Pre- and post-flood pro tips for Wisconsin Homeowners at a loss. Courtesy of our Master Tradesman.

1. Your Home Flooded. Now What? (Immediate first steps)
2. Don’t Make It Worse (Mistakes to avoid)
3. Making Sure It Never Happens Again (Including whom to call in case of disaster)

1) Your Home Flooded. Now What?

Start here if floodwater touched any major system in your home, including your furnace, electrical panel, water heater, or sump pump!

• Remember: “It still works” doesn’t mean it’s safe to use.

We hear it all the time:

“My furnace turned back on just fine.”
“The water heater fired right up.”
“Everything seems to be in working order.”

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Flooded systems often work after the storm—and still fail catastrophically later.

Water damage is more than what you can see.

• Understand that floodwater isn’t just water.

It’s…well, sewage. And it carries all kinds of sediment and debris—not to mention a serious electrical risk.

If it reached any controls, wiring, motors, burners, or circuit boards, your system’s reliability is compromised. This has a way of revealing itself at the worst of times, so proceed with caution.

• Determine what needs inspection and/or replacement.

This depends on how deep the flooding was, but here’s the checklist we always start with:

✔ Electrical Panels & Breakers

Corrosion doesn’t show up overnight. It builds silently, then fails suddenly. If water touched your panel or breakers, replace them. Period.

✔ Furnace and A/C Units

Water + electronics = future failure. Always. If any of it reached your control board, blower, gas valve, or circuiting of any kind, don’t trust it. It is now at risk of shorting, overheating, or shutting down in an emergency.

✔ Water Heater(s)

Ironically, these systems aren’t built for submersion. If water got into the base or burner tray, you’re living on borrowed time. Again, this also goes for any electrical controls.

✔ Sump Pumps, Sewage Ejectors &  Well Systems

If the pump sat underwater, it may have powered off—or it could just be running until it overheats. Call in a professional to check your motors, float switches, check valves, and control panels. Otherwise, the next time your sump pump fails, your basement is guaranteed to flood again.

2) Don’t Make It Worse

• “Can’t I just dry everything out?”

If only it were so simple. Unfortunately, here’s what you’re up against:

• Moisture sealed inside components
• Internal corrosion eating away from the inside
• Contaminated boards from dirty floodwater
• Warranty voids the moment water hit it

“Dry” isn’t always dry. Nor is it safe—or reliable.

• “Insurance told me to wait…”

Some adjusters might suggest waiting. They’re trying to manage claims.

But our Master Tradesman will tell you straight:

If water touched it, and it carries power, it needs to be inspected or replaced. Period.

The cost of ignoring it could be a failed furnace in the dead of winter. A fried panel in the middle of the night. A flooded basement because the pump gave up (the one you thought was “working”). Or a fire sparked by water-damaged wiring you couldn’t see.

Don’t wait. It’s not worth it the risk!

What To Do If You’re Not Sure

Book a post-flood safety inspection.

We send licensed pros who know plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.
One call. One team. Nothing missed.

Document everything.

Photos. Water lines. Model numbers. Receipts.
It helps with insurance—and protects your peace of mind.

Don’t wait for failure.

Because if we’re honest?
It’s already in motion.

We’ve Been Through This Before. We Know What Fails Later.

We’ve walked into homes six weeks after a flood where all the hidden damage finally manifested. Control boards exploded, panels rusted from the inside out, furnaces shorted on startup. All that nice stuff.

So please, don’t leave it to guesswork. Just book with us or call Austin Plumbing, Heating & Air at 📞 (262) 367-3808.

3) Making Sure It Never Happens Again

Southeastern Wisconsin got absolutely stomped. Use this info to your advantage so your home isn’t impacted by the next storm that hits us:

• Install a Backwater Valve (and Stop Sewage at the Door)

If your floor drain turned into a geyser during the flood, here’s what likely happened:

The city sewer backed up—and your house was the lowest point of escape.

That’s where a backwater valve comes in.

What It Does:

• Acts like a one-way trap door.
• Let’s sewage flow out of your home.
• Slams shut when pressure builds in the city sewer line—keeping raw sewage from coming back in.

How We Install It:

• Excavation: We cut and jackhammer an 18” x 3’ section of your concrete basement floor.
• Valve retrofit: We hand-dig to your existing sewer line, install the backwater valve, and often add a new foundation cleanout.
• Service access: We extend a capped port to the basement floor so the valve can be serviced in the future.
• Patch & finish: We backfill the area and patch the concrete.

⚠️ Heads up:

• This is real construction work—dust, concrete, and noise.
• The valve can slightly restrict normal flow, which may lead to more frequent clogs.
• And during a city backup, your house can’t drain either—until the city pressure lets up.

Still worth it? Absolutely.
It’s the difference between a close call and a sewage-filled basement. Yeah…exactly.

• Upgrade Your Sump Pump System (Because the Builder Grade Isn’t Enough)

Most sump pumps are sized for a light rainstorm—not a flood-level deluge. If yours couldn’t keep up during the storm, or you don’t know how old it is, it’s time to take a hard look.

What Your Home Actually Needs:

• A high-capacity primary pump that can handle real volume
• A battery backup pump (because your main pump doesn’t work if the power’s out)
• A properly designed discharge line that won’t clog, freeze, or backflow

At Austin, we build sump systems designed for Wisconsin weather—not the Florida codebook!

💡 Bonus tip: If you heard your pump running constantly during the storm, that’s not a good thing. It means it was barely keeping up—and next time, it might not.

• Add a Whole-Home Generator (So Your House Doesn’t Go Dark When It Matters Most)

When the power went out, your sump pump stopped. That’s how a lot of basements lost the fight.

A whole-home standby generator kicks on automatically when your power fails. It doesn’t just keep the lights on—it powers the systems that protect your home:

• Sump pump
• Furnace
• A/C
• Refrigerator
• Medical equipment
• Security systems

Installed properly, a generator keeps your house running like nothing happened. Even when the neighbors are bailing water with shop-vacs.

You Only Have to Flood Once to Learn

If you made it through the storm with a wet basement and a pit in your stomach, we get it. You’re not alone—and you’re not powerless.

We’ve been building flood defense systems in Wisconsin for decades. We know what works. And we know that protection is always better and easier than cleanup.

Want a home that’s storm-ready, not storm-prone? Be proactive!

Let’s build your defense system now. BEFORE the next flood warning hits. 🙂