Water damage can be one of the worst disasters a homeowner will ever have to confront. It tends to be one of the most expensive, most frustrating, and most destructive, completely destroying almost everything it affects. Repairs can take weeks or even months to complete. Yet few people consider it something to worry about until it is too late. Fortunately, it is often easy to prevent if certain basic precautions are taken. Here are five easy ways to bring the risk to your home down to a minimum and save yourself a lot of time and money.
Keep All Appliances Updated
Always be sure that water heaters, washing machines, or other appliances using water are in good condition and not too old. As a general guideline these machines should be replaced about once a decade to assure their continued functionality. It can be much better to replace an old machine before it breaks than to wait for it to blow out and pay for not only a new machine but all the damage that was caused.
Regularly Inspect Hoses
One of the most frequent ways that damage is caused is a malfunctioning hose. Fortunately this is an easy problem to avoid. Be sure to check all the hoses attached to your appliances on a regular basis for breaks, holes, bulges, or kinks. If any of these are found the hose must be replaced immediately. This is usually very cheap and easy to do. It may be better to switch away from rubber hoses altogether and replace all your hoses with more durable stainless steel ones.
Turn Off Appliances Upon Leaving
Avoid leaving the dishwasher or washing machine on any time you leave the house, no matter how short a time you intend to be gone. If an appliance malfunctions while someone is at home, the problem can generally be caught very early and dealt with before it becomes a major issue. However, if something goes wrong while you are away, by the time you get back a small leak could have turned into a huge amount of damage.
Pay Attention to the Roof
Pay special attention to any coolers, dehumidifiers, or other appliances which use water that you store up in an attic or on a roof. If anything happens to one of these, the water will seep downward and damage everything below it, which can be much more disastrous than something on the bottom floor, which will likely only flood its immediate area. Rooftop appliances are a special cause for concern, as they are consistently exposed to the elements and can therefore suffer weather damage much quicker. Make sure that you check these at least once a year.
Utilize Water Alarms
Almost everyone has the foresight to install smoke detectors, but few people consider a water alarm, which works on the same principle. This is a simple device that can alert you to water leakage, enabling you to stop the problem before it becomes a major disaster. It is usually no harder to install than hooking up a garden hose to a nozzle would be.
Taking these simple precautions against water damage can save you a huge amount of both money and time. It is always better to be proactive than to be too late and place your home in a state where it will take months to repair and you lose many valuable possessions. It takes little time or effort to perform these steps, and is well worth it.
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