Category: Events

On arriving at work recently, employees of a dental lab in Wisconsin were alarmed at what they saw. The entire floor was flooded, and water had drenched much of their equipment.

The cause? A plumber working in the space above them had broken a pipe, causing a major leak.

The result? 64 pieces of equipment were affected by water damage and the lab claimed they needed to be replaced.

The solution? The claims adjuster called TechLoss.

Our engineers drove up to Wisconsin immediately to do an inspection. Fifteen of the pieces of equipment were unsalvageable and needed to be replaced. But the rest could be restored to pre-loss condition — 3D milling machines, polishing lathes, 3D scanners and more.

After determining that there was no corrosion or electrical arcing, we transported the 49 items to our facility in suburban Chicago. Now our team is at work following these steps:

1) Inventory everything and photo-document it to record the equipment’s pre-restoration condition.

2) Disassemble each piece down to the equipment frame and inspect it more closely. Our engineers’ highly specialized knowledge of electronics restoration enables them to immediately assess what is needed.

3) Clean the equipment. This is done with special techniques and detergents authorized by Department of Energy standards.

4) Identify a factory authorized vendor to test the equipment and certify that it meets FDA regulations for use.

If this sounds time-consuming, it is. It can take 3-4 hours just to take an item apart. But cleaning and recertifying electronic equipment is most often faster than an insured purchasing new equipment.

In this case, our client’s payout will be lower and the dental lab will be back up and running sooner. Everybody wins!

Contact us if you have an electronics claim you need help with.

Firefighters are finally winning against the wildfires raging through California. But with 1.25 million acres burned and homes and property destroyed across the state, the claims are sure to follow.

What should you be aware of as the claims start filtering in?

Short of a property burning to the ground, the biggest danger from wildfires is smoke.

Especially when mixed with water, smoke can do a number on electronics. It contains sulfates, chlorides and other particulates that seep into small crevices. If not cleaned off right away, these contaminants cause metal to corrode and rust. This ultimately leads to equipment failure.

The challenge is that smoke damage to technology is not always immediately visible. When a cleaning crew is brought in after a fire, they typically only clean outside surfaces of equipment.

For fire-related technology claims, it pays to bring in specialists. They should be able to:

• Perform accurate testing. A quick “litmus” test can verify the high-level presence of contaminants in a piece of equipment. If this test is negative, a more revealing scientific sample is taken. This deeper test extracts chemicals and determines 1) whether there’s contamination and 2) the degree of the contamination.
• Be thorough. Often there’s more to a disaster site than meets the eye. A full examination of a property can reveal smoke damage that can cause problems and additional claims later.
• Properly clean impacted equipment. Smoke-affected equipment can often be restored, but it needs to be cleaned by trained engineers, not a maid service.

Call TechLoss about your fire-related claim! We’ve worked with luxury homes for years — like those in the California hills. We can assess home theaters, elaborate wiring systems, high-end appliances and more. Our team also understands the sensitive nature of working with celebrities and high-wealth clients.