A washer hose or supply failure
A split or loose washer hose can release a large volume of water in a short time. The laundry area and the floor behind the machine are the main areas of work, and the drain standpipe is checked for overflow.
Serving Bay County
Washer, dishwasher or fridge leak in Panama City: the floor under the cabinets is dried first
Water from a leaking washer, dishwasher or refrigerator pulled off the floor in Panama City, with the cabinet bases dried in turn.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Hurricane and storm surge water
- Scope explained before work starts
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Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Appliance Leaks
Appliance Leak Damage: what it covers
Quick answer
Appliance leak damage is water that escapes from a washer, dishwasher, refrigerator or ice maker and soaks the floor, the cabinet bases and the wall behind the unit. The appliance is repaired by its service trade. The restoration crew removes the water, lifts wet materials and dries the floor and cabinets. Calls are answered 24/7 in Panama City.
Appliance leaks are among the most common water calls in a home, because the appliances sit on a floor that is hidden behind them. A washer hose that splits, a dishwasher door seal that fails or a refrigerator line that drips behind the kitchen wall all put water where no one looks until the floor changes color or the cabinet door begins to swell. By that time the water has usually gone under the cabinets and into the subfloor.
Stop the water first. Turn off the supply to the appliance at its valve, or at the main if the valve is not reachable. Turn off the appliance at its power, and unplug it if you can reach the plug safely. Then keep the area clear, and move anything that can be moved from under the cabinets. Do not run the appliance again to see whether it still leaks, because the test puts more water on the floor.
The crew starts at the appliance and works outward. The floor under and around the unit is read first, then the cabinet bases, the toe kick and the wall behind the unit. The water often reaches the cabinets from below, which means the bottom of the cabinet is where the wet area is largest. Call (833) 490-5225 and say which appliance it is, and whether the water has reached any other room.
- Service area
- Panama City & Bay County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need appliance leak damage
Turn off the power to an appliance and the supply valve before touching it. Do not stand in water to reach a plug or a valve, and do not plug a fan or a dehumidifier into an outlet behind a wet appliance. Keep cords off the wet floor. Do not run a gas appliance that has leaked until a qualified person has checked it. Wear waterproof gloves and shoes when you handle wet cabinets and flooring.
- A puddle or damp spot on the floor in front of, beside or under a washer, dishwasher or refrigerator.
- Cabinet bases or toe kicks that have swollen, darkened or started to pull away from the wall.
- A warm or soft spot on a floor near the appliance, or a floor that has begun to lift or cup.
- Water stains on the lower cabinet door or on the inside of a kickboard.
- A musty smell in the kitchen or laundry area that is strongest near the appliance.
- A water supply hose that is bulging, cracked, or wet at the connection.
Options
Types and options for appliance leak damage
A dishwasher leak
A dishwasher leak usually runs under the cabinet and out the front of the toe kick. The cabinet base on each side of the dishwasher is read, because the water often reaches the adjoining cabinet before it reaches the floor.
A refrigerator or ice maker line
A refrigerator line that drips behind the unit can wet the wall and the floor without showing on the kitchen side. The wall behind the refrigerator is opened where the readings require it, and the line is repaired by the appliance trade.
A leak from a washer or dryer drain
A drain that backs up or overflows puts water on the floor from the wrong end of the appliance. The drain is cleared by a plumber, and the floor is dried from the drain point outward.
Need appliance leak damage today?
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Why do appliance leaks soak the cabinets and not just the floor?
Water runs under the appliance and into the toe kick, where it sits against the bottom of the cabinet. The cabinet base is made of wood or particleboard that takes on water quickly, and it can stay wet long after the floor looks dry.
The toe kick is a hollow space at the base of the cabinet, and it is hard to see into. Water collects there and wicks upward into the panels. A cabinet that looks fine from the front can be soaked at the bottom, and the crew checks that point first.
Particleboard swells when it takes on water, and it does not return to its shape. Once the base has swelled, the cabinet may need replacement rather than drying, and the crew notes which cabinets have reached that point.
Can an appliance that leaked be used again?
Only after its repair, and only after a qualified service trade has confirmed the fault is fixed. The restoration crew dries the area, but it does not repair the appliance or its supply and drain connections.
Ask the appliance service trade for the repair in writing, and keep it with the restoration scope. The two sets of records show what failed and what was done, which helps the claim file.
A hose that is replaced should be the right type for the supply, and a drain should be checked for backflow or blockage before the appliance is run again. The service trade decides those points, and the restoration crew notes what it finds.
What moves the price of an appliance leak job?
The price follows the volume of water, the area of the floor that is wet, how many cabinets are affected, and whether flooring has to be lifted. No figure is given on this site. The scope is explained and approved on site before any cabinet or flooring is removed.
Cabinets are the largest cost factor. A cabinet base that has swelled or delaminated has to be replaced, and that is priced on its own. A cabinet that can be dried is a smaller item, and the crew writes down which is which.
Flooring that has to come out, and the number of rooms that the water reached, also change the scope. A laundry area is a smaller job than a kitchen with a dishwasher and an adjoining run of cabinets.
Should I run the appliance again to see if the leak has stopped?
No. Running the appliance to test it adds more water to the floor and the cabinets, and it can cause a second leak in a different place. Turn it off and leave it until the service trade has checked it.
If you need to know whether the leak is still going, look at the floor under the appliance and at the supply valve, and note whether the wet area is growing. That is the information the crew needs.
