Many of us believe that it will never happen to us. But people who have experienced a water loss in the past have a slightly different outlook. There are so many variables that can contribute to water damage that believing it will never happen, may not be the best approach. Old pipes, frozen pipes, running faucets, sump pump failures, and excessive amounts of rain are just a few of the causes of expensive home damage and mold remediation.
Frozen pipes may be one of the most avoidable causes to water damage 2nd to running faucets left on. Many times vacant buildings, summer homes, and cleared out businesses will leave a building with water and plumbing still on. This typically isn’t a problem until below freezing weather drops the temperature in the building so low that pipes freeze and then burst. These water losses can be the most destructive as no one may be around to notice them right away.
So how can you prepare? One approach may be to keep the building furnace running in the winter season. No, it doesn’t have to be 70 degrees but obviously high enough above 32 degrees so the water and plumbing will not freeze and burst pipes. Often times we think of the energy bill, so we turn off the furnace while we travel away on vacation. If it’s below freezing outside, it won’t take long to freeze pipes in the home. A second approach would be to turn off all the plumbing and drain the water lines. This may be more typical for vacant businesses or warehouses. This also will help reduce the energy costs of keeping a furnace running through the winter. Other good habits would be to have someone occasionally check the vacant buildings or homes to make sure things are ok.
Ideally, we want to keep people informed about these issues and have a basic understanding of what can cause water damage. If nothing else, just being aware or conscientious of what can trigger a water loss may be the key to saving someone thousands of dollars.
David Pollard
First Choice Cleaning & Restorations