What counts as appliance leak water damage?
Appliance leak water damage is damage caused when a household appliance that uses water leaks, overflows or loses a hose connection. The water usually spreads under the appliance, into the subfloor or slab, under cabinets and baseboards, and into the bottom of nearby walls. Because the leak often starts behind or under the appliance, it can run for hours, or drip for weeks, before anyone sees it.
Appliances that cause the most water damage
Washing machines
A burst fill hose can release a lot of water quickly, because it is under full household water pressure. Drain hoses can slip out of the standpipe, and overflows happen when the drain backs up. Laundry rooms on a second floor put that water directly over a finished ceiling.
Dishwashers
Dishwasher leaks usually come from the supply line, the drain hose connection under the sink, or a failed door seal. The water runs under the dishwasher and into the cabinet bases and flooring beside it, so the damage often isn't visible until the floor lifts or the cabinet toe-kick swells.
Refrigerators and ice makers
The thin supply line that feeds an ice maker or water dispenser can crack, kink or come loose when the refrigerator is moved. These leaks are often slow, wetting the floor and wall behind the refrigerator for a long time.
Water heaters and water softeners
Water heaters are the biggest appliance in many garages and closets, and they get their own page: water heater leak cleanup. Water softeners and filtration systems, common in East Valley homes because of hard water, can also leak at fittings and valves.
Warning signs of a slow appliance leak
- Flooring that lifts, cups, buckles or feels soft near an appliance
- A swollen or stained cabinet base or toe-kick
- Peeling baseboards or stains at the bottom of a wall behind the laundry, kitchen or refrigerator
- A musty smell in the laundry room or under the kitchen sink
- A water bill that is higher than usual with no change in use
What to do right away
- Shut off the water. Washers and many refrigerators have a valve behind them. Dishwashers usually have one under the kitchen sink. If you can't find it, close the main shutoff.
- Turn off power to the appliance if you can do so without standing in water.
- Don't run the appliance again until the leak is repaired.
- Pull up small rugs and move items off the wet floor.
- Take photos of the water, the appliance and the hose or connection that failed. Keep any broken part. It helps the insurance claim and the repair.
Our guide on what to do after water damage covers the first 24 hours in more detail.
How we clean up after an appliance leak
- Identify the water category. A burst supply line is clean water. Wash water, dishwasher discharge and drain backups are gray water, which changes what is safe to keep.
- Extract the water. Standing water is removed from floors and carpet. See emergency water removal for how extraction works.
- Find where it spread. Moisture meters and thermal imaging show water under flooring, inside cabinet bases and in the bottom of walls.
- Open trapped spaces. Toe-kicks, baseboards and sometimes cabinet bottoms are removed so air can reach the wet areas. The appliance is pulled out so we can dry the floor and wall behind it.
- Dry and monitor. Dehumidifiers and air movers run until the readings reach a dry standard. Our structural drying page explains the process.
- Repair. Flooring, baseboards, drywall and cabinet parts that couldn't be saved are replaced after drying.
Two-story homes and laundry rooms upstairs
Many newer homes in Gilbert, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley have the laundry room upstairs. A failed washer hose there can soak the laundry room floor, then the ceiling and walls of the room below. In those cases we dry both levels and check the space between floors, which is easy to miss.
Appliance leaks and insurance
Most homeowners policies treat a sudden appliance failure, like a burst washer hose, differently from a slow leak that went on for weeks. Sudden, accidental damage is often covered. Damage from long-term leaks and wear is often excluded. Your policy and adjuster decide. We document the source, the water category and daily moisture readings so you have a clear record for the claim.