Why the floor takes longer to dry than it looks
Water from a heater runs under cabinets and into the subfloor, and the surface can look dry long before the structure is.
Water from a heater often runs under the base of a nearby cabinet and into the floor beside the closet. The surface may look dry within a day, while the subfloor and the joist ends are still holding water. The crew reads the subfloor at several points and sets the target from those readings.
A floor that stays soft or cupped after the drying is a sign that the subfloor is still wet, and the crew reads it again before the floor is closed.
Removing the cabinet base
A swollen cabinet base is removed where it has taken water, and the removal is logged.
A cabinet base that has swelled cannot be dried in place and is removed. The crew logs the cabinet, its material and the area removed, and it photographs the base before it is taken out.
A cabinet trade is needed for any replacement. The crew hands over the measurements and the readiness of the floor, so the trade can plan its work.
- Photograph the base before removal
- Log the cabinet, its material and the area removed
- Measure the opening for the trade
- Read the floor under the base
- Confirm the floor is ready in writing
Checking the heater and the pan
The plumber checks the failed heater, the pan, the drain line and the valves, and the crew records what it sees.
The crew does not repair the heater. It records the state of the tank, the pan, the drain line and the relief valve, and it notes whether the pan was dry before the failure. That note helps the plumber decide whether to replace the tank, the pan or only a valve.
A homeowner should have the replacement fitted by a licensed plumber, and should keep the plumber's invoice with the claim file.
- Tank condition at the base and seams
- Pan condition and whether its drain was clear
- Relief valve condition and discharge
- Supply and gas connections near the heater
- The plumber's invoice kept with the file
Protecting the rest of the utility room
The furnace, the panel and the stored items in the utility room are checked for water at their base.
A water heater often sits beside a furnace, an electrical panel and stored boxes. The crew checks the base of each item for water and notes any that have been wet. The panel is checked for water at its base, and it is not used until an electrician has confirmed it safe.
Stored boxes near the heater are moved to a dry place and logged, so any loss is recorded.
- Check the furnace base for water
- Check the panel base; leave it alone if it is wet
- Move stored boxes to a dry place
- Log any box that has been wet
- Ask an electrician to check a wet panel
After the new heater is fitted
Once the new heater is in, the crew checks the drying and the pan, and the record is closed.
A new heater is a trade job, and it is fitted by a licensed plumber. Once it is in, the crew checks the floor and the cabinet base again, to make sure the drying has held and that the new pan and drain are working. The check is recorded in the scope.
The homeowner keeps the plumber's invoice, the warranty for the new heater and the closing readings together.
A heater that was replaced is recorded with its date and the plumber's name, and the old unit's condition is kept in the scope for the claim.
On arrival the crew checks the address, the power and the source against the notes from the call, then starts the readings. A homeowner who has the notes, the photographs and the shut-off location ready shortens the first visit and keeps the scope accurate.
- Check the floor and cabinet base after the fitting
- Check the new pan and drain for flow
- Record the check in the scope
- Keep the plumber's invoice with the file
- Keep the heater's warranty with the house papers
