Even though fibre and copper cables are sheathed, they are not impermeable and any immersion in water can wreak long term damage. The only way to determine the integrity of the cable is to thoroughly test it and replace it if there is any sign of damage.
“Failure to test the network for potential flood damage can have a devastating effect,” explained Paul Miller, Marketing Manager, Wadsworth. “Exposure to water can cause network degradation, system failure and in the worst case scenario blow the entire IT infrastructure.”
“We are concerned that many companies will simply ignore flood damage to the cabling infrastructure because it is not visible. Most companies will concentrate on replacing office equipment, stock, PCs and peripherals, not realising that just because the networks works when it’s switched on does not mean that it’s unaffected. If left unchecked that water damaged network can cause long term performance issues.”
Wadsworth recommends the following four tips to flood-hit companies:
1. Don’t attach any PCs or peripherals to the network until the infrastructure has been thoroughly tested
2. Any cable ends, cable terminations and electronic equipment that has been exposed to flood water, should be electrically isolated and replaced.
3. All fibre or copper cabling that has been in contact with water for any duration, should be thoroughly tested to avoid data and electrical failure
4 The entire infrastructure should be re-tested at regular six weekly intervals to assess any long term performance issues.