void Washing Machine Disasters

3/12/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage from a malfunctioning washing machine are common.

According to the US Census over 85% of American homes have a washing machine. Washing machines are viewed today as an essential part of life. They provide an efficient and sanitary place to clean our clothes and other soiled textiles. But is your washing machine a ticking water damage time bomb?

Home floods resulting from a malfunctioning washing machine is in the top ten categories for water damages according to insurance carrier’s data. Over half the time the water supply line into the machine is the culprit. The life span of a washing machine supply line is less than 9 years. How old are yours?

There are other parts of the machine that can malfunction. Pump malfunctions or drain hoses being disconnected can result in a serious water intrusion. The average cost of a claim from a washing machine when the customer is home and catches the problem relatively quickly is just under $5,000. These accidents don’t always happen when we are home, if the property is unoccupied the results can cost into the tens of thousands of dollars to fix.

So, what can you do to prevent these kinds of losses?

• Make sure the drain hose is firmly secured and cannot easily be jarred free from the drain.
• If your supply hoses are more than 5 years old think about replacing them. Especially if they are made of rubber. The metal braided hoses are much more durable.
• Don’t snug your washing machine to close to the wall. Being to close to the wall may cause kinks in the hoses. While water may be allowed through the restricted area it causes a stress point for the hoses exterior to break down.