Hi Don,

First off, it is fine to water when repotting. We ALWAYS do though some growers do not.

What I am most concerned with is that you have placed your orchids in a room where they get no light. They need light. If your phals were sick and have very little leaves/ (leaf surface), then very low light is recommended. But, if you have repotted healthy orchids, they need adequate light to photosynthesize.

Do you have a photo of the orchids in their current condition/ location? It would be helpful to see how they look to offer further advice.

Cheers,
BD