What To Do When A Washing Machine Floods Your House
4/13/2021 (Permalink)
A washing machine overflow is one of the worst things that can happen in the laundry room of your New Haven County home. Washing machine water damage can affect floors, walls, carpeting, and even the ceiling underneath your laundry room.
When it comes to washing machine flood damage in New Haven County, CT, you need to take immediate action to help stop serious damages in your home. The sooner you start to clean up, the more water damage, mold, and costly repairs you can avoid.
How To Stop A Washing Machine Overflow
Before you can do anything else, you'll need to turn off and cut the water supply to the washer to prevent further flooding in your home.
- Turn off the power to the appliance. This is best done at your main circuit breaker or fuse box to avoid unplugging the appliance in standing water. Don't press the cancel button - This can trigger the drain cycle and make flooding worse.
- Turn off the water supply to the appliance.
- Inspect the water hoses behind the appliance to find the source of flooding.
How To Clean Up A Washing Machine Flood
Once you've stopped flooding in your laundry room, quickly take the following steps to help minimize the water damage from the washing machine overflow.
1. Clean up as much water as you can.
You can use towels, rags, buckets, mops, or even a wet dry vacuum to clean up after your washer flooded the house. Be sure to get underneath the machine or any other appliances in the laundry room. You should also set up any fans or dehumidifiers you have to help the area dry out.
If you have trouble cleaning up all the water from the washing machine overflow or it's clearly causing water damage in other parts of your home, you should contact a local water damage restoration company like SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline for appliance leak cleanup in New Haven County, CT.
2. Empty out the washing machine.
Depending on the model washer you have, this step may cause more flooding in your home. For top loading machines, you can use a bucket to scoop water out of the drum. You want to get out as much water as possible to prevent musty odors or mold growth in your washing machine.
3. Call a professional for repair.
Your leaking washing machine may need to be repaired or replaced. Unless the cause is obvious, such as a loose hose that needs to be replaced, repairing this appliance should be left to a professional before using it again.
4. Address any water damage.
While you may have cleaned up most of the water from your appliance leaking, depending on the extent of flooding water may have affected walls, floors, or even the ceilings of rooms below your laundry room.
You should do a thorough inspection for any signs of trapped moisture in all areas adjacent to your laundry room. If you don't address leftover moisture, your home can end up with a serious mold problem.
What Causes Washing Machine Overflow or Floods?
There's many reasons why your washing machine might overflow and cause water damage to your home in New Haven County, CT. The most common are:
- Loose or cracked water supply lines
- Overloading the washing machine
- Using too much laundry detergent
- Faulty water inlet valve
Always keep an eye on this appliance for signs of leaks or loose hoses to catch a washing machine flood in New Haven County before it happens.
Dealing With Water Damage After A Washing Machine Flood in New Haven County, CT? We Can Help.
If you want to make sure you fully address the water damage from a washing machine overflow, you should make sure that the area is fully cleaned and dried.
If your home has flooded due to a faulty washing machine, SERVPRO of Branford/Shoreline is Here to Help. Our team has helped countless homes and businesses in Connecticut recover from water damage - And we're ready to do the same for you.
24/7 Emergency Services
Highly Trained Water Damage Restoration Specialists
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