The most frequent cause of flooding in your home isn’t because water leaks in from the outside! It’s from water that you brought in yourself. That’s right it is from your own waterlines already in the house.
Even bigger than overflowing sinks, bathtubs and toilets, the biggest contributor is your water heater. That appliance that probably sits in your basement, is highly likely to be a cause of a flood in your home. That’s because they are full of water 100% of the time. That, in turn, causes them to rust through.
If you’re lucky it will start with a pin-hole leak and will be spotted before it does much damage. However, many people don’t spot the little leaks before they turn into big leaks and cause lots of water damage.
What to do? Proactively change your water heater before it has a chance to start leaking. Yes, you will be getting rid of a water heater that may still have a year or two to last, but you will avoid the damage that will certainly occur if you keep it to the end of its life-cycle. The safest way to protect yourself is to set a timetable, eight to ten years and change it when that date is reached.
As a safety precaution, obtain a water sensor that lives on the floor next to your water heater and will emit an alarm when it senses water.
Water heaters are a wonderful convenience, but can cause a lot of damage when they let go. Make sure you don’t suffer the consequences.
If you have questions, call Burns & Cotter, Inc. and ask us to help.
Phone: (401) 421-0100 Fax: (401) 421-2376
Email: service@burnscotter.com