Why water finds the light first
When a bathroom, laundry or kitchen leaks on an upper floor, water spreads across the subfloor above your ceiling and looks for a way down. The holes cut in drywall for light boxes, fan housings and recessed cans are ready-made drains. That is why a leak from a tub overflow or a washer hose so often announces itself as a drip from a fixture rather than a stain in the middle of the ceiling.
In many older Englewood bungalows and two-story homes, ceiling fixtures were added or replaced over decades, and the wiring above them may be a mix of eras. Some boxes are metal and grounded; some are not. You cannot see which from below, so the safe assumption is that the box is live and wet until a breaker says otherwise.
A recessed can light can hold a surprising amount of water in its housing and insulation. Even after the drip slows, the fixture may stay wet inside for a day or more. Turning it back on to see whether it still works is one of the most common mistakes people make.
What to do, in order
Work from the source of the danger outward. The water above the ceiling will not get worse in the two minutes it takes to make the room safe.
Keep everyone out of the room
Close the door if you can do so without stepping in water. Children and anyone unsteady should stay well clear of the wet floor.
Kill power at the panel, if the panel is dry
Find the breaker for that room or circuit and switch it off. If the labels are vague, switch off several likely circuits, or the main breaker, as long as you are standing on a dry floor with dry hands.
Stop the water upstairs
Go to the room above and look for the source: a running tub, a toilet, a washer, a leaking supply under a vanity. Close the fixture shutoff or the main water valve.
Catch the drip without standing under it
Once the circuit is off, put a bucket or a tote on the floor under the fixture and towels around it. Do not remove the glass shade or the fixture yourself.
Photograph before anything is moved
Take a short video of the ceiling, the fixture, the floor and the source upstairs. Insurers and repair people both find it useful.
Leave the circuit off
Keep the breaker off until an electrician has looked at the fixture and the box, even if everything appears dry by morning.
Who to call first
The order depends on what you can see once the room is safe.
- IfThere is smoke, sparking, a burning smell or someone got a shockThenCall 911 and get everyone out. Nothing else comes first.
- IfThe ceiling around the fixture is sagging or bulgingThenKeep people out of the room below; a heavy, waterlogged ceiling can come down. Treat it as the bulging-ceiling situation and keep clear.
- IfThe source is stopped and power to the circuit is offThenAsk an electrician to inspect the fixture, and arrange a moisture inspection for the ceiling and the floor above.
- IfYou cannot find or stop the sourceThenClose the main water valve for the house. If it will not close, call Englewood's water utility (or whichever provider is on your water bill) about shutting water at the curb.
Common questions
Can I just let the fixture dry out and turn it back on?
It is safer not to. Water can leave corrosion and residue inside the box and the fixture that cause problems later. Have an electrician look at it before the circuit goes back on.
Should I poke a hole in the ceiling to let water out?
Not near a light fixture. If a ceiling is visibly bulging, keep people away from it and let a professional decide how to relieve it.
General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.