Common Causes of Home Floods & How to Prevent Them

When you think of a flood, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? A vision of a serious thunderstorm filling up the streets and leaking into your basement? This is probably what most homeowners imagine. But did you know that, according to insurance adjusters, the most common causes of floods are actually plumbing related? That’s right! Most of the time, home floods have nothing to do with the weather.

What Should You Do During a Home Flood?

You have to be vigilant and act quickly! Floods will spread undeterred unless you take swift action to slow down the water torrent. If you’re ever caught in a home flood, remember these steps to minimize property damage.

• Shut down the water supply. The best way to control the flood is by shutting down the water supply completely for the time being. Locate your main water shut-off valve, usually stationed in the basement or an outside wall of the house, and turn it clockwise. You’ll probably notice water continues to flow for a little while longer while the pipes empty whatever is left inside. Afterward, none of your plumbing fixtures should have water access.
• Turn off the electricity. Electricity and water don’t mix. It’s a good idea to turn off the electricity so that none of the water from the flood creeps into your electrical connections. However, only do this if it’s safe! In the event that you cannot reach the fuse box without getting wet, just leave it be. Call an electrician instead and proceed to the next step.
• Call an emergency plumber. Eventually, you’ll need to turn the water supply back on and go back to business as usual. You can’t do that if the plumbing is still broken. Call Priority Plumbing & Drains if you’re a homeowner in the Toronto area, and we’ll send our emergency plumbers to your home right away.
• Call your insurance company. Depending on the severity of the flood, you may have personal property or appliances that were damaged as a result. Some insurance policies do cover floods and water damage, so it doesn’t hurt to ask. If this is the case, you need to document as much of the damage as possible. Make sure you wear the correct protective gear when doing so.
• Clean up water damage. Finally, it’s time to clean up the water damage. You can tackle this step yourself, but it’s a lengthy process that requires your complete attention and probably some outside help. Depending on the severity of the flood, you may want to hire a professional cleaning company instead. They will quickly survey the damage, clean up the water, and use commercial-strength products to sanitize the area and prevent mold growth.

How Can You Prevent Future Home Floods?

The best-case scenario is making sure this doesn’t happen in the first place. By keeping up with regular system safety checks from Priority Plumbing & Drains, we know exactly what to look for to keep your home safe. We check your plumbing system for possible damage from top to bottom, so you’re never unknowingly at risk.

At Priority Plumbing & Drains, we are taking every precaution to ensure our plumbing services are safe for our clients and crew. We put your health at the very top of our priority list, so screening our clients and employees, making masks and gloves mandatory for our plumbers, disinfecting our tools before and after every call, and cleaning the worksite thoroughly before leaving a client’s home are the rules we enforce every day.

To schedule your plumbing inspection in Toronto or the surrounding areas, contact us today.