Most people are surprised to hear that most of the flood cleanup that we do here at Flood Fighters is not caused by groundwater and rain. Although we do see a fair amount of this type of water damage, by far the most frequent causes are related to plumbing.
Human error and faulty plumbing parts account for the lionshare of what causes water damage in homes.
We are human after all, so it’s not uncommon to see water damage caused by simple mistakes. Some of the more frequent causes of water damage we see are:
- Leaving a sink or tub faucet running and forgetting
- Screwing or nailing through a pipe in the wall or floor
- Not pumping the septic tank
- Clogging the toilet and overflowing
- Not replacing aged appliances and water heaters.
- Not having routine maintenance done on sump pumps, furnaces, water heaters, etc.
- Freezing pipes
Although the last one on that list may be considered an “act of nature”, water damage from frozen pipes, especially in vacation and second homes, can often be avoided or at least mitigated by the following:
- Know how and where to quickly shut off your main water supply
- Turn off your water supply or well pump when leaving home for extended periods
- Double check batteries in thermostats
- Double check propane tank
Set up leak detectors that can remotely notify you. This Lyric Wi-FI Water Leak & Freeze Detector was recommended by Precision Plumbing and D&W Mechanical.
Courtesy of: Water Damage Defense