While getting away on vacation for a few days certainly sounds relaxing, all of that relaxation can quickly dissipate if you come home to find that your home has been destroyed by flooding while you were enjoying fun in the sun. Although it might seem like there would not be much of a chance for your home to flood while you are away, leaving your water on is actually much more of a danger than you might realize.
Why You Should Turn Off Your Water
Water damage to your home can result from a number of sources, including:
- Broken washing machine hoses and toilet lines
- Water heater leaks
- Leaking supply lines
- Broken sprinkler lines
- Flooding from faucets
- Frozen pipes
Broken Washing Machine Hoses and Toilet Lines
Even though you may be on vacation, that does not mean that water stops running throughout your home. In the event that a washing machine hose or water pipe should experience failure, your home could be at risk for serious flooding. If you are at home, you can work to minimize the damage from such flooding. However, if you are away when it happens, this flooding can result in severe damage.
Water Heater Leaks
You might not give any thought to it, but if there is a tank water heater in your home, the potential for flooding is always present. As a water storage container, your water heater could potentially become the source of major flooding in your home. Turning off the water to your home can help to mitigate such catastrophes.
Broken Sprinkler Lines
Do you keep your lawn irrigated with sprinklers? They may be an excellent way to keep your grass green, but they could also be the source of flooding in the event of a broken line. To prevent such problems from occurring while you are on vacation, it’s a good idea to shut off the main water to avoid coming home to a surprise pool in your yard.
Flooding From Faucets
With so many water lines and pipes running to numerous locations throughout your home and property, there is tremendous potential for water leaks. Should any one of those lines become corroded and fail, the result may be a leak at a minimum or a complete break in the worst-case scenario.
Damages Associated With Flooding
Coming home to a flooded home after vacation is bad enough, but to make the situation even worse is the fact that the damage can be far-reaching. Of course, if you have homeowners insurance, it might be easy to simply shrug it off and think that everything will be covered.
Although your insurance may very well cover a portion of the repairs and replacements that are necessary, you can also be certain that you will likely still be out money when everything is said and done. Not only might it take a while for your insurance company to actually cover the costs, but you also very well may receive less money than you might anticipate.
You might even be surprised to discover that your insurance policy might not cover your damages at all if your home sustained damage from flooding because you failed to shut off the water supply to your home while you were away. If you are not sure whether this is a possibility, it would be a good idea to consult the fine print of your insurance policy.
Frozen Pipes
While many people opt to go on vacation during the summer, if you plan to travel during the winter months, there is always the potential for frozen pipes creating a disaster during your absence. If the temperature should drop below freezing while you are enjoying your getaway, your pipes may be at risk for freezing. As you may be aware, a frozen pipe is also at risk for bursting, which can lead to significant flooding in your home.
The Inconvenience and Heartbreak of Flooding
Arriving home to discover that everything you own has been damaged by flooding can be heartbreaking and exhausting. If you are forced to wait for payment from your insurance company, you may have no other choice but to find somewhere else to stay in the interim. Naturally, this can be a major inconvenience.
While that might be bad enough, imagine the heartbreak of discovering that your prized possessions and heirlooms have been irreparably damaged or destroyed. There are simply some things in life that no insurance check can replace.
Preventing Water Damage While on Vacation
Given the potential for such damage to your home from possible flooding, it’s important to understand how to prevent this from happening the next time you go on vacation. The answer is quite simple. You need to shut off your home’s water supply. It only takes a few minutes to shut off the main water supply. To do this, you will need to locate the main water shutoff and then turn it off.
It’s always a good idea to know where the mains water supply valve is located in your home in the event you experience an emergency. This valve typically features a lever handle or a wheel that can be opened and closed. The lever can be closed, or if the valve has a wheel, you can turn it clockwise to shut off the water.
In the event you do not already know the location of the mains water supply valve, you may be able to find it in your home’s basement, outside the home, in your home’s crawl space, or along the concrete slab of your home. Ideally, it’s a good idea to locate the water main and test the ability to shut it off and put a stop to water flowing in your home before you are ready to leave for vacation or experience some type of emergency.
Once you know where the water main to your home is located, you will be prepared to shut it off before you leave your home for a few days of relaxation or in the event there is sudden flooding.
Benefitting From Automation
The latest technological advances have also made it much easier to avoid the potential for flooding in your home. With the installation of a water pressure valve, you can actually receive alerts on your phone if there is a sudden increase in water pressure. It’s even possible to install a device that will provide you with the opportunity to shut off the water to your home directly from your phone.
Ultimately, it is always best to shut off the water to your home rather than run the risk of flooding occurring while you are away and the ensuing damage. It only takes a few minutes to take care of this small task so that you can enjoy your vacation worry-free.
If you need assistance in locating your water main, learning how to turn it off, or are interested in automation products, contact us at Complete Comfort Heating Air & Plumbing in Greenwood, IN. We can help you with all of your heating, cooling, plumbing, and indoor air quality needs.
Contact us at Complete Comfort Heating Air & Plumbing in Greenwood, IN, today for more information on heating, air conditioning & plumbing service. Call us at (317) 648-5133.
Author Bio:
Brittany Katterjohn
Brittany is a marketer, entrepreneur, and writer with previous business development experience in the home maintenance industry. She currently manages the marketing for Complete Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing and has a passion for helping people by simplifying seemingly complicated topics related to home maintenance and repair.
