Some areas of the island are starting to get power back. Follow these safety tips before turning the power back on in your home. Doing this will help prevent fires.
Before turning the power back on:
• Do not turn on breakers while standing in water. Call an electrician.
• If any electrical wiring, receptacles or equipment were submerged in water during the storm, you should hire a licensed electrician to inspect the equipment prior to returning it to service. In most cases, any electrical wiring that came into contact with salt water will need to be removed and replaced.
• Cord connected appliances should be disconnected from their outlets until they have been inspected, repaired and certified to be safe for service by a qualified service technician or licensed electrician. This includes large appliances such as washer and dryers, refrigerators, ranges and any other small appliances.
• Circuits containing permanently affixed appliances such as garbage disposers, dishwashers and built in appliances should remain off until the circuits and appliances can be certified to be safe by a qualified service technician or a licensed electrician.
• If water has entered your heating or mechanical equipment, be sure to have it inspected by a qualified service technician prior to returning it to service. Failure to do so could produce a shock, endangering your life and may destroy equipment.
• Do not use any water-damaged appliance until a professional has checked it out.
