Flooded Basement

[Evolutionizer]

I installed a complete new system for a customer around the first week in January. I was woke up this morning by him calling to say that water was in the basement and the furnace wasn't working now. The water was from a busted well pipe down there filling up the basement faster than the sump could keep up.
Anyway to keep this from being as long as it could be, I went over there to check it out and found the water line was about 4 to 5 inches up the furnace. I did a visual inspection and no components had any signs of water coming in contact with it but the water was high enough to cover part of the blower assembly and the fan motor had evident water marks from the blower wheel splashing water everywhere. After the flood waters receded I cycled the furnace and it ran fine, no apparent noises from the motor and the furnace seemed to run just like the day I installed it. He's going to file an insurance claim on the incident and my question is with it being only a month old do I suggest replacement? My concern is not what I saw today but what slow problems might occur due to this. Corrosion on wire connections a year from now? Mold in the insulation in the exchanger compartment? Its going to take more than a quick visual to really tell the extent of the possible damage. He knows that I will need to inspect it further for the ins. adjuster and I don't want him to be plagued with a problem furnace for the next 15 years. If this has happened to you, what did you do? What would you suggest?

[mrlighturfire]

If it was me I would replace everything in the blower compartment not blower housing but motor and any electrical component in blower compartment. Also if check out insulation you do not want mold to build up in there but being a one time freak accident mold will probably not be present. I would see if insulation is dry though even if I had to take blow dryer to it it would at least let the home owner that you care in my opinion.

[dejomatic]

Most equipment instructions include something about avoiding water in the unit, or replacing damages components, or the whole unit if in a flood of any kind. This may help ins. adjuster in replacing it. I would replace it if they will do it. Long term health of the unit would be my concern as well.

[jrbenny]

GAMA recommends complete replacement of the equipment that has been flooded.

The Letter

[cem-bsee]

from your description of the visual evidence, it does not seem to me that anything else needs to be done --

but--
what devices were under water?
splashing does not count --

if it was mine,
& motor immersed = rinse with tap water
& electronic board immersed = rinse with distilled water
most other devices = rinse
gas valve = replace [for others, probably would just action check my own over 2 months, then carefully for next heating season startup]
let air dry overnight [ in area with RH% < 50 ]

I have washed many motors -- especially cheap fans --

[Mrfixit39]

Change it

[skippedover]

I'd recommend replacement if the insurance company is paying. If the HO is paying, I'd probably replace the board and the blower motor. As long as the gas valve didn't get wet, that should be okay. If the gas valve got wet at all, it too needs to be replaced. Likely you can make a strong case for total replacement by pricing out the control board and motor.

[bmathews]

A lot of it will depend on what the insurance company is willing to pay for. Most likely, they are not going to pay to replace the entire unit. If the HO wants too and is going to pay for it, then that is their decision. Your intentions are good, but I truly believe you are jumping the gun a bit. You can suggest all you want, but you don't have the say in it. My experience with insurance companies are that they will not and if the HO insists, then he will end up paying for it in higher premiums.

[cmajerus]

everything electrical in the blower compartment, motor, board, limits, what ever.

[sline-dawg]

Insurance company isn't responsible for the furnace warranty.... screw them.. .... If unit was 10 years old they would want to say it was worn out..

Replace it

[bmathews]

Insurance company isn't responsible for the furnace warranty.... screw them.. .... If unit was 10 years old they would want to say it was worn out..

Replace it

If the insurance company won't pay for it and the HO doesn't have the money or doesn't want to pay for it. Who is supposed to pay for it? The Evolutionizer? He did nothing wrong. Its not his fault. I would let it be known to everybody involved that you won't warrany any electrical components that could potentially be affected. But otherwise, the decision isn't up to the Evolution.