It is only normal to want to protect your home from flooding. What more while you’re away on vacation, right?
Homes are susceptible to water damage. Water damage does not just occur during severe weather such as hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms. Leaks in the plumbing system or in the home’s appliances may potentially cause water damage at any moment. As a result, water damage might be difficult to identify since it can build gradually and unnoticed. Today, Advantage Insurance Solutions explains more about water damage, preventative measures and insurance coverage for flooding.
Water Damage
For starters, there are three kinds of water damage depending on the type of water involved. Learning these can give you a better idea of how to protect your home from flooding.
Clean Water
This is the easiest to handle since the water applied is not contaminated. To tackle this, you must quickly look for the source of the water leak. Upon finding it, you must immediately repair the source of the leak and remove the flooded water at once. Also, don’t forget to dry the affected areas in your home to avoid any accidents or mold growth.
Gray Water
Gray water is much more dangerous than the first one. Since gray water contains contaminated water, which may pose health hazards upon exposure, be careful not to come into contact with this kind of water. And get rid of them immediately from your house.
Black Water
Blackwater is highly toxic as it usually contains: chemicals, pesticides, sewage water, and other highly contaminated sources. It is more than just exceptionally unsanitary. But, it is hazardous to the health of you and your family as it might cause: infections, respiratory-related diseases, and other complications. That is why you should seek professional help if you encounter this kind of water damage in your house.
Important Note
Note that just because water appears clean does not automatically mean it is not contaminated since bacteria and chemicals are usually invincible to the human eye. That is why it is difficult to tell if the water damage is from clean, gray, or black water. Knowing where the water came from in the first place is an excellent way to categorize the water damage in your home. You can also seek professional assistance if you want to be extra careful.
Don’t let a flood ruin your home.
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Tips and Tricks: Protect Your Home From Flooding Even if You’re on Vacation
The thought of water damage destroying your home can be so overwhelming. But, you can take control of this situation by taking precautionary measures to avoid water damage in the first place. These tips are simple and easy to follow, and you can easily do them independently.
Here are some tips that can help you protect your home from flooding and water damage even if you are away on vacation or outside.
1. Do Regular Inspections of Your House
Inspecting your house for leaks is a good way of avoiding water damage. Specifically, focus on your household appliances that use water, like washing machines, air-conditioning systems, and refrigerators, as they are prone to water leaks. Also, check the piping and plumbing system around your house for any cracks or signs of damage. Immediately repair or replace them to avoid further deterioration resulting in a water leak.
It is also advisable to ask for professional help to perform regular check-ups. However, this might come as an added expense in your budget. You can see this as part of house maintenance which is crucial in conserving the value of your house.
2. Find the Location of Your Main Water Shut-off in Your Home To Avoid Water Damage
Knowing the location of the main water shut-off in your house is extremely useful in cases where you need to stop the flow of water in your home immediately. This way, you can quickly stop the water flow during emergencies. Specifically when there is a leak or burst pipe in your house.
The water main shut-off is usually in the basement or garage of most homes. But if you don’t know where yours is, it would be best to contact a local plumber.
3. Use Your Household Appliances Only When You Are at Home
Make sure to leave your household appliances at home. Since household appliances, like any other technological gadgets, no matter how advanced they are, can still fail at any time. Electronic appliances, including dishwashers, air conditioning systems, and washing machines, can leak unexpectedly. And cause water damage in your house.
Imagine leaving them on. And, running while you leave your house and a leak suddenly occurs. Then, you will come back with your home flooded and your belongings destroyed. We are trying to avoid this scenario as much as possible. That is why it is advisable that you only use household appliances. Specifically, those which utilize water while you are in your house. You can quickly fix the problem just in case of a leak. In addition to this, you can also save energy. And, lower your electricity bill by turning off your appliances while you are away.
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4. It Is Advisable To Shut off the Water if You Are Away From Your House for an Extended Period.
If you are going away from your house for a vacation, business meeting, or other out-of-town business. Consider turning off the main water valve before leaving. This is a precautionary measure if something goes wrong while you are away. By shutting off the primary water source in your house, you can rest assured that there will be no occasion for any water leaks, even though sudden damage to your pipe or an extreme weather condition might result in burst pipes.
