How long for an electrical socket to dry?

July 2024

1) Is water in an electrical outlet safe?

Water in an electrical outlet is definitely not safe. The amount of water it takes to affect the safety of the socket can vary though. A dry socket will function quite happily but as small amounts of water leak into the workings, onto the wiring behind and around the socket, it can be badly affected quite quickly. 

Immediate action should be taken when wet outlets are discovered. The best thing to do is shut off the power to the affected electrical circuit and call for professional help. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET TO DRY OUT? That all depends on how much water has entered and for how long. 

2) How much water is ok?

A small spray of water on the face of the socket if quickly removed is unlikely to cause a real problem. In this case, it’s best to turn off the power supply, dab the excess water off with some absorbent material and then wait a couple of hours before reinstating the supply to the wall sockets. 

A larger amount of water is likely to be a lot more dangerous. In cases where the water damage is worse, there is a risk of a short circuit , electrical shock, circuit breaker damage through tripping and even electrical fire. 

Simply because there is a wet electrical outlet, does not mean that the fuse box will blow a wire or a fuse or that the consumer unit or electrical panel will trip a breaker. It is sensible to locate your electrical panel or consumer unit yourself and turn off the affected portion of the electrical system. 

If you are unsure what your electrical panel or consumer unit looks like, it is normally a rectangular box with switches on the front face. The box can be located almost anywhere although usually on the ground floor or basement level of the property. 

Common areas where a breaker box or electrical panel might be located are:

• Garage
• Basement
• Under Stairs
• Near front door

3) Should I have the Socket Outlet Replaced?

It’s a good idea to have a wet outlet replaced to prevent electric shock, damage to the electrical wiring or future problems with the outlet. Whilst it is not always cheap to hire an emergency electrician, your safety is important in your home and electrical systems are dangerous. 

The electrician will not simply swap the socket outlet and should perform a couple of safety tests whilst they are there. Things like checking the earth fault loop path and resistance along the circuit to ensure that the new socket is installed safely. 

What can cause water to get into electrical outlets?

All electrical components are affected by water and when water enters it can ruin delicate electronics and other equipment as the flow of electricity is allowed to pass through places it shouldn’t. 

Water can enter into the property from various places and make its way into the electrical system. Water finds a path along cables and can drip down wall voids and into electrical equipment very easily.

Burst pipes, faulty connections on drainage and sewage, roof leaks, gutter problems and accidental spills are all common reasons for severe cases of water ingress into electrical equipment. 

4) Can I use a wet outlet?

A wet outlet or wet GFCI outlet (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) will almost certainly deal you an electric shock. Serious injuries can occur from electrical shocks and as such, it is not safe to use a water-damaged outlet, even if only a small amount of water has entered the wiring and outlet. 

If you are at all unsure of the safety of the plug socket outlet, please call a professional electrician to come check and replace the outlet for you. 

5) Can a wet outlet ever be re-used?

Once water has entered electrical components, it can leave behind minerals and salts as deposits. These can be a conductive path for electrical current to pass through meaning that the socket outlet could short out or cause intermittent tripping of Circuit breakers, ground-fault current interrupters (GFCI) and residual current devices (RCD) in the future. 

6) Plug socket crackling?

If water has entered the plug socket and there is now a crackling sound, this is indicative of electrical arcing taking place.

Arcing is a serious situation that involve electricity jumping an air gap to make connections. When this occurs, there are very high temperatures created that can cause electrical fires, wiring damage and risk to property. 

7) Summary 

The best way of dealing with water in an electrical socket outlet is to make the electrics safe and then call a qualified electrician. 

The electrician may remove the outlet temporarily, disconnect the circuit to prevent a high risk of wiring damage and return to install a new outlet in around 24 hours. This should allow sufficient drying time for cabling in most cases. 

The electrician can perform some electrical testing to determine if the wiring has been affected and to what extent. In cases where a serious flood has occurred, a complete rewire of the affected parts of the electrical system may be necessary. 

Water in any part of the electrical system is likely to cause problems and introduce danger, in the event of water ingress, it’s important to make safe the electrics and then have the source of the leak repaired before replacing electrical components or accessories.