Protect Your Home From Water Damage While You're Away

4/9/2022 (Permalink)

Protect Your Home From Water Damage by Following Our Tips.

When you're preparing to head out of town, protecting your home from water damage may not be on your to-do list. Sadly, water damage is the second most common type of home insurance claim. It only takes minutes for gallons of water to flood into your property. If you don't catch the need for water pipe repair until several days or weeks have passed, the damage will be extensive. The good news is that you can take steps to keep your home safe.

Quick and Easy Prevention

Many of the tips for preventing a broken pipe and other sources of flooding require minimal time and effort:

Leave the heating and cooling system turned on as usual. The consistent air circulation prevents trouble, such as increased humidity from the heat and frozen pipes in the winter.

Make sure the gutters and downspouts around your home are clean, so rainwater is diverted appropriately away from the home.

Shut off the water main and flush the pipes, faucets, and toilet until no more water is running.

If your trip away from home is scheduled during the winter, add insulation around any exposed pipes and a sleeve around the water heater. Check your local hardware store for marine antifreeze to put into the remaining water in the toilet and leave the doors to cupboards and cabinets open to allow for air circulation.

Thorough Inspections

One of the best ways to avoid water pipe repair, even when you aren't going out of town, is scheduling regular inspections. You can do this yourself, or you can hire a professional who can recognize trouble while problems are still small. Physically inspect every source and container of water:

• Water heater
• Appliances and hoses
• Toilets
• Pipes under the sinks

It's also a good idea to make sure the seals around the windows are watertight and run a quick test of the sump pump, so you can be confident it's in good working condition.

If your home does get flooded while you're gone, a working sump pump could reduce some of the damage. On the other hand, a sump pump that isn't working properly could cause flooding.

Trustworthy Neighbors

Even a slow drip of water from a broken pipe can cause a lot of harm to your Layton, UT, home, especially if the leak springs right after you leave. However, if you have neighbors who are willing to walk through your house from time to time, they can catch spot trouble and take action quickly. Let them know which areas could be problematic and provide them with contact information, so they can quickly organize cleanup and repairs if flooding does occur.

If you do come home from a trip and find flooding, contact a water damage cleanup professional right away. Next, contact your insurance company, so an adjuster can get started on your insurance claim. Your insurance company can also tell you which steps you can take next.

Even with preventative steps, your Layton, UT, home could still be exposed to water damage. When water pipe repair is necessary, a professional response is thorough and effective.