The marvel of modern plumbing has made every home a cleaner, safer, and more convenient place to live. Still, there are times when things go wrong with the plumbing or other items in the home that use water, resulting in a need for flood damage restoration. Fortunately, most of these risks are easy to monitor and control. Before they are forced to deal with a flood in their house that warrants a call to a flood damage restoration company, homeowners should pay attention to the five following risks that are known to cause the most damage!
- Home Water Heaters - Although they can last a decade or more, most homeowners only think about their water heaters when they are not producing hot water. Yet it is important to realize that water heaters can fail in other ways. Avoiding the need to call a flood damage restoration company means keeping these appliances properly maintained and inspecting them frequently. Drain and flush the tank yearly to prevent sediment buildup. Check for corrosion, monitor intake feeds, and set the unit in a pan designed to prevent water damage in the event of leakage. If any evidence of a leak is present, consider having the unit replaced before a more significant leak can occur.
- Toilet Water Intake Line - Even though the toilet itself may be working fine, the water intake feed is a common source of leaks that can go undetected for a long time. It can also cause significant damage to bathroom walls and flooring, as well as the floor structure beneath the toilet. Rather than waiting until flood damage restoration is necessary, check the feed lines behind the toilet frequently and always investigate any leak, no matter how small it is.
- Washing Machines - Washing machines can cause flooding in multiple ways. The most common cause of water damage from a washer is when the intake line leaks or bursts. A large discharge of water can also happen when the drain tube gets damaged or clogged. The answer to both problems, and a way to prevent needing flood damage restoration, is carefully monitoring these tubes and hoses. Replace cheap rubber intake feed lines with more durable braided metal ones and frequently inspect the drain hose. Installing a shutoff valve in the washer feed line also provides a fast way to cut off water in case a hose does burst.
- Icemaker Feed Lines - Tucked away behind the refrigerator where nobody can see them, icemaker inlet lines are a common source of leakage. This is not usually noticeable until the damage has been done, since smaller leaks typically do not interrupt the unit from making ice. Since it can be hard to inspect these lines, they can be replaced with a woven steel water feed. Installing a leak detector for the water line can also help, alerting appliance owners before there is a need to call a flood damage restoration company.
- General Home Plumbing - Whether it is a feed line or a drain line, pipes age over time and can be affected by weather, corrosion, and many other things. Homeowners must routinely check under their sinks for leaks and anywhere else where there are water or drain lines. All pipes should be properly insulated in the winter to prevent cracking or bursting. At the first sign of a leak or finding evidence of an old one, a plumber should be called to inspect the pipes. Homeowners should also learn where the main water shutoff is in case a leak or burst pipe is discovered. Stopping the water flow quickly will reduce the amount of damage that is caused.
Keeping up with these home maintenance tasks helps every homeowner reduce their risk of leaks and floods that could require flood damage restoration. Rather than having to call a flood damage restoration company, preventive steps can be taken to keep a flood from occurring in the first place!