A residential dishwasher, previously installed and in use at an occupied home, was the suspected source of a substantial water-damage claim. The carrier retained ARA with a specific question: where, mechanically, did the unit fail?
The testing problem
Determining a leak rate is straightforward once water is running. Determining the origination point of a leak in an assembled and previously-operated dishwasher is not. Removing the unit from service preserves the evidence but also removes the operating conditions under which the failure expressed itself.
ARA’s engineers designed a test apparatus to operate the unit at full scale, under instrumented conditions, while preserving the chain of custody required for the matter.
What the test yielded
Operating the apparatus produced measurable leakage. Measurement at multiple points along the water path narrowed the origination to a single component. Engineering decisions throughout the build, covering documentation methods, instrumentation placement, data interpretation and the design of the apparatus itself, were made with the forensic purpose in view: a failure point that could be demonstrated, not asserted.
Industry context
Notably, this engagement was not isolated. It represented a continuation of similar testing and failures tied to a particular manufacturer. ARA evaluated the unit’s design against applicable industry standards to determine whether the failure reflected a design deficiency or an installation or service issue.
The deliverable
The carrier received a written report identifying the failure point, documenting the test procedure in reproducible detail, and positioning the finding against the relevant industry standards. The two-month engagement closed the claim question.