Common Water Damage Culprits in Your Home | SERVPRO® of Santa Clarita Valley

7/24/2019 (Permalink)

Water trickling down into a drain.

In thinking about water damage, severe weather is usually one of the first things that will come to mind for many. Storms and flooding can cause catastrophic water damage, but they are often not the main causes.

Instead, there are various items in and around your home that may be responsible for many situations that result in water damage.

Watching for Gradual Water Damage

With water damage being the third most common reason for a homeowners insurance claim between 2011 and 2015, it is something that many homeowners will face, with an average payout per claim of $8,861.

There are differences between water damage and gradual water damage, which will impact homeowner’s insurance claims. Examples of gradual damage are something that has been happening over time, such as plumbing issues within the walls causing damage to walls, ceilings or floors, or water damage caused by cracks in the foundation of the home. Unfortunately, many claims for gradual water damage are not covered by homeowners insurance, while storm-related water damage usually is.

Plumbing Issues and Water Damage

The leading causes of water damage, according to the Insurance Institute For Business & Home Safety (IBHS), are as follows:

• Plumbing supply system failures. Per IBHS, plumbing supply system failures are the leading cause of residential water damage losses and cost an average of $5,092 per incident after the deductible. This could involve frozen pipes that may burst because of a buildup in water pressure caused by freezing water or when the plumbing supply system materials fail and result in leaking or bursting pipes. It was also found that homes with ages of 16 to 40 years made up a larger group of these types of homeowners insurance claims.

• Plumbing drain system failures. IBHS found that 52% of drain system failures were caused by sewer backups and 37% were related to material performance issues. This can occur when a sewer drain backs up and overflows into a home or from material performance issues. IBHS also found that the average drain system failure was more expensive in the southern region states than in the northern region states.

• Toilet failures. Toilets are the second highest source of residential water loss after plumbing supply system failures, and can happen due to faulty fill valves or clogged drain lines. According to IBHS, toilet failures that happen on the first floor of a home resulted in more extensive insurance claims than those that occurred in basements or on upper floors.

• Water heater failures. IBHS found that 69% of all water heater failures resulted from slow leaks or sudden bursting and, on average, cost $4,444 per incident following the deductible. This can happen after your water heater has reached its life expectancy, allowing for the possibility for the tanks to rust and corrode, which will weaken the water lines.

• Washing machine failures. Washing machine failures typically happen due to water supply hose failures, machine overflows and drain line failures. Washing machines are one of the top 10 sources of residential water losses. Per IBHS, supply hose failures were responsible for over half of all washing machine-related losses.

If your home has experienced any water damage, the team at SERVPRO® of Santa Clarita Valley is available to help with cleanup and restoration and make it “Like it never even happened.”