We often blame weather for the floods that damage homes but only 8% of household flood damage is caused by weather. 30% is caused by appliance failure and 62% is caused by plumbing failure. There are proven ways to protect your property. First and foremost, change out your old rubber washing machine hoses and replace them with braided stainless steel hoses. Anyone who knows anything about residential plumbing will tell you that.
Second, do the same thing for your ice maker line running to your refrigerator. If either of these supply lines fail when you're not home, you'll return to find your house turned into an indoor swimming pool. Other 
kitchen plumbing jobs or inspections you can do yourself include checking up on your dishwasher supply and drain lines from time to time. Look for leaks and don't ignore them.
Third, check on your sump pump at least once a month. If the sump pump fails and the spring rains come - as they always do, you'll pay a hefty price to the 24 hour plumbing company of your choice. There are lot of other things you should know to help you avoid an accidental flood caused by appliance failure. This news release from Roto-Rooter tells the whole story.
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