Usually, yes. With a typical clean-water plumbing leak, like a split supply line, a burst pipe or a leaking water heater, most families stay home while we dry the house. The equipment runs in the affected rooms, and you live in the rest. The exceptions are real, though: if you've lost your only bathroom or your kitchen, if water got near wiring, if a ceiling is sagging, or if someone in the house has breathing problems, staying somewhere else for a few nights may make more sense.
What Drying Looks Like While You're Home
Air movers push air across wet floors and walls, and dehumidifiers pull that moisture out of the air. In a bedroom like the one in the photo above, that might mean the carpet pulled back, a small section of drywall opened at the bottom of the wall, and a few air movers and a dehumidifier running in one corner. The rest of the house stays usable.
A few things to expect:
Noise. Air movers and dehumidifiers hum steadily. With the door closed, most people can sleep in another room, but few want to sleep next to them.
Heat. Dehumidifiers put out warm air, and warm air helps drying. The affected rooms, and sometimes the area around them, will feel warmer than usual.
Cords and hoses. Equipment needs power, and dehumidifiers often have a drain hose. We route them as neatly as we can, but watch your step.
Daily visits. We check moisture readings regularly and adjust or remove equipment as areas dry.
The equipment needs to run continuously. Turning it off overnight to get some quiet slows the drying down. If the noise is a problem, call us and we'll see what can be moved or adjusted. Our structural drying page explains how we place equipment.
When It Makes Sense to Stay Somewhere Else
Most of these are about whether the house still works for your family day to day.
Your only bathroom or your kitchen is out of service. A leaking toilet or a burst pipe under the only full bath can mean no shower and no toilet until a plumber makes repairs. A leak under the kitchen sink can take out cabinets and countertops.
Water got near electrical. If water came through a light fixture or reached outlets or the electrical panel, stay away from them and have an electrician check them before you use that circuit. If power to part of the house has to stay off, that may decide it for you.
A ceiling is sagging or has come down. A ceiling holding water can fall. Keep everyone out of that room and the room below until it's been opened and made safe.
Someone has breathing sensitivities. Air movers stir up dust. If someone in the house has asthma or another breathing condition, or is recovering from an illness, talk with their doctor about whether to stay.
Babies, small kids and pets. Cords, hoses, warm equipment and open walls don't mix well with crawlers or curious dogs and cats. If you can't keep them out of the drying area, a few nights away may be easier.
The water heater is the problem. If you smell gas near a gas water heater, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside.
Not sure if your home is livable after a leak? Call Blue Valley at (913) 395-8488. Open 7 AM–9 PM, every day.
Why Drying Shouldn't Wait
Some homeowners put off drying because they don't want equipment in the house. That usually makes the job bigger. The EPA says it's important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24–48 hours to prevent mold growth. Starting right away usually means less material removed and less time with equipment in the house.
If you're weighing whether to handle a small leak yourself, see can I dry out water damage myself? And if you're wondering what the work itself covers, what is water mitigation? explains it.
How Long Will the Equipment Be There?
Usually several days. The equipment comes out when moisture readings show the wet areas match dry areas of the same material in your home, not on a set date. Our post on how long water damage drying takes goes through what speeds it up and slows it down.
If You Do Need to Stay Somewhere Else
Many homeowners policies include coverage for additional living expenses, sometimes called loss of use, when a covered loss makes the home unlivable. Whether it applies and what it pays for depends on your policy, so ask your adjuster before you book a hotel, and keep your receipts. We document what we find with photos and moisture readings, which helps when your adjuster asks why part of the house was out of service.
Spring Hill Homes
Many Spring Hill homes have been built since 2000, and in newer homes a leak usually traces back to one part: a toilet or faucet supply line, a water heater or a washer hose. Those are mostly clean-water leaks, which is why most Spring Hill families can stay home while we dry. Spring Hill is served from our Olathe location. If the water came from a pipe, see what to do when a pipe bursts and our burst pipe water damage page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sleep in a room with drying equipment running?
You can, but most people find it too loud and warm. If the bedroom is the wet room, it's usually easier to sleep somewhere else in the house until it's dry.
Can I turn the equipment off at night?
Please call us first. The equipment works by running continuously, and turning it off slows drying. We may be able to move or adjust something to make it easier to live with.
Will insurance pay for a hotel?
It depends on your policy. Some policies cover additional living expenses when the home isn't livable after a covered loss. Ask your adjuster before you book.
Call Our Restoration Team
If a plumbing leak has water in your home, call Blue Valley at (913) 395-8488. Open 7 AM–9 PM, every day. We're IICRC Certified & Fully Insured. We'll find where the water went, tell you honestly whether staying home makes sense, explain what can be dried in place and give you a free evaluation. See our water damage restoration in Spring Hill page for more.