Water Category Deterioration Over Time (IICRC S500)
Applies the S500 principle that water category is determined at the time of remediation, not by the source alone.
Example
You enter
- Origin category cat1
- Elapsed wet time (hours) 72
- Warm environment 1
You get
- Likely current category Category 2 (gray)
Checked against published worked examples from: ANSI/IICRC S500 category-at-time-of-remediation principle.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeOrigin category, elapsed wet time, a warm-environment flag, and contaminant contact return the likely current category. A clean loss left standing or warm reclassifies upward; contaminant contact escalates toward Category 3. When in doubt the higher category is assumed; the restorer and S500 govern.
Formula or tableReference lookup with threshold comparisons: origin category + elapsed wet hours + warm flag + contaminant-contact flag -> likely current category. Contaminant contact -> Category 3; Category 1 at or past 48 h (24 h if warm) -> Category 2; Category 2 at or past 24 h when warm -> Category 3; otherwise origin.
Source and editionCategory-at-time-of-remediation principle, by name; ANSI/IICRC S500.
Free accessAdds the time dimension to the water category: a clean loss left standing, warm, or in contact with contaminated materials degrades to a higher category.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesorigin_category, elapsed_hours, warm_environment, likely_category
- Amplification window commonly cited on the order of 48-72 hours under favorable conditions (sooner if warm)ANSI/IICRC S500
- When in doubt assume the higher categoryANSI/IICRC S500