What happens when you accidentally spill water into an electrical outlet?

Jun 15, 2007 2 Replies

Ok, So I got home today from class and my brothers tell me that my youngest brother had splashed some water into the outlet when he washed his hands at the sink. Next there was a grinding sound, kind of like a garbage disposal...but no puff of smoke.



Afterwards, everything seemed to be working fine, but a little later, four of our outlets stopped working. ( this includes the original outlet where the water was splashed into)



I've already gone out to check if it tripped the circuit...which it did not. ( but i reset it just in case) Still no electricity.



I've also taken it out to examine the wires and there is no sign or charring, burning, or carbonization. there was some water left inside which we tried to soak up with a towell. still the outlets don't work.



I read the other discussion where the guy left it alone for a day and the next day everything worked fine...but the thing is...I'm not sure why the other three outlets stopped working as well?



Please....any help would be great!



Thank you in advance



If the house meets any current building codes, the outlet must have been on a GFCI circuit or a GFCI itself. If it was not a GFCI if could have been wired on the output side of a GFCI outlet somewhere else, along with the 4 outlets. Replace this outlet, and then go find the GFCI that is tripped and reset it.

I think you tripped a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter). One of the four will have a GFCI and the other three are wired downstream from it. Reset the GFCI after you're sure the outlet is dry.

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