Don’t forget to ask for help or get advice from a professional in the field before shutting off the main water valve. In case it is impossible to turn off the primary water source. You can opt to turn off the individual water valves of the primary household appliances to avoid any leaks that might become a source of water damage in your home.
5. Install Water Leak Detection Sensors
Installing leak detection sensors is a quick and convenient way of discovering any water leaks in your house. In this way, you can quickly get to the source of the water leak and avoid water damage early on. Currently, there are a lot of varieties of leak detection sensors that you can choose from. You can install from essential leak detectors to more advanced ones requiring professional help. Nowadays, smart leak detectors can notify you through your smartphone if there is any leak in your house. Moreover, there are also water leak detectors equipped with a feature that can automatically close the main water valve of your home during water leaks.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on vacation or not—you’re home can still get flooded.
Ensure insurance coverage and get a free quote today!
6. Clean Your Gutter and Get Rid of Any Debris
The gutters outside of the house are usually neglected by many homeowners, which can lead to overflowing gutters. Overflowing gutters are caused by accumulated dirt and debris stuck in the gutter. This can result in water going into the house’s interior walls, which can gradually damage the structural integrity of your home and even promote mold growth, posing significant health risks.
Consequently, cleaning the gutter from time to time to prevent the accumulation of dirt that can interfere with the proper water drainage in your house is advisable. By doing so, you can ensure that in case of heavy rain, rainwater can flow seamlessly into the drainage and not into the walls of your house.
7. Keep the House Warm During Winter and Provide Extra Insulation
Suppose you are living in an area that experiences extreme weather conditions, especially during the winter season. In that case, ensuring that your house is warm enough to avoid burst pipes is essential. You can also consider insulating water pipes around your home as a precautionary measure.
Extreme cold can put your home’s water pipes under so much pressure that they can burst. When it leaks, it can damage furniture and other valuables. Keeping your home warm prevents frozen pipes. Temperatures above 50°F can help warm water pipes.
Moreover, adding extra insulation in your house, specifically in the basement or the attic, is recommended to avoid burst pipes. You can cover the pipes with foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves to keep them warm enough to prevent freezing.
8. Safety Checklist Against Water Damage
If you’re going on a long vacation or business trip, use these checklists. Following these tips will protect your home from flooding damage while you’re away. You can quickly follow these safety measures.
Here are some things that you can do before leaving the house to avoid water damage in your home:
- Adjust the thermostat. During the winter, keep your home warm to prevent burst pipes from flooding it.
- Install smart water leak detectors. This device can send smartphone alerts if it detects water leaks. You can then ask a neighbor or friend to turn off the water or fix the leak to prevent severe water damage.
- Turn off your home’s main water valve before leaving for a long time. Turn off individual valves in water-using appliances like your washing machine.
- Turn off your water-leaking washing machine, air conditioning unit, and refrigerator before leaving.
Ever wondered if your car is also covered for repair or replacement after a flood?
Learn more here: Does My Auto Insurance Cover Flood Damage?
9. Home Insurance for Extra Protection
However, no matter how many precautions we take to safeguard our homes from water damage. But having reliable home insurance is a solution to minimize our worries and provide extra protection for our homes. Home Insurance protects your home from flooding by covering financial losses when a disaster or accident strikes. Since it can provide the following:
- Compensation in case of damages to your house
- Destruction of your personal and household items
- Other unexpected losses
We hope you learned how to protect your home from flooding and its effects. Water damage can cause many home problems. It reduces property value. It can destroy hard-earned possessions quickly. Worse, water damage can endanger your family’s life.
To avoid water damage, you must secure your home and be proactive. Preventing water damage saves time, money, and lives. Sometimes you can do these safety tips yourself. Do them consistently, especially if you’re leaving for a long time.
Finding the Right Protection for Your Home in Case of Flooding
If you are looking to renovate or already have a home that is perfect for living in, why not have a flood insurance policy? Flood insurance policies are designed to protect your investment from losses. We are the top independent insurance agency that can help you today!
Call or text Advantage Insurance Solutions at (877) 658-2472!