How To Prevent Water Damage In Your Home

There are many different opportunities for water damage in your home. Not just natural disasters can cause catastrophic flooding…home appliances can too. The following are popular appliances and places that can cause water damage in your home.

Refrigerator Water Damage

  • If you believe the leak is coming from the back of the refrigerator, it may be from the ice-maker valve.
    • If this is the case, a simple valve replacement should do the trick.
  • Ice-maker gears can also break. You can notice this if there is a large amount of ice buildup in your tray.
  • Condensation is a common problem with refrigerators, this can be caused by extreme temperatures in either the fridge or freezer.
  • The trim or gasket may need replacing as well. If your fridge isn’t closing properly, then temperatures cannot regulate, causing your fridge to leak.

Bathroom Water Damage

  • Bathtubs can be prone to water leaks. Make sure your tub is thoroughly caulked to ensure that no water gets between the tub and wall.
  • Leaks from sinks can be easily detected as well. Condensation can start to accumulate below your sink. Make sure your personal items are not crowding pipes, which could cause further problems.
  • You should also check valves. Tightening you water pipes should ensure leaks don’t come back.

Dishwasher Water Damage

  • Dishwashers are another common appliance that can cause problems.  During the wash and rinse cycles a dishwasher’s discharge or supply  line can spring a leak and erupt, damaging the kitchen with gallons of water.
  • Another source of home floods is when a dishwasher backs up soaking the floor with soapy water. The issue could be the wrong detergent, a faulty float, the buildup of food and other debris in the drain gate or a clog in the discharge hose under the sink.
  • Routine inspection of the hoses and connections can save you major repair costs in the future. In addition, check the drain gate frequently and remove food particles and debris.

Washing Machine Water Damage

  • First, make sure you are never over stuffing your washing machine. This can cause uneven loads, causing water to leak from the top or hoses in the back. Keep in mind the excess amounts of soap or laundry detergent can cause leaks as well.
  • Your supply hose can be rusty or old. You can fix these by turning off your water supply and unscrewing them from the back. You then can pry out the old washers and replace them.
  • Keep in mind that keeping a tray under your washing machine will help by protecting your floors from excess water.
  • Inside hoses can be a problem as well. Remove the back panel and assess the hoses while your machine starts a load. This will allow you to figure out which hose is causing the leak.

Small leaks stemming from a washing machine may appear to be a minor issue, but the problem should not be ignored.  Even a pinhole leak in a water supply line can subsequently break out into a household flood. In fact, a burst supply line is a key cause of significant water damage involving washers. Look for kinks, cracks and wetness especially around the hose connections.  Also consider installing an automatic shutoff valve.  When water pools on the floor, the sensor detects it and closes the water valve.

If you have experienced large amounts of water damage to your home, call BluSky at 800-277-4787


Candace Johnson

Corporate Marketing Manager

Candace is a veteran marketer, who specializes in bringing out the best in companies. Responsibilities for BluSky include content creation and editing, brand management and consistency, website management, public relations writing, advertising, and social media management. Candace lives just south of Chicago with her husband Eric and three children.

Candace Johnson

Corporate Marketing Manager
Candace Johnson