How Does Smoke Impact Electronics?

6/24/2021 (Permalink)

The best thing to do is to keep backups of all your most important files.

How Does Smoke Impact Electronics?

Electronics are extremely delicate items. As part of the fire cleanup efforts, you need to make sure the professionals have a chance to look at any electronics that could have been impacted by the flames. Smoke damage can make electrical devices no longer work, causing you to lose valuable data. Although it is impossible to guarantee every device can be saved, it is important to at least try.

1. Damage

When soot covers your electronics, they become more prone to overheating. Additionally, further damage occurs when the soot actually gets inside the devices. Soot causes a black film to develop over all of the heat-producing components. Soot is also highly acidic. Acid can destroy metal and cause many metal parts to disintegrate or discolor over time.

2. Restoration

You should not attempt to turn on any devices until a professional has a chance to look at it. You may end up doing more harm than good, and it is dangerous to deal with acidic soot without the proper safety precautions. As part of the cleanup process, experts will remove the batteries from all devices, because they can combust from excessive heat.

3. Prevention

The best thing to do is to keep backups of all your most important files. When professionals attempt to salvage a computer, the thing they are really doing is trying to salvage the hard drive. Keeping backups is a good idea for any kind of disaster, not just fire cleanup. From flooding to storm damage, keeping backups in a secure location will provide you with peace of mind.

Even if you manage to keep all the data secure, it is still costly to have to replace the actual units. Your insurance in Cedar Creek, TX, may cover some of the cost, but it is a hassle to get a completely new computer, television or another electric unit. Do not allow smoke damage to upend your life when effective fire cleanup is available.