{"id":4517,"date":"2014-08-29T11:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T15:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=4517"},"modified":"2016-02-29T13:57:02","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T18:57:02","slug":"how-to-prevent-flooding-in-an-upstairs-laundry-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/how-to-prevent-flooding-in-an-upstairs-laundry-room\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Flooding in an Upstairs Laundry Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beginning in the 1970s when more and more women were opting for careers instead of full-time homemaking, architects began designing homes with main or second floor laundry rooms<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 The thinking was that since laundry consists mainly of bed linens, bath towels and clothing, why not locate laundry rooms closer to the source \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 that is, next to the bedrooms and bathrooms \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 instead of down in the basement?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, experience has shown that an upstairs laundry room can result in serious water damage to multiple levels of your home if there\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a washing machine leak<\/strong> and ruin walls, floors and ceilings.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If the laundry room in your home or apartment is located on an upper level, here are some precautions you can take to prevent a disastrous flood.\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Install a washer tray under your washing machine<\/em><\/h2>\n

Slide a plastic water-catching tray<\/strong> under your washing machine to catch drips and leaks so water can\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t seep through the floor to the rooms below. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0It\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a simple, inexpensive way to prevent water damage should your washing machine begin to leak. Pick one up at your local hardware store or home center.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong> Note that the tray\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s drain does not connect directly to the house\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s waste line \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 it can be an indirect line that dumps into a laundry tub, floor drain or even outside through the wall. <\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Upgrade water supply hoses with auto-shutoff hoses<\/em><\/h2>\n

Over time, the water supply hoses that connect to your washing machine can become brittle and burst and should be replaced when worn.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 But since it\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s easy to forget to inspect your washing machine hoses on a regular basis, we recommend replacing rubber hoses now with braided stainless steel auto-shutoff connector hoses<\/strong> like Watts Floodsafe Connectors<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 When auto-shutoff connector hoses sense an excess water flow, they automatically turn off the water supply to your washing machine<\/strong> before<\/em>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0catastrophic laundry room flooding can occur and water penetrates floors and ceilings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

3. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Turn off the water when not doing a load of wash<\/em><\/h2>\n

One of the easiest ways to prevent washing machine leaks is to turn off the water<\/strong> to the supply hoses when you aren\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t using your washer.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 You can make this step even easier to do by replacing dual faucets with a single-lever faucet<\/strong> that turns off the hot and cold water supply at the same time. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Single-lever faucets are available at any plumbing supply or hardware.\"New<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Hook up an automatic water shutoff valve<\/em><\/h2>\n

An\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0automatic water shutoff valve<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0prevents flooding by immediately turning off the hot and cold water supply as soon as water is detected under or near the washing machine<\/strong>. Water shutoff valves like the Floodmaster<\/a> and FloodStop<\/a> systems are easy to install and provide 24\/7 protection. Most models sound an audible alarm to alert you if you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re around and some systems can be connected to a security system or auto-dialer<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0so you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll receive notifications when you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re out.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Invest in a state-or-the-art \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cintelligent\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d automatic water shutoff valve<\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Watts<\/a>Did you know that a burst washing machine hose can discharge 500 gallons of water in one hour?\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Think about what a mess that can make if your laundry room is located above your kitchen or family room!\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Although a bit more expensive than other automatic water shutoff valves, an \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cintelligent\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d auto shutoff valve<\/strong> like the Watts IntelliFlow\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00ae<\/a> uses an electronic control device that allows water to flow\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0only<\/em>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0when it senses that the washing machine is turned on.<\/p>\n

It also has a floor sensor that turns off the water supply<\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>and<\/em><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>the power to the washing machine<\/strong> in case there\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s leakage caused by a faulty discharge hose.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 (Note:\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you already have a FloodStop shutoff valve<\/a>, pair it with a Furman remote power relay<\/a> which will turn off the washing machine if the leak is caused by the discharge hose.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Make your laundry room part of a \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201csmart home\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d automation system<\/em><\/h2>\n

For the most comprehensive protection, install a Z-Wave \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201csmart home\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d automation system that can be designed to turn off the water main<\/strong> if a leak is detected in the laundry room.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Depending upon the type of Z-Wave home controller<\/a> you pick, you can receive alerts by phone call, email and\/or text message<\/strong> if there\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a water leak. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0You\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll also be able to\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0remotely open and close your main water supply<\/strong>, so you can shut down the entire plumbing system from wherever you happen to be.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to monitoring for water leaks, a smart home system<\/a> can be used for enhancing security, safety and energy savings in your home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pros and Cons of Upstairs Laundry Rooms<\/h2>\n

An upstairs laundry room can save time and steps spent lugging heavy laundry baskets to and from a \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cground zero\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d basement. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0But not all homeowners are swayed by this convenience.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many complain about noisy washers and dryers being too close to sleeping and living areas, especially if they have small children who nap.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Others feel they are still climbing too many stairs to reach that upstairs laundry room since they don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t spend waking hours on the second floor by the bedrooms.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Potential water damage to rooms next to and below an upstairs laundry room is another big concern<\/strong> reported by homeowners.<\/p>\n

In the end, the location of a laundry room comes down to preference and lifestyle<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If the home you are buying or currently live in has an upstairs laundry, it\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s better to be safe than sorry and take these steps to safeguard against laundry room flooding<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 And while you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re at it, you may want to consider installing one of these devices to protect your whole house<\/a><\/strong> from water damage caused by leaky toilets, dishwashers, refrigerators and other faulty appliances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beginning in the 1970s when more and more women were opting for careers instead of full-time homemaking, architects began designing homes with main or second floor laundry rooms.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 The thinking was that since laundry consists mainly of bed linens, bath towels and clothing, why not… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[450,474,113,115,561,96,615],"class_list":["post-4517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flood-intervention","tag-automatic-water-shut-off-valves","tag-automatic-water-shutoff-hoses","tag-home-automation","tag-home-automation-systems","tag-washing-machine-hoses","tag-washing-machine-leaks","tag-washing-machine-shutoff-valves","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4517"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4517\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7010,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4517\/revisions\/7010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}