SERVPRO Cleans Smoke-Damaged Electronics

4/5/2022 (Permalink)

When you experience a fire in your home or business the damage that’s caused is not limited to what was damaged by the actual fire itself. Smoke from the burning materials leaves a thick layer of soot and other contaminants on everything that it touches even when you can’t necessarily see it. These left behind smoke particles can cause further damage to your home and the items in it. This is particularly true of electronics. Even if the electronics were not damaged by the heat of the fire, it is likely that there is a layer of smoke particles covering the insides of the equipment.  This can be dangerous as if these items are turned back on without first being cleaned the soot can cause them to short out and potentially catch fire.

There are two main ways that smoke damage can affect electronics. First is that smoke is acidic. If left unchecked these particles can slowly eat away at and degrade the materials inside your equipment. Secondly, it can act as an insulator. Smoke coats the insides of the electronics and reduces their ability to dissipate heat. This can lead to the equipment overheating.

While you should always have your electronics inspected by a professional after a fire to ensure there is no damage done to them here are a few things to look out for as signs that there may be hidden smoke damage in your equipment.

• Equipment smells like smoke when turned on or plugged in.
• They get hotter than usual during use
• Unexpected noises

If you encounter any of these things after a fire during use of your electronics you should turn them off and unplug them immediately and have them inspected and cleaned by professionals.

Here at SERVPRO of Elizabeth City/Outer Banks our team is highly trained in smoke damage mitigation and is able to use special equipment and cleaners to help remove smoke and lower the chances of damaging the electronics. From clean up to reconstruction, if you experience a fire in your home or business, give us a call and let us know how we can help make it “like it never even happened.”