Do you suffer from the post-vacation blues? We know it can be hard to leave the beach and head back to reality but imagine walking into a reality you really don’t want to deal with – a flooded home. This nightmare scenario happens more often than we would like to think and can be caused by numerous scenarios. While we hate to see this happen to one of our customers, we know that disasters strike when we least expect them and we are proud to be one call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when you need us.
Why do so many floods happen when away on vacation? The reality is, your home is no more susceptible to flooding when you’re on vacation, but when you are away for an extended period, a simple water leak can turn disastrous. We have worked with customers who left for vacation, only to return to a flooded home due to a toilet float that was not functioning properly. Something this simple can cause the tank to overflow and flood the entire second story, leaking through the ceiling and onto the floor below. Or, consider a leaking or burst washing machine hose. Washing machine hoses tend to be a big culprit when it comes to water leaks. A burst washing machine hose can quickly flood your home and cause a great deal of damage while you are away.
We’ve also seen flooded homes caused by a broken water filter system in the refrigerator, which left the family wading through water when they returned from a vacation. And of course, there’s the classic sump pump malfunction during a rainstorm. These are all reasons that homes can flood and can lead to thousands of dollars in damage.
What can you do to prevent this from happening to you and leave you to have a worry-free vacation this summer?
- A quick total home inspection is important before leaving town. This will identify any potential issues. Include an inspection of your gutters to make sure they are properly functioning to remove all water away from your home.
- Test all of your supply lines. This is an easy way to make sure that there are no leaks that can get worse when your home is vacant. Remember a tiny leak adds up over time, so while a little drip might not be a big deal for a few hours, it can lead to a lot of water damage over a week’s time.
- If your home has a sump pump system, you should test it before heading out on vacation. The test is simple to perform: simply pour a bucket full of water into the sump pit to assure that the pump is removing water and not overflowing.
- One sure way to prevent most flooding is to shut off the main water valve to your home. This will assure that water is not going to leak from a poor connection of hose to your sink or fridge. Make sure to test it once you shut it off by simply running the water in your sink.
- If you have a person coming to check in on your home you might not want to shut the water off, but you can still shut off the hoses to your toilets, sinks and appliances. We suggest that you have the person who is coming to get your mail and water your plants to also do a quick check of the home from the basement to the top floor. This is your best bet for making sure there are no issues.
Even with all of these preventive measures in places, unexpected water damage can still happen. In an event that you find yourself with a flood on your hands, Sams emergency water removal and restoration services are here to assist with clean-up and will get you and your home back in order in no time. Contact our 24/7 emergency service line at 636-949-8229 to quickly connect with our water restoration specialists.
