rowan_butler93•19d agoProlific Poster

That basement job in Oak Park where the panel flooded mid-install

I was swapping out an old DSC panel for a new Vista 20p in a finished basement near Oak Park. About halfway through wiring the keypad, the sump pump failed and water started seeping across the floor. I threw towels down and lifted the panel onto a bucket, but the backup battery got soaked before I could yank it. Had to explain to the homeowner why their new system would need another visit and a fresh battery. Ended up drilling a small drain channel in the floor the next day to keep water away. Anyone else deal with a surprise flood during an install?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_riley19d ago

Man, that's a rough one. I had a similar thing happen years ago in a walkout basement in Naperville where the homeowner's kid left a garden hose running against the foundation wall. By the time I noticed, water was trickling right over the new keypad wires I had just stripped. @white.alex is right about that moment of panic when you're thinking about all your gear getting ruined. I ended up having to come back the next Saturday to replace that keypad and seal up a crack in the foundation block with hydraulic cement. The homeowner was just happy I didn't charge extra for the drywall patching I had to do on the water stain. It's funny how the worst installs always turn into the best stories at the supply house.

white.alex19d ago

Better than finding the water after you've packed up and left (which I've also done, not fun). At least you got to be the hero with a drain channel fix instead of just the guy who brought a flood into their lives. Hope the homeowner at least offered you a beer for your troubles.

the_miles19d ago

And that's the thing about getting to be the hero with a drain channel. Most homeowners don't really remember the problem, they remember how you handled it. If you just clean up and say sorry, you're the guy who flooded their basement. But if you show up the next day with a hammer and a cold chisel and cut a little trench to the floor drain, now you're the guy who saved their basement from the next rainstorm too. I've learned that going that extra step on a screw up like that builds more trust than ten perfect installs. Plus it gives you a story to tell at the next supply house run.