4 Tips To Prevent Water Damage in Your Home or Business
Water can create thousands of dollars in damage very quickly. In most cases, this type of damage happens at an inconvenient time when you’re not prepared to handle it. Water damage can stem from many different causes but a few common ones are water heater leaks, plumbing leaks, broken pipes, leaking or broken supply lines, leaking appliances, and roof leaks.
You shouldn’t attempt to address water damage without the proper training and equipment. If you discover water damage, it’s strongly recommended to contact a professional such as Good Times Restoration to help you through the restoration and claims process.
Water damage will generally spread, so a fast response is critical. Although you can’t eliminate the risk of water damage, here are a few helpful tips to prevent you from experiencing the full extent of water damage on your Arizona home or business.
1. Inspect Your Washing Machine
A washing machine could spill many gallons of water onto your floor relatively quickly. Fortunately, the most well-known causes are usually preventable with a few simple precautionary measures.
First, check that the hose clip that holds the drain hose setup is tight. Sometimes when pushing the washing machine into place, if this hose isn’t tightly fastened, it can become dislodged if it comes into contact with anything.
This can also create a slow leak that deposits water each time the washer goes through a cycle if the hose doesn’t come off outright. Neither situation is ideal.
Second, ensure the drain hose has been attached to the drain. If the drain hose becomes dislodged from the drain, all the water the washing machine uses during a normal cycle will wind up on the floor.
The drain sometimes has enough pressure to blow the drain hose out, so using something to fasten the drain hose in place is highly recommended.
Using a zip tie to attach the drain hose to one of the supply lines is an easy way to prevent the hose from becoming dislodged.
2. Inspect Your Roof
Another simple method to prevent water damage is to inspect your roof periodically. Look for irregularities such as broken tiles, missing shingles, bent or damaged flashing, or any water spots on your ceiling.
If you notice any of these things, we strongly recommend having a roofer inspect the damaged areas to make sure it’s still watertight.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing the inspection yourself, most roofers would be happy to assist you. These visual inspections are critical after large storms that could contain heavy rain, hail, strong winds, or blowing debris.
If you ever discover any compromises in your roof, it’s best to fix the issue before the water has a chance to create more damage.
3. Check Your AC Unit
There are a few ways your AC can leak water into your ceiling. Although this can usually be prevented, no leaks are good. First, check that the pan underneath the unit in your attic is clear of debris and not damaged or bent.
Second, make sure the drain on the pan is free to remove water as needed with no blockage. When these pans get bent, rusted, or the drain gets plugged, water will get into your attic.
4. Inspect Your Supply Lines
Each sink, appliance, toilet, and water heater in your house gets water through supply lines. Unfortunately, when these supply lines leak or break, large amounts of damage will quickly follow.
Common causes of supply line failures are old age, inferior materials, hard water, and accidental damage. Look for signs of corrosion, damage, and what materials the supply lines are made of when evaluating your supply lines.
If the supply lines have corrosion or are damaged, they could fail sooner than you think. Plastic or rubber supply lines can also become brittle over time, so even though they might appear alright, they could be ready to burst as well.
If you ever have any doubt about the condition of the supply line or if it’s older than a few years, replacing it could be a wise investment.
Contact Good Times Restoration for more information on how to avoid water damage.
