How to resolve plumbing leak

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rscole86

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#268589 27-Mar-2020 13:30

I have noticed water coming through the floor onto the car below.

Taking the kick board off the kitchen cabinet has revealed that the extension used to connect the dishwasher to the water supply has got a couple of pin sized holes in the right angle joint. The extension with the split is one of these. Now the water has travelled under the vinyl?? flooring, this has what looks like a synthetic underlay.

Normally I would have just gone down to Mitre10 to try and get the extension replaced, as it is only a few months old. However it looks like I will need to see if a plumber can do the work for me.

What are peoples recommendations for drying out the effected area? Do I need to lift the flooring? Unfortunately the area below is the garage, and although it is enclosed, i doubt a dehumidifier would not be very effective, even if I could get it two meters into the air.

Cheers

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#2448005 27-Mar-2020 13:50

How bad is the damage to the floor? It might pay to contact your insurance company to see if they can help if it is bad. The water often tracks further than you think and black mould can start forming.

These sorts of fans are usually used to get air movement to evaporate the moisture. It is probably best to lift or try and get good airflow into any damp area before it does more damage. Can the flooring be wedged up slightly or similar to get air under it?

EDIT: if the area below has a lined ceiling, you may have to punch some holes or remove downlights to check there isn't water in there as well.

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rscole86

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#2448011 27-Mar-2020 13:56

It is above a garage, which one has lights/ethernet/green stuff and luckily it is not lined.

I have started ripping out the insulation, and in a straight line, I am at about 3 from the source, so I would guess I need to lift up the flooring in the kitchen.

I was thinking of one of those fans, not sure how I would get one, again without paying someone else to do it for me.

Virgil

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#2448038 27-Mar-2020 14:17

I tried to claim insurance for a similar water leak once. It was declined on the basis that it was not a sudden, catastrophic failure or similar. As it was damaged slowly, over a period of time, it was not covered.

rscole86

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#2448053 27-Mar-2020 14:24

Yeah that's what it looks like to me as well, it 'might' be covered up to $3000, but i need to find my policy first.

neb

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#2448066 27-Mar-2020 14:35

In the absence of access to a standard fix, perhaps a graduated response, start by mopping up as much as you can with towels or whatever, then rice to absorb as much leftover dampness as you can, and then leave it accessible to air flow? It's not a long-term fix, but should help minimise mould/rot.

k1w1k1d

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#2448085 27-Mar-2020 14:44

If the hose is only a few months old you probably have a claim under warranty and/or CGA.

Hope you kept the receipt.

RunningMan

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#2448091 27-Mar-2020 14:47

Insurance will often cover the damage caused, but not the cause itself, so they will fix the damaged floor, but you have to fix the leak.

Really need to get lots of airflow quickly. If the underfloor is particle board then it will get ruined very quickly if wet for a long period. There are companies that deal with this sort of thing for insurance companies and it's possible they are considered an essential service (building work that affects health and safety) so you might find they are working.

If that flooring can be easily lifted to dry out, then it's probably a good idea to do that straight away. Building materials will often be OK if they get wet then dried quickly, but sitting damp for a long time can cause lots of damage.

rscole86

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#2448139 27-Mar-2020 15:55

@neb, unfortunately all of the water is under the vinyl flooring, so cannot even get to it.

@k1w1k1d, I am not that worried about a $40 part, as I doubt it would cover consequential damage.

@RunningMan I logged it with the insurer, they have said that their loss assessors are not 'essential' and they cannot come a visit, but will do their best to do the assessment from my photos. They also said any builders they use are not considered essential, unless they can get it to apply under a health and safety assessment, so I mentioned the fact I cannot tell if there is black mould, or potential for it now that I am waiting. It does sound like they were thinking along the same line, but will have to wait to see what comes of it.

The next problem is getting the 4sqm or so of flooring up, while I have an island fixed on to it.

mattwnz

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#2448152 27-Mar-2020 16:00

I noticed my next door neighbour had an electricians van outside their house today, so it appears tradespeople are still going around fixing things. I would have thought it would need to be something significant.

RunningMan

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#2448248 27-Mar-2020 17:24

Bit hard to tell from that photo, but if it's an overlay flooring, you may be able to pull off the skirting boards in the affected area, and just lift it enough to jam some strips of whatever you have laying around in there and grab a fan of some description to circulate air under it. It's just a matter of trying to minimise further damage.

snnet

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#2448397 27-Mar-2020 20:16

mattwnz:

I noticed my next door neighbour had an electricians van outside their house today, so it appears tradespeople are still going around fixing things. I would have thought it would need to be something significant.

We're allowed to for essential repairs (and repairs to maintain essential services)

andrewNZ

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#2448434 27-Mar-2020 21:16

If you consider your dishwasher essential, is there a spare hose on your washing machine you can use in the meantime?

mattwnz

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#2448439 27-Mar-2020 21:25

snnet:

mattwnz:

I noticed my next door neighbour had an electricians van outside their house today, so it appears tradespeople are still going around fixing things. I would have thought it would need to be something significant.

We're allowed to for essential repairs (and repairs to maintain essential services)

I wonder if a dishwasher is considered 'essential', as people can always wash in a sink, and many don't have dishwashers. I recall they used a roof blowing off as an example of an essential repair. But I guess if something is leaking, and causing black mold inside the house, that wouldn't be safe for the occupant.

RunningMan

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#2448537 28-Mar-2020 08:44

I very much doubt that a dishwasher is essential as it's quite easy to wash dishes without. A safe and habitable home is different though as water damage can lead to structural or mould issues which could make a home uninhabitable.

wally22

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#2448626 28-Mar-2020 10:15

I understand Mitre 10 Are open for essential supplies to Tradesmen. You could try contacting your store to check if they will replace your essential hose extension.

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