Plumbing leak?

[Don55]

I have a house in Arizona I use in the winter. I have house checkers that come every 2 weeks when we’re not there. They turn the water on to the house when they arrive then go in and turn all taps on flush toilets and start dishwasher and washing machine. They take about 70 pics of everything they do and when they leave they take a pic of the main shutoff valve in the closed position. Well they came back two weeks ago and there was water on the floor in the laundry room and the two bedrooms adjacent to the laundry room which have carpet, the areas closest to the laundry room were wet. They said the washing machine was over flowing with water. So with the water shut off how could the water get in the washing machine and overflow. I have a pic of the main shutoff closed. So I know thier not lying. So does anyone have any ideas how this could happen?

 

[CT-18]

Could it have pulled a vaccum from the water heater. Is your water heater above the wash machine. I cant think of anyway to get water into a fixture while the main is shut off, without siphoning from water heater. Twowax may have better insight, i have been on the industrial side for years

 

[Don55]

The hot water tank is in the garage on a pedestal. But how would the washing machine draw water past the float or limit switch in it. Maybe a question for appliance guy. The checkers said tub was overflowing.

 

[MicEd69]

How close to the border are you? Of course, that really doesn't matter as our government is sending the people entering our country illegally to cities all over our nation.
The good news is you stated the issue was water and not waste water/sewage.

For water to overflow the bathtub, the drain had to be closed, a faucet had to be open, and water had to be available under pressure in the supply line.

For water to overflow the washing machine, one or both of the washing machine solenoid valves would have to be open (meaning the controls of the washing machine malfunctioned on their own, assuming the machine was turned off when the checkers left), and water had to be available under pressure in the supply line.
And just a point of information for you, a water heater doesn't have a float or limit switch in it. The tank is always full of water and supplies hot water under the pressure of the cold-water supply line.

So, your main shutoff could be leaking, but there needed to be some strange things going on for the tub and the washing machine to overflow as you describe.

 

[Don55]

How close to the border are you? Of course, that really doesn't matter as our government is sending the people entering our country illegally to cities all over our nation.
The good news is you stated the issue was water and not waste water/sewage.

For water to overflow the bathtub, the drain had to be closed, a faucet had to be open, and water had to be available under pressure in the supply line.

For water to overflow the washing machine, one or both of the washing machine solenoid valves would have to be open (meaning the controls of the washing machine malfunctioned on their own, assuming the machine was turned off when the checkers left), and water had to be available under pressure in the supply line.
And just a point of information for you, a water heater doesn't have a float or limit switch in it. The tank is always full of water and supplies hot water under the pressure of the cold-water supply line.

So, your main shutoff could be leaking, but there needed to be some strange things going on for the tub and the washing machine to overflow as you describe.

I think you miss interpreted me, when I said (they said tub was overflowing) i meant the washing machine tub was overflowing, not the bathtub.

 

[havasu]

Sounds like a faulty switch in the washer.

 

[Don55]

Sounds like a faulty switch in the washer.

But we’re here now and the washing machine is working fine.

 

[MicEd69]

But we’re here now and the washing machine is working fine.

Thanks for the clarification. As I said, for the washing machine to overflow, there would have to be supply pressure and flow available to the solenoid valve(s) and the solenoid valve(s) would have to be actuated by the control board in the washing machine. That's pretty much the only way water can get inti the tub to have it overflow.

 

[Don55]

Thanks for the clarification. As I said, for the washing machine to overflow, there would have to be supply pressure and flow available to the solenoid valve(s) and the solenoid valve(s) would have to be actuated by the control board in the washing machine. That's pretty much the only way water can get inti the tub to have it overflow.

Plus the high level float switch wouldn’t be working also, or the water would have stopped when it was high level. This seems impossible to me but what else could of caused it?

 

[Ludington]

Are your pictures dated ?
Or unwanted mischief makers ?

 

[Twowaxhack]

House checkers have made a mistake most likely is what’s happened or they’re lying.

If the water was off then what you say in impossible unless there are other unknowns I’m not being told.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

I can certainly understand your desire to have the place checked hopefully on a random and not scheduled basis because bad guys are known to stake out places and document any activity to determine when best to plan a B&E, etc.

But the need for exercising the plumbing system and fixtures in the house I am not so sure of. Once I left my townhouse unoccupied with the water turned off to the entire place and the water heater turned off for a period of six months while I was on TDY to another part of the country and, other than having the water level in the toilet bowls down quite a bit, I didn't experience any ill effects. I live in the mid-Atlantic and conditions in Aridzona could dictate doing what you are doing.

Please keep us posted on your findings and good luck tracking the "culprit" down.

 

[Don55]

House checkers have made a mistake most likely is what’s happened or they’re lying.

If the water was off then what you say in impossible unless there are other unknowns I’m not being told.

I would think the same, but the picture taken before the flood of the shutoff valve has a time stamp showing it closed. If it wasn’t for that pic I would say they forgot to turn water off. There’s also the overflowing washing machine. Why wouldn’t the float valve of shut the water off when it was full? Because machine works fine now.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I would think the same, but the picture taken before the flood of the shutoff valve has a time stamp showing it closed. If it wasn’t for that pic I would say they forgot to turn water off. There’s also the overflowing washing machine. Why wouldn’t the float valve of shut the water off when it was full? Because machine works fine now.

I don’t have enough info to say. I’d have to see it for myself to believe it. I think they overflowed something while testing…..

 

[Don55]

I can certainly understand your desire to have the place checked hopefully on a random and not scheduled basis because bad guys are known to stake out places and document any activity to determine when best to plan a B&E, etc.

But the need for exercising the plumbing system and fixtures in the house I am not so sure of. Once I left my townhouse unoccupied with the water turned off to the entire place and the water heater turned off for a period of six months while I was on TDY to another part of the country and, other than having the water level in the toilet bowls down quite a bit, I didn't experience any ill effects. I live in the mid-Atlantic and conditions in Aridzona could dictate doing what you are doing.

Please keep us posted on your findings and good luck tracking the "culprit" down.

The reason for turning on all water fixtures is, the water evaporates from the ptraps releasing sewer gases into the house. So you run the water to fill your trap drain. Also water lubricants the orings in washing machines and dishwashers. So they don’t dry out

I don’t have enough info to say. I’d have to see it for myself to believe it. I think they overflowed something while testing…..

so are you saying there is a setting on the machine that bypasses the float switch. I think I will check with an appliance forum and see what they say.