At Conroy Insurance Services, LLC we know you want to protect what’s important. And while insurance can lessen the financial impact of a loss it cannot prevent a lot of heartache and hassle. One of the most disheartening experiences is to find flooding or extreme water damage to your treasured home or business.
Our neighborhood in the Jordan Creek Town Center area of West Des Moines is now over 15 years old and we are aware that many of the homes are getting damaged from water. We had a first hand experience with water damage at our office in Windsor Heights in May. The office suite above had a pipe burst near their hot water tank. By the time the water was shut off (and gravity kicked in) a total of six office suites were damaged.Their insurance paid for all of the clean up, mitigation and damaged property but the hassle factor of our office being in chaos for several weeks was quite high.
Just a little time and some effort can prevent a loss:
1. Make sure your water pressure is not set too high. For just $6 or so, you can purchase a gauge that will help you test your pressure for the appropriate level, which should be set between 60 and 80 PSI.
2. Standard hoses on new appliances are not as durable as they used to be. So check your appliances. If they’re rubber, either replace them with longer lasting stainless steel braided hoses or replace them every three years.
3. Keep water from leaking into the walls or floor of your bathroom by replacing cracked tiles and re-grouting when it’s needed.
4. Examine the shingles on your roof. Worn, curled or missing shingles allow water in, so replace them as soon as noticed.
5. Consider buying a water alarm, which can help you find leaks, or automatic shut-off mechanisms, which can help avoid bursts.
6. A lot of water damage occurs when you and your family are away from home. Make a practice to avoid running the washing machine or dishwasher while you’re out.
7. When you leave for vacations, turn off the water supply to appliances.
8. Keep up maintenance on all appliance hoses, because slow leaks from worn out hoses can cause major damage (and they are not covered under Homeowners insurance).
I hope these pointers will ensure your house stays nice and dry this year! If you have questions about your coverage give us a call at 515 528-2377 or use the contact page on this website. As your Trusted Choice independent agent we can help you get the coverage you may need.