Water Removal and Extraction

Water Removal and Extraction: the short answer

Water removal, also called water extraction, is pumping standing water out of a home or business with truck-mounted or portable extractors, submersible pumps and wet vacuums. It comes first on every water job, because water left on the floor keeps soaking into carpet pad, subfloors and the bottom of walls. Call as soon as you see standing water.

What water removal includes

Water removal is the first thing done on any water job: getting standing water off floors and out of carpet, pad and basements. Extraction removes far more water than air can evaporate, so a thorough pump-out shortens the drying that follows.

The equipment depends on the depth. A submersible pump handles water that is inches deep in a basement, a truck-mounted or portable extractor pulls water out of carpet and pad, and wet vacuums finish hard floors and corners. Weighted extraction tools press water out of carpet that is staying in place.

Water category decides what happens to the carpet. Clean water from a supply line can often be extracted and dried with the carpet in place. Gray water from an appliance may mean the pad comes out. Sewage or outside floodwater means carpet and pad are removed and thrown away.

• Submersible pumps for deep standing water
• Truck-mounted or portable extraction of carpet and pad
• Wet vacuums for tile, wood and concrete
• Moving furniture off wet floors
• Checking under floors and behind baseboards with meters
• Setting up drying equipment once the water is out

Signs you need water removal

• Water standing on any floor or in a basement
• Carpet that squishes underfoot
• Water around a water heater, washer or dishwasher
• Water coming in under a door or through a basement wall after rain
• A sump pump that has stopped or cannot keep up

What to do while you wait

• Shut off the water source if you can do it safely.
• Keep everyone out of water near outlets, cords or appliances.
• Photograph the water level and the rooms.
• Move what you can to a dry room.

What moves the price of water removal

• Depth of the water and the square footage covered.
• Water category: sewage and floodwater cost more per square foot than clean water.
• Floor types: carpet and pad, hardwood or concrete.
• Whether carpet and pad are kept or removed.
• Access, such as a finished basement or a crawl space.
• After-hours timing.

Who pays for water removal

A standard homeowners policy usually lists sudden, accidental discharge of water from plumbing, heating, air conditioning or appliances as a covered peril, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). Damage from a slow leak or poor upkeep is usually excluded, and so is mold.

Flooding from outside is excluded from standard homeowners and renters policies. It needs a separate flood policy from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and FEMA notes a 30-day waiting period before a new NFIP policy takes effect.