Tips for Preventing Water Damage to Your Home

Chances are high that you know several people who have told you they’ve encountered water damage in the recent winter storm. Even in Dallas Texas, it’s a very common phenomenon and unfortunately, it’s often an expensive one to fix. The truth is, most people don’t start thinking about preventative measures against home water damage until it already happens! So, if you’re hoping to prevent extensive water damage from hitting your luxury home this season, here are some things to keep in mind!

Inspect Key Appliances Regularly

Water flows out from a burst water pipe in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 18.

Photographer: Thomas Ryan Allison/Bloomberg

We know it’s not a fun item to add to your “to-do” list, but it’s important that you check key appliances 1-2x per year. These would be things such as the refrigerator, water heater, and AC unit. Once to twice a year, pull the refrigerator away from the wall and check the water line hose. Is it securely connected? Is there any sign of leakage, or is it wearing down? Check your water heater for rusting, leaking, or pooling of water beneath the unit.

Issues due to broken pipes from refrigerators or water heaters rarely happen overnight, and they can almost always be prevented by carefully watching your units for any signs of breakage or wear and tear.

Shut Off Water When Away

Most peoples’ stories of water damage always seem to start with, “when we left for our vacation to...”

Leaving the house for several days (or weeks) is the best time for catastrophic water damage to hit. If a sink is left on, a water pipe bursts, a valve comes loose – there’s nothing you can do to stop it and it will continue to leak until you catch it.

One of the simplest and most effective ways of preventing water damage is to simply shut your water off if you are leaving for extended periods of time. If you have a vacation coming up, take a few seconds to shut off your water and save yourself the headache and extra costs of repair!

Install Leak Detectors

Yes – leak detectors are a thing! They’ve gotten quite advanced and simultaneously easy to use as they integrate with Wi-Fi and cellular devices for quick reports.

There are different types of leak detectors depending on what you are attempting to monitor, so you’ll want to do your own research to find what’s right for your home, but they can be an incredible help to preventing water damage as they allow you to catch signs of a leak in early stages.

When you’re shopping for a leak detector, make sure to consider factors such as temperature monitoring, power supply/source, integrations with mobile apps or other Wi-Fi devices, built-in sirens, and onboard sensors!