The tile saw kicked water into my outlet and fried the whole circuit

I was retiling my shower in Denver last Saturday, about halfway through cutting the subway tiles for the niche. My cheap wet saw was sitting on a drop cloth, and I didn't notice the extension cord was lying in a puddle. One big kickback sent a splash right into the outlet on the wall, and the breaker tripped with a loud pop. Half the room went dark, and the saw stopped mid cut. I had to wait 20 minutes for the outlet to dry out before I could flip the breaker back on, but the GFCI was dead. Ended up replacing the outlet myself after watching a YouTube video, and now I keep all cords taped up off the floor. Has anyone else had water wreck their power tools during a bathroom job?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_sanchez7d ago

Ha, gotta love DIY electrician adventures after a YouTube crash course. Pretty sure you didn't wait 20 minutes for the outlet to dry out though, you waited for the GFCI to reset itself or for the moisture to clear enough to not blow the breaker again. That little reset button can be finicky when it's damp, so next time just unplug everything and hit the test and reset buttons a few times before you go replacing the whole thing. Glad you got it sorted though, that's the main thing.

blair707d ago

Oh man, that's a good point about the GFCI reset... I read something similar in a wiring book from the 80s my dad had lying around. It said sometimes those buttons get sticky from dust or moisture and you gotta work them a bit before they catch properly. The test button is supposed to simulate a fault, so pressing it a few times can clear any minor shorts or dampness inside the mechanism. I think a lot of folks just yank the whole outlet instead of trying that first.

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