The advances made in technology over the years have made our everyday lives easier. Examples of this include appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and other household appliances. These machines save people time and make our lives more efficient. However, life is not perfect, and neither are these appliances. They can fail and malfunction, requiring repairs or even replacement. Some appliances deal with water. When they malfunction, it can cause a leak, which can become a serious problem.
While the leak may start out as a small problem, the leak, if unaddressed, will continue to drip water and eventually cause it to accumulate. If the leak is severe enough, then your property can become flooded quickly.
Take a water heater for example. Water heaters do a lot of work and continuously hold water. As such, if your water heat fails, then it can result in a severe leak and flood the property. Such a situation would be especially concerning given the fact that water heaters hold a lot of and are continuously fed water.
The more water that’s present, the more damage it can cause. Porous building materials absorb excess water and moisture and become damaged in the process. With enough absorption, porous building materials become unstable. The water can also encourage mold growth, which causes problems of its own.
If one of your household appliances is leaking, then you need to act promptly to limit the amount of damage done.
Continue reading for tips on what to do if your home’s appliances leak.
Take Immediate Action
When your household appliance is leaking, shut off the water supply right away. In these situations, stopping the source of the water is crucial because it prevents the water from causing further damage. Plus, you want to minimize the amount of water being wasted.
After the water has been turned off, you will want to extract the excess water and moisture as soon as possible. Water spreads quickly, so it can cause damage quickly, too. Building materials and furnishings that are porous will absorb the water, making it easier to spread the damage. Knowing this, you want to limit the amount of water that gets absorbed.
Depending on how much water has already pooled up, using towels and a mop could be enough to soak up the water. Otherwise you may need to opt for a water vacuum or, in severe cases, professional help.
Determine the Type of Water Involved
Sometimes, it’s in your best interest to leave any standing water alone. Although it isn’t ideal because it gives the water time to be absorbed, it’s better than potentially putting your health and well-being at risk. This can be the case when the water involved in the incident is gray or black water.
To determine what kind of water has caused damage, you need to consider its source.
Water from toilet tanks, faucets, and other sanitary sources is clean water. Water from these items is safe to handle and come into contact with, so it can be cleaned up using mops, towels, and buckets.
Water from washing machines, dishwasher, sink drains, toilets (with only urine), and other kitchen appliances is considered to be gray water. It contains contaminants that, if ingested, could result in illness. Because of this, gray water should be handled by a professional. While there’s a chance it won’t harm your health, you do not want to risk it.
Water from sewage backups and toilet overflows with fecal matter is considered to be black water. Black water is unsanitary because of the bacteria and other harmful matter it has been contaminated with. If ingested, it will result in illness. Cases that involve black water require professional help because professionals will have the proper equipment and protective gear to address the situation in a safe and proper manner. Knowing this, make sure to keep your distance from any black water.
Professional Water Damage Restoration Services
Even if the appliance leak involves clean water, professional help is still needed to address the water damage your home has suffered. You will want to get help immediately to limit the amount of damage done and to prevent the potential for mold growth.
At ServiceMaster Restoration and Cleaning, we provide water damage restoration services to residential and commercial properties in Houston, TX, and the neighboring areas. If you find that one of your household appliances is leaking, then our water mitigation services will help.
Within these services, our technicians will safely extract the excess water and moisture and perform leak repairs on the source. We also make repairs, restore the damage, and clean and disinfect the affected areas. With leak repair and water damage restoration help from ServiceMaster Restoration and Cleaning, your home will be safe and healthy to be in again.
