UPDATED: MAY 08, 2023 | 2 MIN READ
You’ve made a delicious dinner, shared great company, and started at a sink full of dirty dishes. Luckily, you have a dishwasher that does the hard work for you.
The dishwasher has been a staple of most homes since the 1970s. But what happens when your dishwasher springs a leak?
The following information will help you if your dishwasher causes more problems than it solves and discuss how home insurance may help
1. Get the Leak Under Control
If you walk into your kitchen and see water coming from under your dishwasher, you first want to turn off the power to the dishwasher and then turn off the water.
Usually, there’s a valve for this under the kitchen sink on the same side as the dishwasher. If you’re unsure or can’t access it, you can always turn off the main water line to your house.
Once there is no longer an active water leak, start contacting professionals. A plumber or leak detection company can identify and fix the source of the leak.
It could be as simple as a clogged drain or something more serious like a cracked or burst pipe. Knowing the source and cause of the leak can be important when dealing with your homeowners insurance.
2. Get the Water Out
Depending on the size of the leak, a small amount of standing water can be cleaned up with some towels. But you can’t stop there.
While it’s important to get rid of any standing water, there may be water or wetness in places you can’t see. If you have a major leak or found water damage on your cabinets, walls, or floor, you may need to call a water mitigation company.
Water mitigation companies are designed to deal with emergencies. They can respond quickly and after business hours to begin the drying process. These companies are equipped to dry out large amounts of standing water.
They also use instruments to detect water or dampness in hidden places, such as under and behind cabinets. These professionals can prevent further damage, such as mold growth. Generally, this is not a do-it-yourself job.
If you have enough damage to plan on filing an insurance claim, taking the above steps would be required under the policy of insurance.
3. Determine the Source of the Leak
Does Insurance cover me?
Reading an insurance policy is not something homeowners like to do for fun. While general principles are common to most insurance policies, the coverage question for a specific issue will vary from policy to policy. In the case of a dishwasher leak, coverage will likely be determined by the cause of the leak.
Let’s deal with the bad news first.
Reasons Your Dishwasher Leak Might Not Be Covered
Your Dishwasher Broke
If the leak results from a faulty dishwasher, the damages will likely not be covered. This is because home insurance is not the same as a warranty. Even if your policy covers the cost of cleaning up the water, you’re not likely to get a new dishwasher paid for by your insurance company.
Reasons That Are Likely to Be Covered
Your Leak Was Sudden and Accidental
If a plumber or leak detection company determines the leak was sudden and accidental, meaning not a result of wear and tear, it might be worth contacting your insurance company to file a claim.
In addition to the cause of the leak, the steps taken to prevent further damage will be important when filing a claim with your insurance company. As part of that process, it would also be prudent to document with photos and keep all receipts for repairs.
Reasons That Could Go Either Way
Your Pipe Burst
If the leak resulted from a cracked or burst pipe, not the result of wear and tear, your policy might provide coverage for repairs due to water damage, including cleaning up the water. However, insurance will not likely cover repairing the plumbing system.
The other wrinkle to this situation lies in the key phrase wear and tear. Coverage can get more complicated if the cracked or burst pipe failed due to normal wear and tear. Your policy may cover the cost of cleaning up the water but nothing else, or it may not cover anything.
A failed appliance can be a traumatic experience, but cooler heads will prevail if you are armed with information. This guide will give the tools to navigate a dishwasher leak successfully.
FAQs
Is water damage from a dishwasher covered by insurance?
If your home’s dishwasher has leaked and caused water damage, it might be covered by your homeowners insurance if the leak was sudden and accidental. Your insurance policy is unlikely to cover the damage if there is a fault with the dishwasher. The same applies if an issue occurs due to poor maintenance of the appliance.
Will my homeowners insurance cover a dishwasher?
A homeowners insurance policy typically covers the cost of a dishwasher in case of a covered incident such as a fire or lightning strike. However, certain limitations might affect your coverage for damages to your dishwasher.
For example, if your dishwasher stops working due to normal wear and tear, then your homeowners insurance policy will not cover the cost of repairing or replacing it.
Does home insurance cover floor damage from a dishwasher?
Most homeowners insurance policies don’t cover the source of the water damage but will usually cover the damage to other property. This means that’s your dishwasher causes water damage to your floor, your insurance company should cover the repair of the floor. However, your policy won’t cover the cost of a new dishwasher.
What is considered accidental water damage?
Accidental water damage is any unintentional water damage that occurs within a heating system, plumbing, air conditioning system, or household appliance. These events can include a burst pipe or a broken faucet, dishwasher overflow, an overflowing toilet, or a burst water tank or heating system.
Does homeowners insurance cover a water leak?
Your homeowners insurance policy should cover a water leak that’s sudden or accidental, such as a broken pipe or plumbing malfunction. However, if there was a slow leak that worsened gradually from poor maintenance, this is unlikely to be covered. If you file a water damage insurance claim in your home, your insurer will send out a claims adjuster to assess the cause and cost of the damage.
How much money will homeowners insurance cover for water damage?
The average water damage claim amounts to around $11,098, so it’s worth knowing if your homeowners policy covers you. Most homeowners insurance policies will include sudden and accidental water damage up to the value of the policy limits. For example, if your home has insurance coverage up to $300,000, you would have coverage up to the same amount for sudden and accidental water damage.
Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?
A standard homeowners insurance policy does not typically cover flood damage. Flooding can occur due to storms, overflowing bodies of water, or over-saturated grounds. If you wanted to have coverage for flood damage, you would need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy, such as the one provided by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Will my insurance company help me if my dishwasher leaks?
Suppose your dishwasher leaks, and your homeowners insurance policy isn’t likely to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your dishwasher. However, if there is water damage from the dishwasher, it might be covered under your homeowners policy. Insurance policies usually cover sudden and accidental water damage. Your insurance policy will not cover a fault with the dishwasher or a leak caused by wear and tear.
What is the difference between flood and water damage?
The terms water damage and flood damage are often confused, but there is a difference. Water damage can be caused by plumbing, such as a leak in the plumbing, broken pipes, a flooded air-conditioning unit, or an overflowed washing machine.
Flooding is the process of water flowing over the land surface outside of its normal boundaries. Flooding can be caused by heavy rain, hurricane, or natural disaster. Floods are a natural phenomenon that a variety of factors can cause.
Does the dishwasher need to be on for homeowners insurance to cover it?
Most home insurance policies will still cover damage caused by a leaking dishwasher, even if it wasn’t turned on when the leak occurred. However, the damage will likely be less extensive if the dishwasher is off. It might not be worth filing a water damage claim if it’s going to cost less to repair than the deductible amount.
How To Get Insurance for Water Damage from Dishwasher
According to the Insurance Information Institute, homeowners insurance may cover several things if they experience water damage. However, other types of water damage may need separate flood insurance policies or water backup coverage.
To get the best deal on homeowners insurance rates, it’s essential to compare quotes from different providers. You can do this with a few clicks of your mouse. Knowing what type of insurance coverage you need before buying quotes is essential.
