Pittsburgh Water Damage Cleanup

Many insurance claims related with water damage are plumbing related. A regular inspection of different components of your plumbing system may save you the aggravation and inconvenience of a pricey water damage claim, some of which may not be covered under your policy. The following are five plumbing inspections you can make to avoid water damage.

• Check around your toilet for signs of leaks. The most common location for toilets to leak and cause water damage is around the wax seal. This is a circular form of wax which seals the toilet to the flange beneath. If the bolts which hold the toilet straight down get loose or worn, the toilet may begin to wobble and break the wax seal. In a lot of instances a brown or yellow spot on the ceiling underneath the toilet suggests a bad wax seal.  Feel all-around the backside of the toilet as well for occasionally it is a poor tank to bowl gasket or bolts which often leads to a leak down the rear of the toilet, and this is wrongly diagnosed for a wax seal leak.  A final idea to assist in preventing your toilet from leading to water damage is to insure the fill tube within the tank of the toilet and is cut beneath the level of the tank handle.  In the event the fill-valve would break and the water fail to shut off, you want the water to drain down the fill tube prior to spilling out through the tank lever opening.

• The tub/shower system is another plumbing area well-known to produce water damage.  Aside from the noticeable areas about the curtain or door, examine the caulking around the tub spout and handle escutcheons. If the caulking is in bad condition, remove with a putty knife, clean, dry, and replace with fresh bathroom caulking.  Should you have an access panel behind the tub, inspect the overflow gasket situated behind the overflow.  This is usually kept on by two screws.  These types of gaskets will dry-rot and need being replaced.  This is more of a problem if the tub is utilized for baths more-so than showers.

• Look carefully under all sinks and pay particular attention to where the trap touches with the wall.  This is the location which can go undetected, since the water leaks in behind the sink cabinet to the area below.  When under the kitchen sink be sure to look the dishwasher drain hose.  It can be frequently attached to it’s own p-trap and will be at a lower level as compared to your sink basin, making it the first place water will overflow in the case of a slow-running or clogged sink.  Last but not least examine all valves and supply lines under the sink and be certain to splash some water all over the deck of the faucet to check a good connection to the sink basin.

• Test your main shut-off valve for your property.  Regardless of whether or not any of the other valves function in your home, ensure this one does.  In case of a terrible leak inside the house, you want this valve to be able to quickly, and effectively shut down the water to the house.

• A broken washing machine hose can cause a lot of water damage in a short amount time since they are frequently subject to devastating failure, as opposed to slowly leaking.  If you observe any bubbles on the hose, replace them immediately.  The new stainless steel, braided type ought to be utilized because they are stronger and last longer.  It is also a great idea to replace the valves to which the hoses are attached with the ball type.  This allows you to very easily close the valves whenever not in use.

Examine these areas two times a year to help make sure a modest leak doesn’t grow to be a major costly flood.