Washer, dishwasher and fridge leaks: finding the damage

Washing machines

A washing machine is connected to two supply hoses that hold full water pressure whenever the valves are open, which in most houses is always. Rubber hoses age, bulge and eventually split, and a split hose can run at full flow until someone notices. Other common failures are a drain hose that pops out of the standpipe mid-cycle and floods the floor, a standpipe that backs up because the drain is partly clogged, and a front-loader door seal that leaks a little with every load. Upstairs laundry rooms, now standard in many two-story Triangle houses, turn any of these into a ceiling leak in the room below.

Dishwashers

Dishwasher leaks are usually small and slow, which is what makes them expensive. A supply line fitting that weeps, a drain hose connection under the sink, a worn door gasket or a pump seal can drip under the machine for months. The water spreads under the kitchen flooring, wicks into the particleboard of the cabinets on either side and soaks the subfloor. Often the first sign is a toe kick that has swollen, a floor seam that has lifted, or a musty smell when the dishwasher door opens.

Refrigerators and ice makers

Refrigerators with ice makers or water dispensers have a small supply line, often thin plastic tubing, running from a valve under the sink or in the wall. Moving the fridge to clean behind it is the classic way to kink or crack it. Leaks behind a refrigerator run under hardwood and laminate, where they cause cupping and swelling well before anyone sees water. The defrost drain pan and a clogged defrost drain can also put water on the floor.

Why appliance leaks are found late

Appliances cover the exact spot where the water lands. A leak under a dishwasher or behind a fridge can be invisible until the flooring around it changes shape, and by then water has had time to wick into cabinets and walls. When you find one, assume it went further than it looks: under neighboring cabinets, into the drywall behind and through the subfloor.

Drying after an appliance leak

The appliance is pulled out so the area under it can be seen and measured. Moisture readings show how far the water spread under cabinets, flooring and walls. Cabinet toe kicks are removed so air can be directed underneath, and baseboards come off where the walls are wet. Laminate, vinyl plank and floating floors are often lifted so the subfloor can dry, while hardwood may be dried in place with mats. Structural drying covers the setup, and warped floors explains what happens to wood and laminate.

Appliance leaks and insurance

A hose that bursts suddenly is the kind of event homeowners policies generally cover, including the cost of drying and repairing the damage, though not the appliance or hose itself. A slow leak that went on for weeks is a harder case, because many policies exclude damage from repeated seepage. Photograph the failed part and keep it. The insurance guide explains how insurers draw the line.

Preventing appliance leaks

• Replace rubber washer hoses with braided stainless steel, and swap them every five years or so.
• Put a drain pan under washers on upper floors, piped to a drain where possible.
• Turn off the washer supply valves when you travel, or install a lever-style valve that makes it easy.
• Use braided or copper supply lines for ice makers, and leave slack when the fridge goes back against the wall.
• Put inexpensive leak sensors under the dishwasher, fridge and washer, or install a whole-house automatic shutoff valve.
• Look under the sink and behind the toe kicks now and then for drips.