Ah summertime!
For many of us it’s a time for rest and relaxation and vacations away from home with friends and family. But for some unlucky homeowners, getting back to reality after vacation includes coming home to a basement flooded with water from a broken supply line or over the ground flooding. And, because the water has been allowed to dwell – sometimes for days or weeks – the first indication that there’s a problem is an awful smell greeting them at the front door when they return home.
Extracting water from a flooded basement in Cherry Hill, NJ after the homeowner returned from vacation
So, here’s a list of 5 helpful tips to help you savor all that rest and relaxation you bring home with you from your vacation by avoiding costly water damage when you’re away:
Always shut off the water to your home before leaving on vacation
1. The best protection against water damage and flooded basements when you’re on vacation is to shut off the main valve that controls all the water entering your home before you leave. If you’re not sure where it is, look for your water meter; the main shutoff will be located nearby. (It’s a good idea for everyone in your home to know where the main water shutoff valve is so they can stop the water in case of an emergency.)
Give us a call at 877-750-7876 if you’d like one of our technicians to install a water main shut off tag for you
2. If you’ve never shut off the main water valve before, test it before you leave on vacation. Turn on a faucet somewhere in the house and shut off the main water valve. All the water should stop. An old valve can break, so be gentle when you’re performing this test. If the valve is stuck, leave it alone. If it leaks or doesn’t shut off all the way, have a licensed plumber replace the valve. (You’ll need to call your water department to have the water to your house turned off at the curb while you have the repairs made.)
Closing the valve stop behind a bathroom sink before vacation can save your home from water damage when you’re away
3. If you don’t want to shut off the main water supply because you have an automatic sprinkler system or a neighbor watering the plants while you’re gone, shut off the valves to the most common sources of water damage: dishwashers, icemakers and washing machines, in case a hose cracks or leaks while you’re away. Individual shutoff valves or “stops” are installed on the supply lines leading to most appliances as well as to toilets and faucets. Supply stops usually have a small round or oval handle that you turn clockwise to shut off the flow of water.
4. If you have a well, shut off the electrical switch for the well before you leave so it won’t pump any water while you’re gone.
5. While nobody wants a bigger “to-do“ list before going on vacation, a short inspection trip around the outside of your home to check the gutters and down spout extensions can save you thousands of dollars later by preventing storm water damage while you’re away. A 1,000-sq.-ft. roof can cast off about 620 gallons of water during a 1-inch rain storm. That’s about 103 gallons per downspout if you have six of them. And, you really don’t want all those 620 gallons of water in your basement to greet you when you return! So, a quick check to make sure the gutters are clean and the downspouts are draining away from the foundation are key to prevent basement flooding while you’re away.
But if the worst should happen and you need help cleaning up water damage in a flooded basement, PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get your home clean, dry and sanitized Call 877-750-7876
