Firedkm 14 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 Today I got a phone call from a customer that I did a house wash for this past Monday. He told me there was a problem with his electric outlet outside that he did not know he had. When I was there cleaning I had asked him to close his garage door. He came back out and said he had to reset a breaker to close the door. He asked if maybe I could have tripped it. I never saw thr outlet and he stated he did not have one outside. Now back to today, he said he went to do his dishes and the dishwasher would not work. He looked around outside and found the outlet that was not there.:cool: I went over tonight to look at it and was horrified at what I saw. Luckily the circuit breaker worked and did its job. I could have burnt his houe down. Check out the picture of the outlet that was out in plain site that I never saw and he said he never had. The one wire you see there is the ground wire that melted away!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Everett Abrams 501 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 You wouldn't have been the first pressure washer to burn a house down! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CCPC 26 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 I have been meaning to post a question related to this topic. How do those you protect against this hazard? I usually make sure that the gaskets on the cover flaps have a tight fit. and do my best to avoid contact. Do any of you use somthing to cover the outlet? Dale, I am sorry to here about your almost disaster, but I guess the almost in this case is a really good thing.:) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 You wouldn't have been the first pressure washer to burn a house down! Now those are words of encouragement!! I realize that you did not know this outlet was there, but for the ones that you do know about, how about upselling waterproof covers? Due to the nature, no electricians license should be needed, as it is only handyman type work. Would give you peace of mind when washing, as well as make your customers house a safer place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Everett Abrams 501 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 I didn't want to name names! Actually, it is very cool for Dale to share something like this so others can learn from it. There are many who probably think "that won't happen to me." Then... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firedkm 14 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 Alan, The cover that was on the outlet was a "waterproof" cover. The owner told me it has been there since the house was built. He just forgot it was there. The wiring in the house was aluminum so that tells you how old the house is. At least now I will pay more attention to this and be more carefull about the outlets. I really dont want a situation like this again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 533 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 Quickie fix, cover with duct tape before washing. Now I know this won't help if you don't see any electrical outlets but for those that see one and it is not protected or weather proofed the tape works. Test a spot first as you might end up pealing paint or part of the house off when removing the tape. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bill3752 14 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 I cover outlet, and over top of fixture with duct tape - if there is not a good seal, the water can work behind the fixture. Also ask to turn off breakers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paul-uk 500 Report post Posted June 9, 2004 thanks for sharing dale.....just goes to show that plants are not the only thing you should worry about when you roll up to a job.........i think this thread should be a sticky one. cheers paul. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stoppie101 20 Report post Posted June 10, 2004 did that happen from water getting inside the outlet? can you give further details Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firedkm 14 Report post Posted June 10, 2004 Yes this happened from water getting into the outlet. The water shorted out the circuit and popped the breaker. When the home owner reset the breaker he said he heard some popping noises and the breaker tripped again. Then he was able to reset it aftrewards. I did not find out that he heard any kind of noise untill lastnight when I went back to replace the outlet cover with a new one. I wish he said something when I was doing the job there in the first place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James 625 Report post Posted June 10, 2004 The home owner assumes liablity that his house is safe to work on !!! not your fault you can get hurt !! This happened to me on a house that never should of past inspection. On further review of the houses electrical system. The house could of burnt down any time it rained. Old houses duct tape !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted June 10, 2004 Things like this can happen very easily. I'm willing to bet at some point we'll all go down that or a similar path. How many of us have had planter that we move for a little old lady crumble when you do so? Dale, at least everyone is safe and it was an easy fix and that's the important part. I know we look at the siding before we wash, but it might not be a bad idea to look at outlets, although I guess unless you took it apart you wouldn't know about the issue that lay waiting for a victim. Beth Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firedkm 14 Report post Posted June 11, 2004 The home owner assumes liablity that his house is safe to work on !!! not your fault you can get hurt !! This happened to me on a house that never should of past inspection. On further review of the houses electrical system. The house could of burnt down any time it rained. Old houses duct tape !! James, I understand what you are saying. However in the court of law I would have been the cause to make the damage happen. Even if its a problem that was allready there. This is where a thorough inspection of the premise is to our benefit and make sure its written down on the estimate that is signed by both you and the homeowner. Even If I saw this I never would have dreamed this would have happened. This little incident has me really thinking about becoming an LLC. All I would need is my liabiltiy insurance not cover something like this and loosing what I do have from my years of working. My lawyer keeps telling me I cant loose my house but I am really not sure I want to find out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aplus 525 Report post Posted June 11, 2004 It's also a good idea to avoid excessive water around electrical meters, which could have leaking areas as well. And look up, to make sure you don't bump overhead wires. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beyoungsr 14 Report post Posted June 12, 2004 We use the nylon oulet inserts that are sold for babies. These are used regardless if there is a weather proff cover. So far they work great. Was the outlet on a GFIC circuit? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firedkm 14 Report post Posted June 12, 2004 No it was not a gfi circuit. This was the original outlet from the time the house was built. The outlet inserts that you have would not have worked. The cover was mounted flush against a brick wall. The water went down the brick behind the outlet cover. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redinbaugh 14 Report post Posted June 25, 2004 fluke makes a nifty little electrical tester that is easy to use with your gloves on.It's 5 in long and about the size of a marker. When you touch an outlet or even a wire that is energized the tip lights up red. No small switches or wires to poke in. FLUKE volt alert 1AC-A www.fluke.com http://www.fluke.com/products/home.asp?SID=2&AGID=3&PID=3394 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
