Don’t be held captive by your washing machine’s potential for destruction.
Of all the hazards that can damage property, water is the most insidious. Water is for the most part silent, travels in all directions from the source, and often doesn’t surface immediately. It just lies quietly in the dark doing its damage. Sometimes it goes undetected for weeks and even months.
There are many preventative steps any homeowner can take themselves to detect a water leak. Checking the water bill every month is a simple check, as an unidentifiable spike may lead to detecting a leak. Be alert to water stains or standing water. Usually you can track down the leak and correct the cause.
One highly recommended practice for the non-handy homeowner and for landlords that have rental properties in remote locations is to engage a plumber or recovery contractor to do an annual inspection for water leaks and damage. That can even extend to automatic replacement of faucet seals, hose connections, and areas where frequent water damage can occur yet be undetected. If your sewer lines are prone to root invasion, schedule a six- or 12-month cleaning to avoid clogging and subsequent sewer water back-up.
Changing habits that, left unchecked, can lead to water damage can also be a preventative measure. For example, if you are in the habit of starting a load of clothes in the washing machine just before retiring for the night reconsider. There have been instances where the washer malfunctions during its cycle. A cycle stuck on “fill” for an entire night can pump a huge amount of water on to the floor of your home. If the washing machine is on the second floor, the entire home will be flooded when you awake—and you will awake if your bare feet hit a floor covered ankle deep in water!
One more warning while we talk about laundry. Make sure your dryer exhaust has no leaks and that it transfers the dryer exhaust to the outside. Lint carries moisture. If the lint gets deposited via a leak inside your home’s sub floors, moisture will collect and, given enough time, will cause serious damage to the structure. The same can happen if the exhaust screen is plugged. It’s simple to fix, but very expensive if ignored.
If you want more ideas about how to protect your property from water damage call the restoration experts at PDR at 877-732-8471. Better yet, ask them to inspect your property as a preventative measure for water damage—it could happen when you least expect it.
Image courtesy of winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net