5 Flood-Causing Household Appliances: A Homeowner’s Guide

Water damage following a flood or heavy rain is not shocking for homeowners. However, the feeling of betrayal is true when you come home seeing some of your trusted home appliances causing water damage. Of course, nobody would ever want this to happen to their house, but many home appliances need a water connection to work.

Looking around your home and checking these appliances once in a while is crucial. While these appliances could be beneficial for your family and home, they can be disaster-prone when not maintained regularly or if their time comes to an end and you delay replacing them. Now, let’s tackle the common home appliances that can cause water damage.

Appliances That May Put Your Home at Risk of Water Damage

It’s a homeowner’s responsibility to know the hazards of household appliances that can cause water leaks and damage. So below are the five common culprits of flooding and water damage in the home.

1. Hot water heaters

Water heaters with storage tanks are subject to mineral buildup, oxidation, and age-related wear, leading to leakages or tank bursts that can cause gallons of water to flood your floor. An annual examination of hot water heaters and changing them every ten years can help minimize water damage issues.

2. Washing Machines

The average life expectancy of washing machines is 5-15 years, depending on their maintenance and brand. Do not neglect it if you notice your washing machine leaking. If you’re seeing leakages or clamps around the water hose, this indicates a future failure. This is why monthly examining your water hoses is necessary to monitor leakages, washing machine rusting, and cracks to prevent water damage in your home.

Despite how exceptional or sturdy the hoses look, you should replace them every five years. Also, always look for your washing machine, as this might cause home fires. Keep your washing machine’s wirings and other appliances regularly maintained. Otherwise, you will have to contact restoration specialists should these devices cause substantial fire damage to your home. You can visit their website to find out more about what they do.

3. Dishwashers

It’s not to see the dishwasher on this list, but it deserves to be here. Dishwashers are likely culprits. They can cause significant damage before they get discovered. Most dishwashing machines run the whole night or when everybody is out and busy for the day, giving the leaked water enough time to destroy the cabinets and floor coverings.

To decrease the chance of kitchen flood, regularly examine the connections and water lines, and use steel braided hoses in place of rubber. Also, do not hesitate to call restoration professionals if your house has water damage. However, if the damage is not that serious, it is still essential to have it fixed by them to prevent it from getting worse. You may check their contact page if you need to book an appointment.

4. Refrigerators

The development of modern fridges forever altered human eating routines. Foods can now be kept for longer durations without spoiling. However, these fridges have refrigerants and water that can leak eventually, which can cause damage to your living space.

5. Sump pumps

The life expectancy of sump pumps is generally around ten years, which may be impacted by the acidity or dirtiness of the water in an area. Moreover, sump pumps may fail for numerous reasons and can cause disastrous scenarios, including flooding the room directly above the sump pump.