A few weeks ago, we got a call from a homeowner in Winchester.

There was water leaking into the downstairs bedroom from the kitchen on the floor above.

It turned out that the dishwasher was the culprit - and they hadn’t noticed it until it was too late.

When our team got to work, we found that the water had seeped under the kitchen floor. It had crept behind the cabinets. And mold had started to grow.

That’s a lot of damage - $30-$50K worth in rebuilding costs - from something that started as what seemed to be a minor leak.

I’ve received so many calls like this over the past month or two, so I wanted to email you about it.

Because here’s the thing: this is usually very preventable.

Here are three easy ways to keep small dishwasher leaks from becoming massive (and expensive) headaches down the road:

Strategy #1: Do a monthly dishwasher check.

Here’s what I want you to do: walk into your kitchen. Remove the kickplate from the bottom of your dishwasher. Turn on your phone’s flashlight, and look under there.

See anything? No water? Good! Do that again next month. Takes five minutes, saves a lot of damage down the road.

Strategy #2: Get a smart water sensor.

Smart water sensors are a cost-effective way to keep tabs on your dishwasher (or any appliance) without having to manually check underneath it with a flashlight every month.

Just place the sensor under your dishwasher, connect it to your phone, and get real-time alerts about unwanted moisture.

Strategy #3: Invest in a whole-home water shutoff system.

At around $800 to $1,000, this is a bigger investment - but it can be a worthwhile one. A water shutoff system can detect a burst pipe or a leak as soon as it happens and then shut off the water quickly to prevent additional damage until help arrives.

Here’s the key takeaway: most home water damage emergencies don’t come from floods. They usually come from burst pipes or slow leaks stemming from common appliances - like your dishwasher.

Have questions or want to know more? Hit reply or give me a call.

Go look under your dishwasher -

Stephen

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