Appliance Malfunction: Top 5 Appliances that can cause water damage
July 27, 2021 | By DriRiteHaving water damage is a disastrous situation, but with Dririte® at your service, you can take a sigh of relief. Water damage is a common problem in Winter Garden and most of the Orange County area. Factors leading to water damage include appliance malfunction, pipe bursts, failure of a sump pump, overflowing toilet or sink, etc. Water damage restoration is important to ensure that mold build-up does not occur, and there is no moisture left around, which can cause structural damage to your property.
Appliances provide simplicity and convenience to many Florida home and business owners, as our busy lives often leave us with not enough hours in the day to manually wash the dishes, or perform routine maintenance on the washing machine hoses to ensure they are properly working. Preventing appliance malfunction can be easier than most think!
Consequently, not performing routine maintenance on appliances can lead to appliance failure, water damage and costly expenses that no home or business owner wants to experience. If an appliance failure does strike your home or business, don’t hesitate to call our restoration experts at dririte
1. Refrigerator
A leaky refrigerator happens for several reasons. One of these is the clogged defrost drain. Food particles in the drain prevent water to drain to the pan. Water builds up will eventually start to leak out of the refrigerator. You might need to flush the drain with hot water or use a stiff wire to remove the blockage.
Another cause of a leaky refrigerator is a broken drain pan. Water automatically gathers in the drain pan, but when water escapes from it, that means your drain pan has a problem. This problem can be fixed by replacing your drain pan.
A loose ice maker supply line is another culprit of a leaky refrigerator. If the connection is loose, you will be facing tremendous water damage at home.
2. Washing machine
A Washing machine flood can be very catastrophic since it can contain a large amount of water. A very popular cause of water damage from appliance malfunction is the supply hose failure, which over time, gets deteriorated.
A clogged drain that was caused by pieces of fabric or debris that were accumulated under the drain is another reason for a leaky washing machine. You might need a lint trap to prevent this from happening.
Overloading your washer can also cause serious water damage. Washing with smaller loads might have disadvantages but it can lengthen the life span of your washer.
3. Water Heater
The leak from the water heater can be the cause of a malfunctioned temperature and pressure relief valve, a loose connection and a corroded storage tank.
Check the entire parts of your water heater, the inlet, and outlet connection, drain valve and the bottom part of it. When the leak is due to a corroded water tank, then you have to replace the entire water heater.
Since water heater issues can normally go unnoticed, it is best to hire a professional plumber every year to inspect your water heater.
4. Dishwasher
Dishwasher malfunction can occur when someone puts too much or wrong type of detergent into the dispenser. This type of damage can be avoided by just reading your manual for the proper type of detergent and the right amount. In some cases, the leak could be caused by a damaged or broken gasket or loose latches and hinges. If the gasket is broken, it needs to be replaced, while loose hinges or latches can be fixed by tightening the screws.
However, if you think that the above mentioned are not the causes of the water damage, better check the water lines. The leak could be from the pipes that connect the dishwasher from the main water supply line or it could be from the line that drains water out of the dishwasher.
5. Air Conditioners
Among the top five appliance malfunctioning, your Air Conditioner is the leading cause of water damage in Orlando homes. A malfunctioned drain pipe is the common culprit of water damage from your air conditioner. Water overflows and will start leaking in your entire home. Installing a secondary drain pipeline can help in removing overflowing water.
During the summer months, Central Florida property owners may be running an air conditioning unit to assist in keeping the indoor temperature cool. While air conditioners are a great appliance to have during Florida’s summer months, it is important to keep up with routine maintenance and to notice the signs of a leaking air conditioner or HVAC line.
If you notice that your air conditioner lines are leaking, it may be a result of a clogged condensate drain line, damaged condensate drain pain, frozen evaporator coil or polluted evaporator coil. Dririte certified restoration experts have 40 years of water extraction experience and provide professional and trustworthy water, fire and mold removal services. If you have an appliance malfunction, do not hesitate to call! (407) 654-0303.