Avoiding a Laundry Room Disaster
Having a washing machine inside a house is a modern amenity that many people couldn’t imagine living without. Being able to throw the dirty clothes into the washing machine, press a couple buttons, and walk away is a bonus of living in the high-tech age of the 21st century. Combine that with a dryer right next to it, and you have a full service Laundromat right there in your home. This is a great set-up, unless the washer springs a leak. In the blink of an eye, your wonderful home laundry set-up can become a wet disaster. If you hear water running free outside of the washing machine, call an emergency plumber immediately. The key to keep damage and repairs to a minimum is stopping the water and cleaning up as soon as possible.
The possibility of a leak is good reason to check in on your washing machine periodically throughout the cycle, even though it runs automatically. Just take a look into the laundry room and make sure things are okay and that nothing has come loose. Also, it is a good idea to not run the washing machine right before you leave the house for the day. If a leak should occur, you will not be aware of it for many hours and the water will have had a chance to do major damage in your floors and walls. By only running the machine while you are home, and checking up on it regularly, you can keep a problem from become major even if something should occur.
It is also important to know what to do if you look into the laundry room and see water spraying out of the machine. If the machine is still running, get it unplugged from the power source right away. Water and electricity are a deadly combination, so you want to take the power away from the machine as soon as possible. However, if the power source has gotten wet during the leak, don’t touch anything. Leave the room and cut off the main water supply to the house. This will stop the flood from getting worse, and keep you safe from possible electrocution. Call an emergency plumber and have them evaluate the situation before proceeding.
If you are able to safely cut the power to the machine, you can turn off the water supply just to the washing machine itself and not have to cut water to the whole house. There should be a shut off valve in the wall where the water comes into the room – simply turn it and the water should stop flowing shortly. If you are able to get the water turned off and the electricity is off, go ahead and try to clean up as best you can while waiting for the plumber. The more water you can soak up with towels, the less damage it can do to the structure of your home.
One of the great features of home ownership is having your own laundry machines to use whenever you need. By keeping an eye on your washing machine, and knowing what to do in case of a problem, you can prevent this great benefit from becoming a nightmare. Call an emergency plumber at the first sight of water leaking from the machine, and be prepared to take steps to turn off both water and power safely and quickly.
