Important Steps To Take When Your Fish Tank Floods Your Home

Nothing is more soothing and stress relieving than sitting and watching fish in a large tank swimming lazily back and forth. However, if a large fish tank cracks or experiences another problem that causes it to flood your home, you may wonder about the best way to clean it up. You should know that the water in a fish tank is considered grey water and contains contaminants that are harmful to your health. Follow these tips for ensuring that your home is as clean as it was before your fish tank flooded it.

The Water From Your Fish Tank Contains Hazardous Pathogens

When fish urinate and defecate in their water, it is the reason you must maintain regular tank changes, and it is the reason the tank water is considered grey. If your fish tank cracks or floods for other reasons like pump failure, you will have grey water in your floor that is considered a health hazard. Feces and urine from your fish will go into your carpeting and flooring. If your tank is extremely large, the water can even soak into fabrics on furniture as well, like the skirting around the bottom of your couch. Never let water stand in your floor while you wait for someone to come and help. Soaking up the flooded water as soon as possible will help to reduce the amount of pathogens left behind in your floor and furnishings. Contacting water damage professionals is a good idea after you soak up as much water as possible because they can provide water extraction that will pull moisture and pathogens out of your flooring and fabrics.

Drying Out Your Home Helps Prevent A Double Whammy

Mycobacterium and stenotrophomonas are two strains of bacteria that grow in mold and have been found to favor the environment of water-damaged homes. If your carpeting and other water-damaged property is not dried out and properly sanitized, you could end up with these bacteria in your home on top of the grey water pathogens that may still be lurking in your carpeting. For this reason, contacting professional water damage experts is best because they have the equipment, like huge driers and specially-designed exhaust fans, for cleaning up your home so it will not be a health risk to you and your family.

Learning more about how to prevent your fish tank from leaking or flooding is extremely important to prevent it from causing serious property damage and health hazards. If you worry a new tank will crack like your old one, be sure to have a professional set it up for you to avoid flooding mishaps in the future.

For more information, contact Accutech Restoration or a similar company.

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