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How To Prevent Water Damage
Did you know that 90 percent of household damage is done by water and flood damage?
Broken water pipes contribute greatly to that figure. Flooding and water damage destroy
electronic items and ruin rugs, curtains, and clothes. Electric shock risk rises dramatically.
At the very least, you'll spend days cleaning up the mess, battling the resulting mildew
smell, and getting your pipes fixed so you can resume your water service. But your friends
at the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies want you to know that you can reduce the risk
of water damage to your home. Here's how:
Preventative Maintenance:
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Check your water heaters annually. If you need to replace your water heater, which is
currently located inside your home, explore the possibility of moving it to the garage.
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Replace your washing machine hoses every five years. Replace with heavy duty
hoses. Check control valves on washing machines annually.
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If you leave your home for longer than two days, turn off the water to the house if
possible. At least turn off the control valves to the water heater, washing machine, etc.
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Be sure you and your spouse know where the turn-off valve is for the city water going
into your home.
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If your water bill is abnormally high for no apparent reason, do a complete
inspection of your water system.
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Do not pour grease of any kind down your sink or disposal.
Keep Water Pipes From Freezing:
In general, the two most important ways to maintain water pipe safety are: keeping the
pipes warm, and keeping the water moving with an available outlet (i.e. an open faucet).
There are several ways to keep the pipes warm:
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Insulate any and all pipes that are vulnerable to cold air. This can be done by
using standard insulation material, or through the use of Underwriter's Laboritories-
approved (UL listed) heat tapes.
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Keep your heat on. If you go on vacation or will be away for a period of time,
don't turn your heat off. Keep the heat inside in the 60's.
If you leave the heat on to keep your pipes warm, a good way to help the interior
heat reach the pipes is to leave closet and cabinet doors open. This is especially
important if they are near uninsulated pipes in exterior walls.The more closed
doors you have between interior heat and exterior wall pipes, the better your chance
of those pipes freezing, since the heat can't get to them.
Keep Water Moving in the Pipes:
Keep a faucet or faucets open slightly. By allowing a small amount of water to
trickle from the faucet, you keep water moving in the pipes. Ideally, the faucet(s)
you leave on should be the farthest from where the water enters your home at the
water main. That way, you keep water moving throughout all your pipes. When
water is moving, it doesn't freeze as easily. And by leaving faucet open, you
give cooling and slightly expanding water an outlet. If you're not sure which faucet is
farthest from the water main, it's probably the one farthest from your water meter.
Since you probably won't be needing your outdoor faucets in the colder months, it's
a good idea to cut off the water supply to them. Once you've cut the supply to those
very vulnerable outdoor faucet pipes, open those faucets to completely drain them.
If you don't do this you run the risk of pipes bursting just inside your home.
If you're going to be away from home for more than a few days, you may want to
shut down your water system completely and drain your water supply pipes by opening
the lowest faucet in the house. You can put some antifreeze into drainpipes with
"P" traps that don't drain easily, such as toilets an sinks.
Warning: Be certain to keep
poisonous antifreeze out of drinking-water-supply pipes.
The preceeding methods should
significantly reduce the risk of water damage to your home. When you're away,
it's also a good idea to have a trusted friend come into your home periodically
to check for water damage.
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