Home water damage can lead to unnecessary stress and thousands of dollars in repairs. Although you cannot prepare for all plumbing-related accidents, there are some steps you can take to reduce the chances of a flooding due to mishaps, damage or neglect in your home. Keeping an eye on potential sources of leaks is just one of the many steps you can take to prevent home water damage.
Check Appliances Frequently
Regularly checking your appliances for leaks can prevent larger problems in the future. Look for visible signs of leaks, including standing water near appliances or dark spots on the wall(s) nearby. Your home’s appliances contain some parts that can become brittle and break, leading to significant flooding if you do not repair them promptly. Fortunately, many of these parts can be easily replaced. Simple repairs include replacing the hoses in your washing machine, the filter in your dishwasher and similar parts in other appliances.
Install Water Sensors
Water sensors alert you when water appears in places that it does not belong. These sensors can be put on the floor near plumbing fixtures or appliances that use water. Bathrooms and laundry rooms are excellent places to use sensors. Some sensors even allow you to monitor their status remotely with an app on your smartphone.
Watch Your Water Bill
Your water bill contains vital information about your water usage. Comparing two bills together can help you determine if there is a possibility of a leak in your home. If you see a sudden uptick in your usage without an obvious explanation, such as houseguests, you may have a leak somewhere in your home. Finding a leak while it is new and relatively small can help you avoid flooding issues.
Turn Off Water During Vacations
The last sight that you want to see after arriving home from a vacation is a flooded basement. If you are going to be gone for more than a few days, turn off your water before you go. The easiest way to accomplish this is to turn off the main water valve.
Treat Your Drains Well
Improperly using your drains can lead to backups and flooding. In the kitchen, do not depend on your garbage disposal to grind up food pieces that could potentially get stuck in your pipes (e.g. pasta, egg shells, fibrous foods); simply throw these items away or put them in a compost bin. Grease and oils should never go down the drain. In the bathroom, use hair catchers to prevent hair from going down the drain and creating a clog.
Preventing home water damage can save you from both stress and money problems. Good prevention starts by becoming more aware of your home’s plumbing and appliances.
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thank you for the home water tips .i have learnt a lot of those things i take for granted.
Regards – Jacinta
There are necessary and useful tip in our daily lives so İ appriciate all kinds of tips…
I think that installing a water sensor would be one of the better ways that someone could go about preventing water damage from happening. Then again, the damage could occur when you aren’t home but it would be a good precaution to have. I’d just be sure to have the damage remedied as quickly as possible to help prevent any mold or other issues popping up.
Excellent tips, and I might add to not treat drains and toilets like garbage bins. Items might go down the drain but form gradual clogs that lead to burst pipes and backups. Thanks for the info!
I appreciate the advice on turning off the water to your home during vacation to prevent damage from occurring. I think some water has leaked into my roof during the last thunderstorm that came through here. It would probably be a good idea for me to have that taken care of before it gets worse.
I liked that you mentioned regular checking your appliances for leaks can prevent water damage problems. My husband noticed that my mother’s basement has mold, and we are looking for advice to prevent a major problem. I will let her know about checking her appliances frequently to make sure they are working properly.
I’m grateful for your advice to check and compare your water bills month to month to see if there are any drastic changes, as that could be a sign of a leak. The house my family just moved into last month was built in the 60s, and I am trying to inspect and make sure everything is working well. Next month, I will compare our bills so that I know if we need to hire a water damage service to help.
I agree that handling water damage and molds should be left to the professionals because they are expert in doing the process, and they have the right tools to use. Thanks for giving the benefits of hiring a professional one. My grandmother’s house has been affected by a flood, and my parents are looking for services who can help her restore her damaged basement. I hope they will find a reputable cleaning service soon.
I liked that you mentioned your water bill will help you to determine if there is a leak in your home. My mother noticed that change in her water bill, and we are looking for advice about what could cause it. I will let her know about your recommendations to help her prevent water damage problems.
My sister’s basement is already flooded due to the typhoon, which is why she’s thinking of hiring a water damage repair service that will be able to address the matter. Anyhow, you were such an angel for sharing here that this could be prevented through installing a water sensor in it because this will notify the owner if water appears. Thank you for also sharing here that she must regularly inspect her appliances for any breakage because this may cause leaks.
Water is the top cause of damage to homes, and repairs can be extremely expensive. Your useful tips will help us to protect home from water damage.