Water damage from ice maker

Nancy

Well-Known Member
Sunday morning we noticed the hardwood floor in front of our refrigerator was warped. We pulled the frdige out, noticed just a little water by the ice maker line, wiped it up and put the fridge back figuring it must be coming from somewhere else. Monday morning the floor was worse and spreading. I went down the basement and our drop ceiling was bulging with water dripped from abotu five different places. I took the tiles down and put buckets under the drips and spent the next two hours trying to figure out where it was coming from, turning the water off into the home and draining all the pipes.

Plumber verified it was the ice maker line that was leaking right under the floor line and water had penetrated the subflooring and rafters and buckled the wood floor. Since then we have had huge dehumidifiers and blowers and drying pads in kitchen, dining room and basement trying to try up the water.

Thank goodness it appears that insurance will cover the damage but they have to rip up the wood that is damaged, about 10 ft square, replace the boards, restain and sand and finish the entire kitchen floor. It will take a long time to dry out the subflooring before they can even put down the new wood.

Last evening husband and I stayed up in our bedroom because the deafening sound of the blowers was too much to take, I was ready to run screaming from my house. I begged them to take the one huge blower out today since they have to rip up the boards anyway.

I'm grateful we have insurance and I will never complain about the yealry premium again. It made me feel even more sorry for all those people affected by sandy.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Thanks for reminding me of the reason why I refuse to have a fridge with an ice-maker.
This problem is COMMON.

Glad your insurance will cover it, because refinishing hardwood isn't cheap.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I am so glad you found out what it was, though! There is a hole in our wall at the floor level where the water line runs into our ice maker... I dropped a gallon of tea last summer and later that day (an hour maybe) noticed a puddle in the laundry room right below. That is how we found out what caused the flooding in the basement... When it was installed the guy turned on the water before it was connected!

Were you able to get the water line to the ice maker fixed? Or... That's probably secondary, huh.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Our deductible is big and I am trying to minimize a "small" leak from the dishwasher. Matching up hardwood or laminate is a problem after a few years. Glad you're getting resolution. by the way, I HATE the noise of those fans too, Plus, lol, I envision germs flying thru the air....and I am not a germ nut. DDD
 

cubsgirl

Well-Known Member
I'm glad that you found the cause fairly quickly but sorry you have to go through this. About a month ago a pipe burst under our apartment and everything was soaking wet. The carpet restorers put those huge blowers around the house and I know exactly how you feel about the noise they make. We had to put up with them for 4 days (along with the dehumidifier). It felt like forever.

I'm glad you had insurance too :)
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
They think it's been leaking for months and the water just built up and finally burst through the ceiling and caused the warping. Yes I got the ice line fixed, they put in a new much stronger one. I'm still not willing to use the icemaker at this point. He told me this happens all the time, if I knew that I never would have gottne one.

I'm worried about having the stain match up also, they may have to sand and restain the whole floor. It is a very big kitchen and will not be fun. I'm sure we will have to leave the house for days while it dries.

If they don't turn these fans off by the weekend I will!!!!!
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I'm worried about having the stain match up also, they may have to sand and restain the whole floor. It is a very big kitchen and will not be fun. I'm sure we will have to leave the house for days while it dries.
"may" have to?
I hope you insist on it... nothing else works.
BUT.
Start bagging up your clothes, get plastic to cover EVERYTHING with (beds, furniture), box up - and bag over that - all extra dishes etc. It's either that or be prepared to clean absolutely everything in the house.
Hardwood dust travels... gets into everything.
You may have to move out for several weeks. At least, my bro had to do that, but when they redid his floor it was ALL of the main floor.

I have hardwood in the kitchen.
I do NOT have an icemaker. For exactly that reason.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Oh no!
We had that happen with-our dishwasher. The ins company replaced the kitchen floor and the hallway carpet, completely, so that it would match up. Seems like your company should do the same thing.
I forgot to write down the dishwasher on the claim. Dummy me.
Be sure to put the icemaker/fridge down, too. :)

I HATE those fans! My husband's ofc has had them so many times in the past 2 yrs, due to all the storms we've had. His bldng needed new siding and a new roof and you would think that after the 4th leak in one yr, the owner would wise up.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
That is why I opted out of that feature on a frig. It's just not that big of a deal to make my own ice.

Glad insurance is covering it.

Hugs
 

susiestar

Roll With It
At least you were home to catch it. One year my mom and I went to FL to help my Gma and her neighbors asked us to take care of their place while they were gone. They did a LOT for my gma on a daily basis, so we were happy to. We needed pool chemicals after about a week and when I went in my legs turned black to my knees. They had a big lab, it was pre-frontline days, and FLEAS were all over me. The carpet was a sopping mess throughout the house, even into the bedrooms, because hte ice maker water line burst days before. We hadn't been going in because there was no real need to until we needed pool chemicals. It was a huge disaster, and my mom was such a sweetheart she contacted their insurance and them and had them stay away a few more days so that it could all be fixed by the time they got home. They had to buy new furniture and have photo albums restored and all sorts of super expensive things because it had burst totally and just sprayed water for days.

Ever since I am the FIRST one to know if we have fleas, because for some reason I am their favorite snack. More so than the cat even, or dog when we have one. Sigh.

I am so glad your insurance is taking care of it. Go stay in a hotel for a day or two and get away from the blowers!
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
OMG Susie after hearing that I guess I can survive. They took out the floor mats which were very loud because the floor was not drying so they are going to have to rip up the boards. Still have a blower and dehumidifier going in the kitchen. It will be a llong repair. Insurance doesn't cover the actual appliance but since it was just the ice line that's minor. I'll be happy with the floor repair.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
When youi are used to peace and quiet and disruption is major. And the smell of stain is sickening. I think your insurance should cover a stay in a motel why rennovations are going on.......pick one with a spa. Treat yourself!!!!!!

Sorry you're having to go through this!
 

rejectedmom

New Member
Oh Ug! So soryr you have to dealwith this problem. Glad ins wil pay for most of the repairs but it is a huge disruption. Maybe try earplugs or noise canceling headphones during the day so you do not go insane with the noise from the fans? -RM
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Thats exactly what happened to my mobile home before I even moved into it. The guys who set it up didnt attach the ice maker line to the part inside the fridge but just left it half attached even though the water supply was already connected to the house. I walked into the home the next day when they arrived and my house was covered in water. The problem was instead of replacing the flooring all they did was put out fans and dry things out. That is why my floors are now buckling and falling apart.
 
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