Sneaky water leaks in your home are deceiving; they can be hard to find and ;cause more damage than you’d think, making it necessary to file a claim with your homeowners insurance agency, while sudden leaks can do a lot of damage really fast.
Either way, it can be a costly problem if you don’t take steps to reduce the chance of having a leak.
Let these tips from homeowners insurance providers who want you to save money and frustration spent on restoration when home repairs can help you prevent damaging water leaks and avoid unnecessary insurance claims!
1. Know About Home Leaks
The first way to prevent damaging leaks in your home that could require repairs and a call to your homeowners insurance service is to know a thing or two about them.
Leaks are most likely to happen during the summer months, especially July and August as this seems to be when more people vacation away from their homes.
Of all the leaks that homeowners experience, nearly half are plumbing and not appliance leaks contrary to what most people assume.
Most homes experience at least one small leak every other year and of those, nearly 60% cost $5,000 or more to repair while about 15% can cost as much as $20,000 to repair.
All good details to know and a good incentive to prevent leaks in your house!
2. Install Leak Detection Devices
The next best thing you can do to prevent home water leaks is to invest in a little technology to help as you can’t be there all the time.
Install an inexpensive smart water shutoff valve that can detect leaks and shut off automatically or even remotely to prevent serious damage.
Additionally, you can add smart leak sensors that will alert you if any of your appliances are leaking, giving you time to shut off the water supply before any damage occurs.
3. Inspect and Maintain Common Home Exterior Leak Areas
Many leaks that could result in needing to contact your homeowners insurance agency actually start outside the house.
You can prevent these by keeping up with exterior home maintenance and paying particular attention to a few common water damage areas.
Keep your gutters cleaned out, make sure runoff water flows away from your foundation, and check all door and window frames for signs of leaking or past water damage.
In addition, have routine inspections done on your roof and periodically look inside the attic for signs of leaking that needs to be addressed before small leaks can result in bigger problems.
4. Inspect Home Appliances and Plumbing Periodically
Though not the most common cause of water damage, leaky appliances still cause enough of it that homeowners insurance providers put them high on the list of items to inspect regularly.
Periodically check plumbing lines for wetness or around appliances for signs that water has leaked in the past.
Check plumbing fixtures and faucets as well and if there’s a sump pump in your house, make sure it’s functioning correctly.
5. Turn Off Water Mains When House is Unattended for Periods
If you’re going to be away from the house for more than a day or two, it’s a good idea to turn off water mains, just in case.
A substantial leak or broken pipe or hose that happens while you’re not at home can result in devastating home damage, and quite a damage claim for repairs.
Eliminate the possibility by turning the water off before you go.
6. Carry Water Damage Coverage On Homeowners Policy
One effective thing you can do to protect your home in addition to using the above leak prevention tips is to carry appropriate water damage coverage on your homeowners insurance policy.
Most policies don't cover floods or rising water as well as gradual water leaks.
Check your current policy and be sure of what it covers as well as making certain that you have Replacement Cost Coverage that will make payment based on what it currently costs, not on what it cost when the policy was initially taken out.
Protect Your Home With Good Leak Prevention
Regular upkeep and maintenance is a critical part of home ownership that will reduce accidents like both sneaky and sudden leaks that can cause extensive damage to your home.
You can avoid this damage and having to make costly claims to your homeowners insurance service by staying on top of leak prevention using the above tips!
Need Homeowners Insurance in College Station Texas?
Contact Jones & Associates for Homeowners Insurance Policies!
Call (979) 599-7532 For More Info!