Preventing Water Damage Caused by Plumbing Fixtures

water damage minneapolisEach year, thousands of insurance claims are filed and homeowners are inconvenienced by water damage. But many times, water damage can be avoided with regular maintenance and a little preparation.

Do you know what you can do in and around your home to prevent water damage in your Minneapolis home? Here are some simple tips to make water damage prevention part of your regular home maintenance so you can avoid experiencing water damage in your home.

Know Where the Main Water Supply Shut-Off is Located

Your are enjoying a nice quiet time at home when a pipe bursts, or you come home to find your washing machine hose has split open and flooded your Minneapolis basement. Do you know what to do first?

That’s right, turn off the main water supply valve to stop the flow of water. But do you know where to find it? Generally, if your home is connected to the municipal water supply, this will be located in the basement on the wall facing the street. It may also be in a first-level bathroom if you do not have a basement. If your home is connected to a well or spring, the valve will be on the wall closest to the water source.

Take a few minutes before an emergency to locate the main water supply shut-off, and make sure everyone in your home knows where to find it. Shutting off the water in an emergency can make the difference between a small claim, and a large water loss.

Click here to download a printable tag you can use to mark the location of the main water supply shut-off valve.

Inspect Your Washing Machine Supply Hoses

If you have rubber washing machine supply hoses, you are at a greater risk of having a failure that causes water damage. Rubber washing machine hoses are not designed to withstand constant pressure, and often fail, and because these hoses are always pressurized, this can cause serious problems for homeowners.

Be sure to inspect your hoses regularly, and replace them at the slightest sign of deterioration. If your hoses are old, you may want to replace them anyway. Newer, braided stainless steel hoses are much more resistant and less likely to fail than rubber hoses.

Inspect Dishwasher Supply and Drain Hoses

Dishwashers are tucked neatly under our countertops, and small leaks may sometimes go unnoticed for long periods of time, potentially causing mold. Inspect the drainage hose and the hoses under the sink for any leaks or signs of deterioration. Also be sure to clean the gasket around your dishwasher door to ensure a tight seal when the dishwasher is running.

Leaking Water Heater Problems

Old water heaters are common causes of water damage, and should be replaced before the end of its life expectancy, which is about every 7-12 years. You water heater will have a certification plate with the manufactured date on the front. If you see signs of deterioration, they should be replaced sooner. Install a recovery plate under the new water heater that connects to a floor drain to prevent water damage from leaking water heaters.

Frozen Outdoor Pipes and Water Damage

In Minneapolis and all of Minnesota, frozen outdoor pipes are a common occurrence and burst pipes can cause a host of problems for homeowners. Protect outdoor pipes and faucets before it freezes, and turn off the shut-off valve inside the house and open the faucet so any remaining water drains to prevent water damage.

Other Plumbing Problems

Homes built before the 1950s commonly have galvanized steel pipes that have a lifespan of about 40-50 years before rust builds up inside the pipes, increasing your risk of leaks, burst pipes and water damage. If your home was built during this period and you have not had the pipes replaced, doing so now may prevent major water damage from a failed pipe.

Pipes that make strange noises are also cause for concern, but are often easily fixed. When your plumbing makes a noise when you shut off the faucet, this is indicative of a pressure surge that can damage your pipes. A plumber can easily solve this problem, preventing damage.

Prevent Water Damage in Unoccupied Homes

If you are going to be away from your home for more than a week, especially in the winter, you should have someone check on your home while you are away. Always make sure your heating system is working to prevent frozen pipes, and drain the pipes if you will be away for an extended period of time.

Many times water damage can be avoided with regular maintenance and a little preparation. At 24Restore we hope you never have to experience a water damage emergency, but if you do, water damage cleanup should begin as soon as possible to help mitigate the damage. 24Restore will respond anytime, day or night, for your water damage emergency in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas.

 

 

“24Restore came within an hour of our water damage to assess the problem and restore and reconstruct our kitchen and my office. Everyone from 24Restore was professional, kind and did an outstanding job of damage assessment and restoration.”

- Barbara R.

Your service was excellent. The young man was thorough and very dedicated to completing the job. He’s a good one. I would recommend your services to anyone who need them.

- Keith

Your team has been absolutely amazing, professional, sympathetic and wonderful. They took my mess and made it manageable as I shed a few tears, which they also consoled with empathy. At a time when we have floods and tornados city wide you responded within hours. Thank, I am impressed and I have passed the word on to many.

- Genie

Very good experience……everyone I dealt with through 24 Restore was very professional and very kind.

- Nancy

This note is a note of thanks and appreciation of the services provided…..we could even say our home looks better than before we incurred our water damage…Job well done!

- Jay and Susan

I don’t often take the time to write a follow up complimentary letter. However I was very impressed with 24 Restore and felt they went above and beyond to surpass expectations with WOW service. Thank you for the great service and great job that your team did to get my house back in shape.

- Jane

I have recommended them to many of my friends. They are the only service that I have ever used that always gets my stains out and that clean my carpets beautifully. I can’t say enough good thins about them

- Laura

Thank you for all the work put in to get out home……It would have been an impossible task for us to have accomplished in such a short time. We appreciate all that you have done for us! We are so grateful!

- Ken and Kathe

Yes. I appreciated the ability to funnel all activities thru a one-stop shop proved to be very valuable in a disaster project such as ours demo, construction and finish as well as work directly with insurance company. The team has been professional and those on site have been respectful of our home and schedule.

- Reed

Alex did a great job scheduling, coordinating, and keeping me informed. He made sure that everything was done in a timely manner. I always felt that my job was a priority. All the workmen did a great job and were very polite. I am pleased with the results. I would highly recommend your company!

- Linda – Minneapolis

From the time of initial contact to the time of job completion was 24 hrs. Very pleased with job outcome. Will definitely use you again. If ever in need.

- Kevin – St. Paul

Response time was awesome. We we’re bewildered by what was happening and what needed to be done. 24hr came in and took care of what needed to be done.

- Susan – Plymouth

I thought 24 was very professional and timely work.

- Veronica – Lake Elmo

24Restore was very responsive and did a thorough job plus they cleaned up after themselves.

- Jean – St. Cloud

The job was exceptionally well done. You were recommended to me by Dennis Carlson, a freind and I would definatley refer 24restore to friends and family.

- Jan – Anoka

Very Professional!

- Gordon – Andover

Everyone was on top of everything and got back to me in a reasonable time. Clean up was done absolutely perfect at the end of each job.

- Pam – Arden Hills

The guys who worked here were great, polite, personable and hard workers. They did a great job! So thankful this is over!

- Ron and Jackie – Minneapolis

Working with the employees at 24restore has been an easy process. They aimed to please.

Kudos to Shelli Abraham especially, she worked with the mortgage company and insurance company so I didn’t have to, I’m a caregiver for my husband with Dementia, she took the pressure off having to deal with them, thanks Shelli.

- Sharon and Ray Kelly – Maple Grove MN
Over 2000 Reviews!