Common causes of Water Damage
April 27, 2019
By Karen Schiffmiller
My hot water heater flooded my Home. Does my flood insurance or my homeowner’s insurance cover the damage?
Having a plumbing leak can cause a tremendous amount of water damage to your home and personal property. Most of our clients call it a flood and think their flood insurance will cover the repairs. This type of damage is not considered flood, and is referred to as a plumbing leak or water damage and is covered by your homeowner insurance not your flood insurance.
What are the common causes of water damage in Florida?
Water damage to your home or business can be caused by a leaky dishwasher, clogged toilets, waste or drain line leaks, broken water supply lines, refrigerator water line leaks, air conditioner leak, broken dishwasher hose, garbage disposal leak, shower pan leak, broken toilet, hot water heater leak, washing machine leak or a leaky roof just to name a few.
What do I do if I find water in my home?
If you are unsure where the water is coming from, you should turn off the main water source. Understanding and assessing water damage is important in determining what is needed to repair or remove the water. If you have a plumbing leak or air conditioning leak, you must call a plumber to fix the cause of the leak to prevent further damage to your property. It is important to take photos or video to document any standing water or wet building materials. We utilize infrared cameras, see scopes and moisture meters to document water damage.
Once the source of the water is repaired or stopped, you then need to assess the damage and the type of water that has damaged your property. There are several categories of water that can damage your property.
Category 1 water is clean water which is not normally harmful and can come from broken water supply lines, tub, sink or toilet with no contaminants, appliance malfunctions or falling rainwater.
Category 2 water is contaminated and can cause discomfort or illness and can come from dishwasher or washing machine discharge and toilet overflows with urine only.
Category 3 water is very contaminated and can cause reactions to humans if contacted
or consumed and come from sewage, broken waste lines or overflows, flooding seawater, rising water from lakes, rivers or streams and wind-driven rain from hurricanes and tropical storms.
Once the category of water has been determined and the damages are assessed, any standing water must be removed, the proper drying equipment must be put in place to dry your property and some of the affected building materials may need to be removed to assist in the dry out process.
When should I call my insurance company?
It is important to inspect the damage to your property and understand what is covered and not covered in your insurance policy. Sometimes your deductible is higher than the actual damage that has been sustained and many times the damage is far worse than what you see. Oftentimes, there are additional damages that you may be not be aware of and they must be documented. We can assist you with a free damage assessment to determine the full extent of your damage before you report your claim.
Should I hire a public insurance adjuster?
Navigating through an insurance claim is difficult and you must document all your damages. We have moisture meters, see scopes to see inside walls and an infrared camera to show just how wet your property is. We prepare detailed damage reports with photos and line item estimates of what it will cost to repair the damage to your property. If you have any damage to your personal belongings, we evaluate them and prepare a content Inventory estimate with photos of what those items will cost to replace.
At Reliant, we treat every client’s claim as if it were our own and we are present for every inspection with your insurance company. Whether we are involved at the onset of your claim, or we reopen your claim, we work solely for you to obtain the maximum results for your insurance claim. Call Reliant today for more information or to schedule your free water damage claim assessment 561-288-6434.
Having a plumbing leak can cause a tremendous amount of water damage to your home and personal property. Most of our clients call it a flood and think their flood insurance will cover the repairs. This type of damage is not considered flood, and is referred to as a plumbing leak or water damage and is covered by your homeowner insurance not your flood insurance.
What are the common causes of water damage in Florida?
Water damage to your home or business can be caused by a leaky dishwasher, clogged toilets, waste or drain line leaks, broken water supply lines, refrigerator water line leaks, air conditioner leak, broken dishwasher hose, garbage disposal leak, shower pan leak, broken toilet, hot water heater leak, washing machine leak or a leaky roof just to name a few.
What do I do if I find water in my home?
If you are unsure where the water is coming from, you should turn off the main water source. Understanding and assessing water damage is important in determining what is needed to repair or remove the water. If you have a plumbing leak or air conditioning leak, you must call a plumber to fix the cause of the leak to prevent further damage to your property. It is important to take photos or video to document any standing water or wet building materials. We utilize infrared cameras, see scopes and moisture meters to document water damage.
Once the source of the water is repaired or stopped, you then need to assess the damage and the type of water that has damaged your property. There are several categories of water that can damage your property.
Category 1 water is clean water which is not normally harmful and can come from broken water supply lines, tub, sink or toilet with no contaminants, appliance malfunctions or falling rainwater.
Category 2 water is contaminated and can cause discomfort or illness and can come from dishwasher or washing machine discharge and toilet overflows with urine only.
Category 3 water is very contaminated and can cause reactions to humans if contacted
or consumed and come from sewage, broken waste lines or overflows, flooding seawater, rising water from lakes, rivers or streams and wind-driven rain from hurricanes and tropical storms.
Once the category of water has been determined and the damages are assessed, any standing water must be removed, the proper drying equipment must be put in place to dry your property and some of the affected building materials may need to be removed to assist in the dry out process.
When should I call my insurance company?
It is important to inspect the damage to your property and understand what is covered and not covered in your insurance policy. Sometimes your deductible is higher than the actual damage that has been sustained and many times the damage is far worse than what you see. Oftentimes, there are additional damages that you may be not be aware of and they must be documented. We can assist you with a free damage assessment to determine the full extent of your damage before you report your claim.
Should I hire a public insurance adjuster?
Navigating through an insurance claim is difficult and you must document all your damages. We have moisture meters, see scopes to see inside walls and an infrared camera to show just how wet your property is. We prepare detailed damage reports with photos and line item estimates of what it will cost to repair the damage to your property. If you have any damage to your personal belongings, we evaluate them and prepare a content Inventory estimate with photos of what those items will cost to replace.
At Reliant, we treat every client’s claim as if it were our own and we are present for every inspection with your insurance company. Whether we are involved at the onset of your claim, or we reopen your claim, we work solely for you to obtain the maximum results for your insurance claim. Call Reliant today for more information or to schedule your free water damage claim assessment 561-288-6434.
