Basement water is a familiar problem in Philadelphia. Heavy summer thunderstorms can overwhelm drains, much of the older city runs on a combined sewer system that can back up into basement floor drains during big storms, and a burst pipe or failed water heater can flood a basement on a dry day. In September 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded low-lying parts of the city, including Manayunk along the Schuylkill and Eastwick in Southwest Philadelphia.
In most rowhouses, the basement is also where the washer, dryer, chest freezer and often a second refrigerator live, along with the gas meter and the electrical panel. That makes the first hours after a flood a safety problem before it's a repair problem. This checklist covers what to do, in order, for the appliances we work on.
Step one: safety before anything else
- If you smell gas, leave. Get everyone out, don't touch light switches or unplug anything, and call PGW or 911 from outside.
- Don't walk into standing water near outlets or appliances that may still be powered. Water and live electrical equipment are a dangerous combination.
- Shut off power only if you can do it safely. If the electrical panel is in the flooded basement and you'd have to stand in water to reach it, don't. Call PECO or an electrician and wait.
- Treat sewer backup as contaminated. Wear boots and gloves, keep children and pets out, and expect a professional cleanup.
Step two: the appliance-by-appliance checklist
The question for each appliance is simple: did water reach the motor, controls, wiring or gas components? If it did, the appliance should not be switched back on until it's been inspected.
| Appliance | If water reached it | Do not | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washer | Motor, pump, control board and wiring sit low in the cabinet and get wet first | Plug it in "to see if it works" | Leave it unplugged; have it inspected once the area is dry |
| Electric dryer | Heating element, motor and wiring at the base may have been submerged | Run a load to dry it out | Unplugged, inspected before use; replace soaked vent duct |
| Gas dryer | Gas valve, igniter and burner assembly at the bottom are vulnerable | Relight it or open the gas to it | Keep it disconnected from gas until a qualified pro inspects it |
| Chest or upright freezer | Compressor, start relay and wiring at the base | Restart a unit whose compressor area sat in water | Move food to safe cold storage; have the unit checked |
| Basement refrigerator | Same low-mounted components as a freezer | Plug it back in wet | Inspection; throw out food that touched floodwater |
| Furnace or water heater | Gas controls and burners | Relight or reset | These belong to a plumber or HVAC contractor, not an appliance tech |
Why "it dried out" isn't good enough
Floodwater carries silt, sewage and debris, and it leaves residue on circuit boards, motor windings and terminals even after it evaporates. That residue can cause short circuits or corrosion weeks later. On gas appliances, a valve that has been submerged may not close the way it should. That's why gas controls exposed to floodwater are generally replaced rather than reused. A machine that powers on after a flood isn't necessarily safe.
Some appliances will be total losses, particularly if sewage reached them. Others, where water only touched the cabinet base, may be fine after inspection and cleaning. An honest repair-or-replace answer depends on what got wet and for how long.
Food in a flooded basement freezer
- Throw out any food that came in contact with floodwater, including sealed packages, unless they are commercially canned and can be properly sanitized according to food-safety guidance.
- If the freezer stayed dry but lost power, keep it closed. A full freezer holds its temperature much longer than a half-empty one.
- Use a thermometer, not a guess. Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can usually be refrozen; anything warmer for too long should go.
Document for insurance before you clean up
Photograph the water line on each appliance, the model and serial labels, and the floor. Write down when the water arrived and when it receded. Keep damaged appliances until your adjuster says otherwise if you're filing a claim.
Getting ready for the next storm
- Keep the floor drain clear and ask a plumber whether a backwater valve makes sense for your house.
- Raise what you can. A sturdy pedestal or platform made for the purpose can lift a washer and dryer above minor flooding.
- Put a water alarm on the basement floor so you know early, even when you're upstairs.
- Know your shutoffs. Find the main breaker and the gas meter valve location now, while the basement is dry. Leave the gas valve itself to PGW or a qualified pro.
If you live in a flood-prone part of Manayunk or Southwest Philadelphia and Eastwick, these steps are worth doing before the next storm season. The storm and power outage checklist covers outages that don't involve water.
Sources
When to call: once the basement is safe and dry, and gas and electrical systems have been checked by the right people, our washer, dryer and freezer repair technicians can inspect flooded appliances and give you a written estimate, including a straight answer on whether repair makes sense.