Appliance leaks
Water heater and appliance leak damage
A split washer hose or a tank that rusts through can pour water out for hours. Slow drips under a dishwasher or fridge do their damage out of sight.
Fast floods and slow drips
Appliance leaks come in two kinds. Some are sudden: a supply hose bursts or a water heater tank fails and the floor floods. Others are slow: a loose fitting behind the dishwasher or an ice-maker line that has dripped for weeks.
Sudden leaks are mostly about speed. Slow ones are about finding how far the water has spread under cabinets and flooring, and whether mold has started. A contractor will check beyond the visible stain.
Air conditioning adds another source. The indoor unit makes condensate that runs to a drain line, and a clogged line or a cracked pan can overflow into a ceiling or closet.
Useful to note for the contractor
- Which appliance leaked and the part that failed, if you know.
- Whether the leak was sudden or has probably been going on for a while.
- Whether water reached the room below.
- Any musty smell or dark spots near the appliance.
- The appliance repair or plumbing invoice, once you have it.
Questions
Appliance and water heater leaks: common questions
The leak was slow. Is it still worth calling?
Yes, especially if flooring is lifting or there is a smell. Slow leaks often travel further than they look, and a contractor can measure how far.
Can the water heater be repaired instead of replaced?
That is a question for a plumber. A tank that has rusted through usually needs replacing; a leaking valve or fitting sometimes does not.
Related problems
- Water damage restorationLeaks, overflows and storm water: extraction, drying and the rebuild afterwards.
- Water extraction and dryingPumping out standing water, then drying the structure with measured readings.
- Burst and frozen pipesA split line in a crawl space, wall or attic, and the water it leaves behind.
Water where it should not be?
Get an Atlanta restoration contractor on the line
The sooner wet materials start drying, the less there usually is to tear out. One call puts you through to an independent contractor who can look at the damage, explain the work and give you their own price.
Speak with a restoration contractor
Your call is routed to an independent water, fire and mold restoration contractor that takes jobs in metro Atlanta. Describe the damage and ask what they would do first.
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