Water damage from washing machine

9/3/2019 (Permalink)

A leaking washing machine can cause substantial water damage to your home.  When a leak occurs, the water will flow out of your machine or it's hose until you discover the mess. The flooding can cause damage to wood floors, walls, furniture and even through the ceiling to the floors below.  There are preventative steps homeowners can take to reduce their risk of an appliance leak.  

1. Make sure your hoses aren't kinked. There should be at least 4 inches between the wall and your washing machine.  
2. Check your detergent. Too much of it or the wrong kind (in high efficiency machines) can clog the overflow tube and cause a leak. 
3. Inspect to see that the drain hose is properly inserted into the drain line - it can become loose during machine use.  
4. Check your supply line hoses to make sure they aren't brittle or cracked. We recommend using stainless steel braided hoses to avoid deterioration. 
5. If your washing machine is in a high risk area consider installing a  washing machine leak detector with an alarm that alerts you if it detects water on the floor. It will also close the valves so that flooding doesn’t continue.  
6. Turn off your washing machine water supply at the lever whenever you leave home for an extended period.