Appliances in Your Chicago Home Which Can Cause Flood Damage

3/27/2017 (Permalink)

Storm Water Backups Can Affect Heavy Appliances with Flooding in Your Chicago Home or Apartment

SERVPRO Tips to Prevent Flooding from Appliances in Your Chicago Property

Any appliance which has pipes or other fixtures which feed into a water line have the possibility to spring leaks or develop blockages that could lead to serious flooding if they are left unattended. There are five common household appliances which are potential sources of flooding. When flooding happens in your home from one of these devices, you need to have SERVPRO come to your home to repair damages, as they are an experienced and professional flood damage remediation company.

Dishwashers
Dishwashers often overflow and cause flood damage in your Chicago home because someone simply put in too much detergent, or the wrong kind, into the dispenser. In other cases, it could malfunction from a faulty float switch assembly or a clogged strainer from debris and food. If it is not one of these things, the leak could occur in the metal pipe fittings which connect the dishwasher to the water supply, or in the flexible hose which discharges used water through the drain under the sink.

Refrigerators
Refrigerators make plenty of extra moisture, and the condensation created pools on the bottom of your refrigerator's holding pan. Most of these appliances are outfitted with drain lines which siphon off the excess fluid, but they can become blocked with food or algae preventing the water from emptying correctly. Therefore, drain lines need to be cleaned regularly. Another problem is the water supply line for your ice maker becoming unattached, leaving you with a large amount of standing water in your home.

Washing Machines
The six most common areas for washing machine leaks are the hose connections, inlet connections, outer tub seal, center post gaskets, the pump and the air dome seal. Unplug your appliance and turn off the water main before you start troubleshooting these fixtures one at a time, using your owner’s manual to help you. Then get in touch with our techs at SERVPRO so we can help you clean up the water damage.

Water Heaters
Leaks here are usually because of a malfunctioning pressure relief and temperature valve, corrosion in the water tank itself, or a leaky plumbing connection. If it is the water reservoir, the whole water heater needs replacing. The key here is preventative maintenance, having the unit checked annually by a certified and licensed plumber.

Toilets
An overflowing toilet is caused from either a malfunctioning float which lets in too much water to the tank or a clogged drain. If plunging does not clear the problem, the blockage could be in the pipes outside your home, which is when you need a professional plumber.

SERVPRO of Marquette Park/West Lawn/Ford City is adequately trained and experienced in fixing all kinds of flooding damage. If an appliance in your home causes flooding, we are the ones to reach out to at (773) 337-3993 right away.