How To Avoid Water Damage From Appliances

Don’t Let Water Worries Seep into Your Summer

Maybe you’ve asked more of your dishwasher and washing machine. Consumed a lot of drinks chilled by your fridge’s icemaker. With this heavier-than-usual use of your appliances, it’s important that you check them out regularly. Because wear and tear can result in leaks that can cause serious damage to your home. Here are a few tips:

The hose knows. Every year, check appliance hoses for cracks or bubbles. These include hoses leading to dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerator icemakers. Immediately replace any hoses that are worn or damaged.

Five-year change up. It’s important to replace appliance hoses every five years, even if you don’t see any cracks or bubbles. There may be interior deterioration that’s not visible, but could create a leak.

Build your reinforcements. Replace a rubber or plastic washing machine supply hose with a stronger, more durable one made of metal, such as a reinforced steel braided hose. This is stronger and more likely to last longer than a rubber one.

Tighten it up. On your washing machine, check the connection where the hose bends and tighten if needed.

Space it out. Leave a three to four inch space between the back of your refrigerator and the wall to help prevent the hose from crimping.

React and respond. If you do see a leak around an appliance, respond quickly to get it fixed, before it becomes a major problem.

Review your bill. A significant increase in what you owe could be the sign of a leak.

Consider too investing in a water leak monitoring and shut-off system, which can let you know if there are any issues.

Contact us for all of your insurance needs! 

Illinois and Wisconsin residents, at R Hobbs Insurance Agency, we can work with you to make sure you’ve got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call at (847) 680-0888 or send us a note at [email protected]. We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what’s important to you is protected!

Content source: Kemper