What Causes Standing Water Inside a Home?

This guide covers the general causes of standing water in plain terms, for homes in Lake Charles and Monroe alike. For the removal of pooled water, the standing water removal page gives a general outline of the service. Never enter a flooded building, and never handle electrics in standing water.

Floods from outside

Water from outside enters a home through low doorways, gaps at the base of walls, low windows, and roof leaks. Heavy rain falls faster than the ground and the drains can carry it away, and the water gathers around the home and finds its way inside. Water pushed in from the coast and from waterways rises around a home from the outside in, entering at the lowest points first. Flood water is not clean water: it carries soil, debris, and contaminants, and it should not be waded through or handled without care.

The signs of flooding from outside are water at the lowest doorways, water that appears during or after heavy rain, and water that rises evenly across the ground floor. If water is rising around your home, leave the area if you can do so safely, and call a professional from a dry place once you are safe.

Water from outside enters a home through low doorways, gaps at the base of walls, low windows, and roof leaks. Heavy rain falls faster than the ground and the drains can carry it away, and the water gathers around the home and finds its way inside. Water pushed in from the coast and from waterways rises around a home from the outside in, entering at the lowest points first, and it can rise quickly once it finds a way in.

Burst pipes

A burst pipe is the fastest cause of standing water inside a home. A pressurised water line splits, and the water pours into the home in minutes, spreading across floors and into neighbouring rooms. The water is clean, because it comes from the supply, but the volume is large, and the speed is what makes a burst pipe serious. A room can be under water before the shut-off is found.

The signs of a burst pipe are sudden water on the floor, a sound of running water inside a wall, and a tap that gives no water or gives only a trickle. The first step is to shut the water off if you can safely reach the shut-off from a dry place, and then to call a professional. The pipe itself needs a plumber, and that is a separate repair.

A burst pipe is the fastest cause of standing water inside a home. A pressurised water line splits, and the water pours into the home in minutes, spreading across floors and into neighbouring rooms. The water is clean, because it comes from the supply, but the volume is large, and the speed is what makes a burst pipe serious. A room can be under water before the shut-off is found.

What Causes Standing Water Inside a Home? — Louisiana water guide

Slow plumbing leaks

A slow plumbing leak is the quietest cause of standing water. A joint that weeps, a supply line that seeps at a connection, or a drain that leaks behind a wall releases water a little at a time, day after day, and the water spreads quietly through flooring and walls. By the time the signs appear, a soft floor, a stain, a musty smell, the leak has been running for weeks, and the water has settled deep into the home.

The signs of a slow leak are a floor that feels soft underfoot, a stain that grows slowly, paint or wallpaper that bubbles and peels, and a water meter that moves when no water is being used. A slow leak is worth a call as soon as the signs appear, because a leak found early is a smaller job than the same leak found late.

A slow plumbing leak is the quietest cause of standing water. A joint that weeps, a supply line that seeps at a connection, or a drain that leaks behind a wall releases water a little at a time, day after day, and the water spreads quietly through flooring and walls. By the time the signs appear, a soft floor, a stain, a musty smell, the leak has been running for weeks.

Appliance failures

Appliances are a common cause of standing water, because they hold water, move water, or heat water, and when a connection fails, the water goes straight onto the floor. A washing machine hose that splits, a dishwasher that leaks at the door, a water heater that weeps at a seam, and a refrigerator line that drips behind the unit are the most common appliance causes, and each one leaks in its own way.

The signs are water on the floor around the appliance, a damp patch that returns after mopping, and a musty smell near the unit. A monthly look at the hoses and connections, and at the floor around each appliance, catches a leak while it is still small. When an appliance leaks, shut off its water supply if you can safely reach the valve from a dry place, and call a professional.

Appliances are a common cause of standing water, because they hold water, move water, or heat water, and when a connection fails, the water goes straight onto the floor. A washing machine hose that splits, a dishwasher that leaks at the door, a water heater that weeps at a seam, and a refrigerator line that drips behind the unit are the most common appliance causes, and each one leaks in its own way.

Finding the cause in your home

When you find standing water, the cause is often clear from the circumstances: water during heavy rain points to flooding from outside, sudden water points to a burst pipe, a damp patch that has grown over weeks points to a slow leak, and water around an appliance points to the appliance. If the cause is not clear, say so when you call, and the technician will trace it during the visit.

To discuss water in your home, call (877) 624-0105 and describe what you have found. Availability is confirmed on the call. Stay out of the water while you wait, and keep children and pets clear of the affected rooms.

When you find standing water, the cause is often clear from the circumstances: water during heavy rain points to flooding from outside, sudden water points to a burst pipe, a damp patch that has grown over weeks points to a slow leak, and water around an appliance points to the appliance. If the cause is not clear, say so when you call, and the technician will trace it during the visit.

Key Takeaways

Water from outside enters a home through low doorways, gaps at the base of walls, low windows, and roof leaks.
A burst pipe is the fastest cause of standing water inside a home.
A slow plumbing leak is the quietest cause of standing water.
Appliances are a common cause of standing water, because they hold water, move water, or heat water, and when a connection fails, the water goes straight onto the floor.
When you find standing water, the cause is often clear from the circumstances: water during heavy rain points to flooding from outside, sudden water points to a burst pipe, a damp patch that has grown over weeks points to a slow leak, and water around an appliance points to the appliance.

Questions About What Causes Standing Water Inside a Home?

What are the main causes of standing water inside a home?

Floods from outside, burst pipes, slow plumbing leaks, and appliance failures are the main causes. Each brings water in a different way, at a different speed, and from a different direction, and each points to a different next step.

How do I tell a burst pipe from a slow leak?

A burst pipe brings sudden water, often with a sound of running water inside a wall, and a room can be under water in minutes. A slow leak brings a damp patch, a soft floor, or a stain that grows over weeks. The speed and the signs tell them apart.

Can an appliance cause standing water?

Yes. A washing machine hose that splits, a dishwasher that leaks at the door, a water heater that weeps at a seam, and a refrigerator line that drips behind the unit are all common causes, and each one puts water straight onto the floor.

What should I do when I find standing water?

Stay out of the water, and do not touch switches or appliances while standing in water. Shut the water off if you can safely reach the shut-off from a dry place, then call a professional from a dry place and describe what you found.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Standing Water Removal page explains what that service covers, and the water removal page explains what that service covers when water has spread to more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water extraction help is available across Louisiana. See water extraction in Harahan, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.