5 Tips to Prevent Water Damage
Vacation season is right around the corner
It’s time to unwind and relax. And time to forget about the clock! But that nice vacation becomes a disaster with all kinds of regrets if the family arrives home to a house filled with water.
It is one of the worst things that can happen – especially if you are away and your neighbor calls to tell you she sees water seeping out of your windows. You weren’t ready to end your vacation yet, but now you need to rush home to assess the damage. Upon arrival, there is three inches of standing water on the first floor.
Oh, if only you had been home when that pipe broke…you could have quickly shut off the main water supply and cleaned up the small mess. It’s kind of like the chirp of your fire alarm at 3:00 am…pipes seem to break at the most inopportune times. Sump pumps seem to fail when no one is home. The list goes on and on.
What can you do?
Here are some tips homeowners can use to ensure water damage does not occur:
- Secure all windows and doors. A storm can drive water into your home if there is any type of opening, even a small one at a window.
- Don’t turn off the heat! Keep the thermostat set at 55 degrees to ensure nothing inside will freeze. In winter months, you never know how cold it may get when you are on vacation.
- Some hot water heaters have a vacation setting. Play it safe and take advantage of it.
- This one is really important! Shut off all water supply sources to anything that might leak, like the washing machine. Even better? If appropriate, shut off the main water supply to the home, but leave instructions if anyone is going to visit or stay at your home while you are away.
- Make sure your sump pump is in good working order. A failed sump pump means ground water is going to intrude and create havoc in your home.
So enjoy your next vacation, but don’t let coming home be a disaster. Follow these simple tips to make sure you don’t suffer from a water damage disaster.
(But if you do, call RESCON. We can fix it!)