Water Damage in Dearborn Heights

Washing machine supply hoses are one of the most common causes of catastrophic home water damage — and one of the most preventable. A Dearborn Heights couple came home from a 10-day vacation to find their laundry room, kitchen, and finished basement had been flooded for an unknown number of days.

The culprit was a standard rubber supply hose that had been on the machine for over 12 years. It had developed a pinhole at the crimp fitting and eventually failed completely. With nobody home to catch it, the water ran until the supply pressure equalized with the ambient moisture in the house.

We were called in to assess and repair the plumbing side. We replaced both supply hoses with braided stainless steel — the only type we recommend — installed a new washing machine valve with a built-in hammer arrestor, and checked the drain standpipe for any backflow issues.

We also coordinated directly with the water damage restoration company to make sure the plumbing was fully repaired and pressure-tested before they began the dryout and rebuild.

Two things every homeowner should do today: replace rubber washing machine hoses with braided stainless, and consider a whole-home water shutoff sensor. Both are inexpensive. Neither requires a plumber. The alternative — coming home to a flooded house — is not.