Jeff Klein owner of Systematic Cleaning and Restoration and water damage restoration expert in Sussex County NJ explains how Smart devices can help prevent or mitigate flooding disasters.
Water damage cleaning and restoration is necessary for thousands of homes and businesses every year. Damage from flooding in most cases requires the need to hire a company for water damage restoration and water removal. Water damage from outside sources such as heavy rain, flash floods, riverbank overflows, storm surge, sewer line backups and other external forces can rarely be prevented. Most causes of in-home water damage can be prevented or at least reduced in severity if proper precautions are taken beforehand. Some general maintenance recommendations plus the use of the new smart devices designed for home operations are detailed below.
Some of the more mundane tasks include things such as gutter cleaning, pipe inspection, and sump maintenance. Make sure all downspouts are cleaned on a regular basis and that they divert water away from the home or business. Clogged gutters create a situation where water will simply overflow dumping water next to the foundation. This can seep into the basement causing flooding and bacterial growth. Make sure that the sump pump is in good operating condition and that it has a back-flow prevention device installed. This way any water entering the basement is quickly pumped out and away from the structure.
Make sure a plumber comes in at least once every two years to check the water heater, pipes for the dishwasher, the washer, and all other water connections present in the home or business. In a lot of cases a professional plumber can spot piping that may fail and can replace it prior to a catastrophe.
If you plan on being away from home for an extended period of time turn off the main supply valve and drain all sources of water within the home. This is especially important during the winter when power can go out and lines can freeze and burst.
There are new devices on the market that can help specifically with water damage prevention due to freezing and pipe bursts, flooding, sump pump failure, or other forms of water intrusion.
Smart devices are becoming the norm in many homes and many of these devices can help prevent or mitigate disasters. There are now smart water sensors that will notify via email or text if their sensors pick up a water loss situation. Humidity sensors now also have the ability to send a signal if humidity levels within the home or business increase rapidly or pass a certain alarm set-point. These can indicate if a water loss event is occurring and will send readings to a smartphone or computer. Smart water meters installed on the incoming water line can notify owners if water usage or flow rate is abnormal or extreme. These can also be set so that if they will notify the home or business owner via email or text giving advanced warning of an issue. Also temperature monitors will notify owners if interior temperatures fall rapidly or increase rapidly showing either a freeze event or a burst hot water line.
Home and business owners should check their insurance policy at least yearly with their insurance agent. Sometimes clauses are added to policies that may drastically affect how claims are handled. One example of this would be the seepage clause that is now found in many insurance policies for homeowners. If water has been flowing into the house over a certain amount of time any initial or subsequent damage is not covered. Using any of the aforementioned smart devices may qualify the home or business owner for an insurance rate discount. It is worth notifying your agent if any of these new devices have been installed.
Jeff Klein, owner of Systematic Cleaning and Restoration Corp.in Montague New Jersey states that "just installing just one of these new smart devices may save home and business owners thousands of dollars in damage plus untold aggravation. In almost all catastrophic losses we have worked over the last few years home or business owners were not aware a water damage incident was unfolding. These new devices change all that and can now "call for help" if an emergency situation unfolds".
