Why It's Important to Fix Roof Leaks

The fire that happened behind our home really put us on the edge. The fire started because water leaked in the room and an outlet got wet. It was the firewall that saved our home. Soon after, the ceiling in our kitchen started leaking. The water poured out from the kitchen lights. 

It was scary. The lights were on and water just suddenly started pouring out from it. We immediately turned off the lights and called for help from an electrician. He advised not to turn on any of the lights and turn off the circuit breaker switch for the area.

The incident was a blessing in disguise. We were told by the people who we bought the house from that the house electrical system was new. They couldn't give us an electrical plan, so an electrical audit was made. The result was five pages of required fixes. To make a long story short, we had everything re-wired and a new circuit breaker panel was customized for our home. 

The same issue recently happened to my childhood home. The house has been overdue for renovation since it's already over 50 years old. Our helper reported the incident and said that the area where water came in smelled like "electricity". We advised her not to turn on any lights in the area or use any of the outlets. 

Water in the bulb

Since we're planning to do something with the property, we decided to terminate the electricity that was attached to the roof. We originally planned to have the electrician just turn off the switch to the floor. He advised that it wasn't possible since the switch was also connected to the ground floor. He and his assistant ended up terminating the lights individually. They also checked the rest of the house to ensure nothing untoward happens while we're still planning what to do. 

54-year old cables

Electricity + water = disaster. Our electrician explained to us that it's important to make sure your electrical system is healthy. It's important to have a proper circuit breaker panel for your home. He said most fires happen in developing areas because they don't have proper circuit breakers. Usually if an appliance catches fire, the circuit breaker will shut down and prevent the fire from traveling through the wires. 

So, check for leaks in your home. It may come from your ceiling or windows or from flooding. I am amazed how my childhood home withstood so many typhoons and floods. My Tito Bert built us a really sturdy and safe home. Make your home safe too. 

#BeKind #StaySafe