Keep a photograph of the floor and the cabinets before the water is removed. A test run changes the wet area, and the first photograph is the one that shows what the leak did.
Can a homeowner dry the floor and cabinets with towels and a fan?
Towels and a fan can slow the spread of a small spill on a hard floor, but they cannot reach the toe kick, the cabinet interior or the subfloor under the flooring. A wet area that has reached those points needs a drying plan with readings.
Use towels to soak up the visible water, and wring them into a bucket rather than the sink. Lift the mat or rug and set it aside to dry. Keep the cabinet doors open so the air can reach the interior.
A fan on a wet floor can be a shock risk. Keep cords and the fan away from the water, and do not use an outlet behind the appliance until it has been checked.
Our process
How our appliance leak damage visit works
Stop the supply and the power
The water supply to the appliance is shut off, and the appliance is turned off at the power. The crew checks the floor and the connections before anything is touched, and keeps the work clear of the electrical outlet behind the unit.
Remove the standing water
Water on the floor and in the toe kick is removed with towels, wet-dry equipment or a pump, depending on the volume. The water is kept out of the rest of the house, and it is discharged where it can safely go.
Lift the cabinet base and the flooring
The toe kick is removed and the cabinet base is checked from below. Flooring and underlayment that soaked up water are lifted in the area where readings are high. The subfloor under the appliance is read with a moisture meter.
Remove the soaked materials
Lower cabinet panels, toe kicks and flooring that cannot be dried in place are removed. Solid wood and laminate are assessed separately, and kept if they can be dried without swelling or delamination.
Dry the floor and the cabinets
Air movers and dehumidifiers are set to dry the subfloor, the cabinet interior and the wall behind the appliance. The readings are logged on each visit, and the cabinets are not closed until they read dry.
Bay County
Why appliance leak damage is different in Panama City and Bay County
In Panama City, the appliances in a home sit on floors that get the most humid air in the building, especially in a laundry room or a kitchen near an exterior wall. The humid Gulf coast air slows the drying at the base of a cabinet, so the readings are taken on each visit until the cabinet base reads dry.
A washer or dishwasher leak in this area is often found after a storm, when the water heater, the drain or the supply line is stressed by a power outage or a pressure change. The crew checks the other appliances on the same circuit of water supply, since a fault in one can show up in another.
Kitchens and laundry rooms on the Panhandle are often the rooms where a leak first shows up, and the towns on this site's list vary in housing type and age. The crew reads each room on its own, and it does not assume the cabinets and flooring are the same in one town as in another.
Where we work
Appliance Leak Damage across Bay County
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City ZIP 32401
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City ZIP 32404
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City ZIP 32405
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City ZIP 32409
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City ZIP 32411
- Appliance Leaks in Lynn Haven
- Appliance Leaks in Panama City Beach
- Appliance Leaks in Youngstown
- Appliance Leaks in Mexico Beach
- Appliance Leaks in Fountain
- Appliance Leaks in Ebro
- Appliance Leaks in Rosemary Beach
- Appliance Leaks in Santa Rosa Beach
- Appliance Leaks in Freeport
- Appliance Leaks in Point Washington
- Appliance Leaks in Wewahitchka
- Appliance Leaks in Port Saint Joe
- Appliance Leaks in Vernon
- Appliance Leaks in Wausau
- Appliance Leaks in Chipley
- Appliance Leaks in Caryville
- Appliance Leaks in Alford
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Water Heater Leak Damage
Water from a leaking water heater pulled off the floor in Panama City, with the base of the unit and the lower wall dried first.
Sewer Backup Cleanup
Sewage that came up through a drain or toilet is pumped out, the soaked materials removed and the room cleaned and dried.
Carpet and Floor Covering Removal
Wet carpet and pad in Panama City are checked for a remove-or-dry decision, and the subfloor is read before any floor covering goes back.
Structural Drying and Dehumidification
Air movers and dehumidifiers dry wet walls, subfloors and framing in Panama City, with readings logged until the structure is dry.
FAQ
Appliance Leak Damage FAQs
Will my cabinets need to be replaced?
Cabinets that have swelled, delaminated or softened at the base usually need replacement, because they do not return to their shape when dried. Cabinets that stayed dry at the back and the interior can be kept. The crew marks which cabinets are which in the scope.
Can the flooring under the washer be dried in place?
Sometimes. Vinyl or tile over a sound subfloor can dry in place if the water was small and was removed quickly. Flooring that soaked up water, or that has lifted or cupped, is usually removed.
Should I turn off the water and the power to the appliance first?
Yes. Close the supply valve and turn off the appliance at the power, or at the breaker if the outlet is wet. Then keep the area clear and call. Do not reach behind the appliance while it is wet.
Why is the water in the toe kick a problem?
The toe kick is a hidden space at the base of the cabinet, and the water collects there. It wicks into the panels and the subfloor, and it stays long after the floor looks dry. The crew removes the toe kick to read it.
Does the appliance have to be repaired before the floor is dried?
The leak has to be stopped before the drying can work, so the supply must be closed. The appliance itself does not have to be repaired before the drying starts, but it should not be run again until a service trade has checked it.
Who should I call for the appliance itself?
The service trade that handles that appliance, which may be a repair company or a plumber for supply and drain connections. The restoration crew can tell you which trade is needed from the readings and the source of the leak.