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Water Heater Flood Cleanup: 4 Steps
4/6/2021 (Permalink)
When a hot water heater flood your home in Middlesex County, CT, the water damage can be widespread and requires immediate attention.
The last thing any homeowner in Connecticut wants is to step into a cold shower, only to find their water heater burst and flooded their entire basement.
Since this appliance continuously refills, intense flooding can occur until you realize that anything is even wrong. To prevent extensive water damage from the water heater, immediate action must be taken to stop flooding and begin cleanup.
With over 14 years of experience in water damage restoration, SERVPRO of Old Saybrook will outline our top 4 tips for water heater flood cleanup, how to help prevent this appliance from malfunctioning, and whether or not the resulting flood damages will be covered by your insurance company.
What To Do When Your Water Heater Leaks
Immediately take the following steps when your hot water heater leaks and causes water damage in your Middlesex County home.
1. Turn off the water and power to the appliance.
In order to stop the flow of water, you'll need to turn off both the water and power source to the appliance.
- The water supply valve to the heater is located on the pipe above it which connects it to the main water line. If you cannot turn it off from here, turn off the water to your home.
- For electric water heaters, cut the power at your circuit breaker box.
- For gas water heaters, locate the gas shut off valve to the heater, which should be on a pipe on the side of the appliance.
2. Clean up standing water.
You want to soak up as much water as you can to prevent it from seeping into floors, carpeting, or walls. You'll need a large amount of towels, rags, mops, buckets, and for larger amounts of water a wet dry vacuum.
If you can't remove the water from the water heater flood completely, you should call a local water damage restoration service in Middlesex County like SERVPRO of Old Saybrook. These companies use industrial strength water extractors to quickly remove all water and prevent it from migrating to other areas of your Connecticut home.
3. Contact a plumber.
Before calling a plumber, it's best to take the previous steps to help minimize the water damage from the leaking water heater. It's best to not try and diagnose the problem yourself, and rather have a professional repair or replace the appliance as needed.
4. Inspect for water damage and mold growth.
Depending on the location of the water heater in your home, a leak can cause much more water damage. When the appliance is located on an upper level, water can seep through floors, carpeting, ceilings, walls, all the way to the lowest level of your home.
You should inspect all areas of your home which could've been affected by the water heater flood for the following signs:
- Sagging ceilings
- Water stains or discoloration
- Soft or squishy walls
- Bending or bowing flooring
- Musty odors
- Visible mold growth
If you find any of the above damages in your Middlesex County home after a water heater leaks, you should call SERVPRO of Old Saybrook for a detailed damage inspection.
Preventing Water Heater Water Damage
Since most water heaters fail before they're 12 years old, there's not always something you can do to stop it from breaking or malfunctioning. Still, there are ways you can make it less likely for it to burst or leak in your Connecticut home.
- Install a leak detector on the appliance that automatically turns it off when it senses a leak.
- Drain your water heater once a year to prevent sediment build up which can cause it to fail.
- Never ignore even the smallest amount of water leaking from the heater, as this is always a sign of a larger problem.
- Install a drain pan at the bottom of the tank that drains outside of your home in case it begins to leak.
- Know the signs that your water heater might break:
- Popping or rumbling noises
- Gas water heater causing a gas smell in your home
- Water leaks
- You hot water has flakes of rust or sediment in it
- The water heater tank is rusting
Water Heaters and Insurance Coverage
Many Middlesex County homeowners ask us here whether or not their homeowner's insurance will cover the cost of water damage repair after a water heater flood.
The good news is that in most cases, standard homeowners insurance policies do cover damage restoration when your water heater fails and damages your home. However, they do not cover the cost of repairing or replacing the leaking appliance itself.
SERVPRO of Old Saybrook Can Cleanup The Damage From Your Water Heater Flood in Middlesex County
Sometimes the flooding and water damage from a water heater isn't something homeowner's can handle by themselves. That's why our team immediately responds to your call to prevent further damage in your Old Saybrook area home.
With over 14 years of experience restoring homes and business after flooding in Connecticut, you can trust SERVPRO of Old Saybrook to make your disaster "Like it never even happened."
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