Ice Makers Can Cause Serious Water Damage When They Leak

Ice makers can be a convenient feature to have on your refrigerator, but as one of our customers recently learned, they can occasionally cause big problems - so you need to be careful. While vacuuming her living room carpet our soon-to-be customer noticed that her carpet was soaking wet and there were mushrooms coming up through the carpet! Naturally, she thought that she had a slab leak. So the first thing she did was call the top name among Memphis plumbers, Roto-Rooter of Memphis.

Fred Simmons, Roto-Rooter of Memphis' most experienced leak locator, was dispatched to the customer's home and discovered that the problemwas caused by a cracked water supply tube leading to the refrigerator's ice maker. This was a simple repair with a $5.00 part. However, the amount of water damage that this kind of water leaking problem can cause to carpet, drywall or wood flooring is another story altogether. So here is what everyone with an ice maker should learn from our customer's unfortunate experience: Check the condition of the water supply tubing that feeds the ice maker on your refrigerator! If the line is cracked, dry or brittle, change it immediately. You will be glad you did.

How do you check it? Carefully pull your refrigerator away from the wall. Go slow and get help. For safety's sake, have someone else assist you. Get behind the refrigerator and sweep away the dozens of dust bunnies that have accumulated. You will notice a small diameter plastic or copper tube clipped to the back of the unit that is runs vertically along the surface. This is your water supply line. Use a vacuum to remove dust from around the tube and go ahead and vacuum dust from all of the vents. Then inspect the tubing carefully. Look for signs of water on the floor. If the tubing shows any signs of stress or it is more than ten years old, consider replacing it with a new tube, preferably a flexible stainless steel tube instead of a plastic one. Just like a washing machine hose, these water supply lines can burst or leak and can cause lots of damage before you notice the problem.

If you are not sure what is causing a mysterious water leak at your home or business, you can always call Roto-Rooter Plumbers in Memphis at 901-323-4285 or contact any Roto-Rooter location across the nation at 1-800-ROTO-911. Roto-Rooter has experienced Memphis plumbers and the most advanced leak-detecting equipment available to solve your mystery and fix the problem.