Outlet got wet not working? If water has gotten inside an electrical outlet it is probably going to short circuit and trip a fuse or breaker. What happens next depends on the safety of your electrical system and how it has been wired. Water in an electrical socket poses an immediate safety risk so consult with a registered electrician and don’t attempt to do any work yourself if you don’t know what you are doing.
This post aims to provide some information so you can make an informed decision about what to do next.
Electrical Outlet Regulations
Most countries have rules around where you can and cannot install an electrical outlet.
For example, there are set heights above the floor where an electrical outlet can be installed (300mm usually).
This is because if water pipes burst or there is a flood for whatever reason then the electrical outlets won’t get wet and become a hazard.
If an electrical outlet has to be located in a ‘wet area’, such as close to a water basin for example, then they need to have a specific IP rating which protects them from the electrical terminals inside from getting wet.
Of course, if you live in an old house before such regulations were implemented then you might have power points that break all of these rules.
In my experience, most outlets that get wet and burn out and stop working happen because the installer hasn’t followed the regulations surrounding electrical outlets.
Outlet Got Wet Not Working? Here Is Why
Water getting inside an outlet causes a short circuit. A short circuit as explained here, occurs when the live wire comes in contact with the neutral wire. Water can cause this to happen because household water is conductive.
If a short circuit isn’t stopped, then the electrical outlet and wiring will melt eventually causing a fire in the house.
Luckily, when a short circuit happens a circuit breaker should trip. This is to prevent a fire from developing and is a protective measure for your home’s wiring system.
Outlet Got Wet Not Working? – Reason #1
Tripped Breaker
As mentioned above, a tripped breaker is the most likely reason why the outlet is not working. Before resetting the breaker, make sure that the outlet is dry. This might mean leaving the outlet to dry out for a few days. Don’t touch the outlet in any way unless you know what you’re doing.
If you try resetting the breaker it may trip again. If it trips, this will be because the outlet is still wet. In this case it might be a good idea to wait a bit longer for it to dry.
If the breaker doesn’t trip again, then that might mean that the short circuit is no longer occurring and the outlet is working.
Outlet Got Wet Not Working? – Reason #2
Burnt Outlet
If the outlet is of a cheaper variety, it may have just burnt out. This is common in our experience. The short circuit would have caused a lot of heat which would have simply burnt the plastic inside the breaker. A classic sign of this is a weird smell coming from the electrical outlet. Some have said this can smell like dead animal, ozone, ammonia, fish and other weird smells. If this has happened you will most likely need to contact an electrician to replace the outlet.
Conclusion
Outlet got wet not working? A short circuit caused by the water will have caused a circuit breaker or fuse to blow. The solution to this is to wait for the outlet to dry and then reset the breaker. If the outlet appears melted or gives off a weird smell, then it is time to call the electrician to replace the outlet.
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