Appliance leaks are often slow and hidden. A washer supply hose can weep behind the machine for weeks, a dishwasher drain connection can drip under the sink cabinet and an ice maker tube can leak behind the fridge. With households averaging more than three people, laundry and dishwashers run often, and small leaks add up fast.
Clean or gray water
A supply hose leak is clean Category 1 water. Washer discharge and dishwasher drain water carry soap, food and bacteria, which makes it Category 2. Gray water changes what can be saved, especially carpet pad and particleboard cabinet bases, which usually come out.
Under cabinets and floors
Water runs under the cabinet toe kick and soaks the cabinet base and the subfloor or slab beneath it. The crew removes toe kicks, drills small vent holes where needed and blows dry air into the cavity. Readings on the cabinet bases and floor are logged until they are dry.
