How To Prevent Costly Water Damage
Even a little water can be a nuisance, especially when it comes into your home. Leaking roofs or clogged eaves can force rainwater into ceilings and walls, costing thousands of dollars to repair and proving a major safety risk for occupants. But the less obvious threat of water leakage from your indoor appliances has the capability to cause equally severe damage.
Common sources of water damage in homes:
- Outdoor pipes freezing resulting in basement flooding.
- Plumbing connections and hoses wear out, sometimes before the appliance does.
- Hot water heaters, dishwashers or washing machines can cause similar damage when their hoses or hose connections leak unnoticed.
- A new and growing threat is indoor sprinkler systems. Required in many new homes, these systems are sometimes shoddily installed and put potential water leaks just where you don’t want them — above your ceiling. Since water runs downhill, it slowly spreads through your ceiling and walls. Make sure your installer is certified to carry out this work.
These threats are real but preventable. We recommend several steps homeowners and renters can take to reduce the risk of water damage and protect their home:
- Every two years, check the hoses and connections on your washing machine and hot water heater.
- Every two years have a service person lift out your dishwasher and check the drain hoses.
- If you buy a new home with a sprinkler system, be sure it has been inspected and guaranteed by the builder.
- Every fall, winterize outdoor faucets to avoid pipe freezing and a basement full of water by following these simple steps: 1. turn off the valve for each outdoor faucet from inside the home, 2. drain the pipe by opening the external facet which will release the water that remains in the pipe after the water is turned off.
- If your policy requires that you undertake “normal maintenance” like removing leaves from your downspouts, remember to schedule it or hire someone to do the job.