provides guidance on the marking and labeling. Section 240.2 prohibits molded-case circuit breakers from being reconditioned, and Section 408.2(A) prohibits panelboards from being reconditioned. Along with the NEC®. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides invaluable information on this subject though resources such as:
- NEMA CS 100-2020, NEMA Technical Position on Reconditioned Equipment
- NEMA GD 1-2019, Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment
As for how much of the property would need to be rewired, beyond the water damaged items, this would be up to the local AHJ. Some local jurisdictions may have local codes and/or ordinances that address remodeling/repairing of electrical systems.