Canton, Mich.— RepairClinic.com®, the trusted online store for replacement parts for home appliances, outdoor power equipment and heating and cooling equipment, today shared five tips for preventing appliance-caused, flooding disasters in homes.
1.) Pay attention to water hoses connected to appliances.
- Check washing machine water and dishwasher hoses periodically for wear. Blisters in rubber hoses may indicate an immediate threat of rupturing, which could fill homes with gallons of water, possibly at scalding hot temperatures, within minutes. Most washing machine manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every five years.
- Consider replacing manufacturer-provided rubber water hoses with more durable, stainless-steel hoses.
- If your refrigerator water supply tube is white-colored plastic, replace it with gray-colored plastic or copper.
2.) Regularly check water heaters for leaking from the tank or associated parts.
“Given their common location in a basement or utility room, water heater leaks often go undetected,” said Chris Hall, president and co-founder of RepairClinic.com. “Make a point to inspect your water heater tank and pressure relief valve for leaking. If leaking is found, contact a professional to determine the source. Even a very small leak can turn catastrophic quickly.”
3.) Run appliances only when they can be monitored.
“Leaving the house while appliances are in operation is dangerous,” said Hall. “If you’re home when something goes wrong, such as when water lines burst or a machine overflows, you’ll be able to limit flood damage.”
4.) Use leak-detection tools.
For washing machines, consider a water shutoff device like Floodstop that will immediately stop supplying water to hoses when it senses a leak. Simple plastic trays and rubber mats designed specifically for beneath dishwashers and washing machines can help homeowners detect leaks faster and prevent floor damage.
Floodstop water shutoff device – RepairClinic item #1194650
Dishwasher Drip Tray – RepairClinic item # 1021760
Washing Machine Pan – RepairClinic item # 2800
5.) Act immediately when a leak is detected, even if it’s minor.
“Don’t ignore leaks from dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, garbage disposers, sinks, toilets and other equipment operating with a water supply,” said Hall. “Most home insurance policies cover accidental and sudden floods but they may reject a claim for damages associated with floods that began with a slow leak ignored by the homeowner for a long time. The solution could be as simple as replacing an inexpensive part. For toilets, sinks and other plumbing-related equipment, contact your local plumber as soon as possible.”
RepairClinic’s free advanced online repair help system empowers do-it-yourselfers to fix common problems associated with home appliances, outdoor power equipment and heating and cooling equipment. DIYers can enter a model number to choose from a list of common symptoms for that particular model, troubleshoot and watch expertly-produced videos to learn the most likely causes and conditions and purchase the correct part. RepairClinic.com stocks more than one million parts and accessories for 160 brands.
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RepairClinic.com® makes fixing things easy for millions of people. Founded in 1999, it’s North America’s trusted online store with replacement parts for outdoor power equipment, major household appliances and heating and cooling equipment. Free repair resources including more than 1,200 how-to videos empower people to fix stuff on their own. One million parts for 160 brands are stocked at its 86,000-square-foot facility in Canton, Michigan. Thousands of orders are shipped daily. Do-it-yourselfers appreciate its generous, no-hassle 365 Days. Period.® return policy. In-stock parts are guaranteed to ship the same business day. Visit RepairClinic.com for more information. Contact Jody Lamb, Public Relations Manager, at JLamb [at] RepairClinic.com. All quotes from this release may be attributed to Chris Hall, appliance repair specialist and RepairClinic.com’s president and co-founder.
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