With flooding stories in the national news a lot lately, it’s easy to forget some other common ways a home can sustain water damage. As water remediation experts for Michigan and Ohio, Aaron’s Restoration is often called upon to remedy problems related to flooding or excessive water in a home. Many of the clean-up jobs involve a source that a homeowner did not anticipate could lead to serious trouble: an appliance.

Three appliances in particular pose a serious threat to your home, if not properly maintained. One is a water heater. Another is your dishwasher. The third is your washing machine. You may notice a dishwasher leak quickly but the other two appliances tend to be placed in a basement or a closet so they’re not visible most of the time. This means a problem could develop and not get noticed for hours or even days.

Before you need to call for service of any of these appliances, you can get familiar with recommended maintenance and troubleshooting steps listed in the owner’s manual or online. For example, a washing machine leak may be related to the hoses or connections, unless the leak is actually drain water from a backed-up standpipe. As a safety measure, install “no-burst” stainless steel mesh hoses to avoid water damage caused by bursting supply hoses. You can also install lever-type, shut-off valves that allow you to turn off the hot and cold water in between washing machine uses or anytime no one will be home for days or weeks at a time.

Your water heater needs some special attention, too. Drain it occasionally and remove any collected sediment. Make this a routine part of your home maintenance, and get immediate attention for any suspected problem that requires professional service.

Another essential step in reducing the risk of water damage is learning how to shut off water at the main or at the appliance. Once you’re comfortable with the preventative measures and ongoing maintenance duties, there is still more you can do to minimize the risk of unwanted water from your appliances. Turning your attention to your home’s drainage system can let you know if it has the capacity to handle high volumes of water moving quickly. If not, it may be time for an upgrade, especially if you live in an older home.