Did you know that the US residents spend 13 Billion annually to restore property water damages? Another interesting fact is that around 14000 Americans face water damage emergencies daily. It goes without saying that water damage is a nightmare.
You do not want to find out a water leak source in your house, especially in the crawl spaces. The fact that water damages can give way to other major concerns including mold growth and property structural damage adds to the misery.
Some interesting water statistical facts:
- Water and mold damages costs a whooping 2.5 Billion to insurance companies every year
- Floods are the major cause of property water damages ($26K/Year)
- A faucet leaking at the rate of 1 drip/second can cost you 250 gallons of water per month
- 10% of houses in the U.S has undetected water leaks and wastes 90 gallons of water per day
- More than 70% of water heaters trigger water damages before they are 12 years old
Insurance claims
The average water damage insurance claim cost in the United States is around $10,000. Since 2005, home water damage claims have increased at the rate of 2 percentage. Water damage claims over $50,000 have doubled since 2015.
Types of water damage:
There are three types of water damages:
White Water Damage (Category 1): water damage from broken pipes, overflowing sink, or rainwater. Health risks associated with category 1 water damage is low if attended to in 48 hours.
Grey Water Damage (Category 2): Water damages from equipment discharges, chemical wastes like detergent, laundry, and soap. Category 2 water damage can pose mild to severe contamination risks.
Black Water Damage (Category 1): Waters from sewers or water containing grease, oil, urine, etc are ideal examples. The vulnerability of getting an infection or illness post direct or indirect exposure to black water is more than 90%.
As a property owner, the ability to identify the water damage type can be critical, especially in emergency situations.
Average Cleaning Costs Statistics based on water damage types:
Water damage prevention tips
Follow this checklist to prevent or minimize costs to property from water damage.
- Check the water heaters in your home as they start creating problems once they are about 5 years old. It is advisable to get a professional to inspect these heaters once every two years.
- Make sure to remove build-up of sediment by flushing the tanks once in six months
- Have a professional inspect the supply lines of the washing machine to prevent them from suddenly bursting
- Never run the machine when you are not in the home
- It is necessary to replace the supply hose once in 5 years.
- If you notice the tank or bowl in your bathroom overflowing, turn of the supply valve to stop the water from flowing. Make sure to repair leaky faucets and drains
- Check the refrigerator regularly and make sure it is properly installed. A minor leak in the supply line hose can cause water damage in the home
Tips to identify hidden water leaks:
Damages from hidden water leaks can be heavy, you often need a professional to identify the severity of the damage and bring the situation under control. However, knowing when to call the professional depends of how soon you detect the water leak.
Here are some tips to detect hidden water leaks:
- Keep an eye out on your water bill for unexpected high usage
- Do not use water for a couple of hours and inspect the meter reading pre and post-test period
- Do colored droplet test in your toilet tank, if the droplet sweeps through to the toilet bowl, you can confirm a leak
- Use leak water sensors and alarms and invest in auto-shutdown features, especially if you travel a lot
Water and flood damage can damage both old and new properties equally. A smart move is to consider all the possibilities and be a step ahead by planning emergency actions and minting a good working relationship with water damage specialists.
