Damage that’s just waiting to happen in your home.
Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Anyone who doesn’t believe in Murphy’s Law has never been a homeowner! I don’t know exactly how many things can go wrong inside and outside of a house, but at last count it was approximately 4 gazillion.
The costliest disaster that can strike your home is probably fire. The potential is there for complete destruction, not only from the flames, but also from the water damage that will occur after the fire department shows up. And speaking of water damage, it’s among the most frequent triggers for insurance claims when caused by leaks or plumbing problems.
Take a look this article Discover Your Home’s Top 10 Danger Zones. If you’re a homeowner, none of them will surprise you. But you’ll definitely pick up a few tips regarding precautions you can take to hopefully avoid experiencing them in your home.
Here’s the list of 10 problem areas that could lead to catastrophe in your home:
- Cooktop. About four out of every 10 home fires begin in the kitchen. Keep flammable materials away from the burners.
- Smoke detectors. Missing or dead batteries means that this crucial device can’t save lives. Change the batteries at least once a year.
- Roof. When a roof is too warm, it melts snow, which then freezes when it meets the cold gutter, resulting in an ice dam that forms beneath the shingles. Attic insulation can keep the roof cool.
- Gutters. When gutters get clogged with leaves and other debris, they’ll overflow, leading to basement leaks. Leaves should be removed every spring and fall.
- Wiring. If fuses are being blown frequently and your lights are flickering, it may be a sign that the wiring is going bad. If wires short out, a fire could start. Old circuit breakers should be replaced.
- Pipes. Even a tiny crack in a frozen pipe can result in a leak of up to 250 gallons a day. Exposed pipes should be insulated with foam sleeves.
- Dryer. When lint builds up in the dryer cabinet, it can cause a fire hazard. Keep the lint filter and cabinet clean.
- Washing machine. If an inlet hose bursts, water will flow freely into your laundry room and possibly leak into the basement. Braided steel hoses should replace rubber ones.
- Fireplace. The buildup of creosote causes most chimney fires, while sparks flying out of the hearth are also dangerous. The chimney should be swept annually and the screen kept closed when the fireplace is being used.
- Gas grill. If a gas supply hose gets a leak, it could present a fire hazard. Check the hose regularly and keep the grill at least 10 feet away from the house.
If you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably experienced some other trouble areas besides the ones I mentioned. Please share them with me, as well as what you’ve done to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
If you have gas heat or hot water, invest the $30 to buy a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that has a stronger affinity for the hemoglobin in your blood than oxygen does. Because CO works it evil in you body subtly, you can be slowly overcome by it and not even know it. Lethargy, drowsiness and mood changes are a few of the symptoms of impending asphyxiation from CO. Portable generators should be operated AT LEAST 10 feet from the house – and never near a door or window – to prevent exhaust fumes from backing up into the home. NEVER operate a generator in the garage or leave a car idling in there – EVEN WITH THE DOOR OPEN!
We just had to replace the air tank on top of our hot water heater, it sprung a leak of water and was shooting it up onto the ceiling and back down on our freezer. I went into the garage to get something and was met with water all around the freezer. First thought is freezer died and what to do with the contents. Was happy to find the culprit was that air reservoir tank. My husband and I went to the store, bought the replacement for less than $60. and installed it with no trouble. Back in business in a couple hours. That tank had a tiny pinhole rust spot that caused the problem.
I recently had our dishwasher start on fire. Electronics inside the door shorted. Lucky the wife and I were still up late at night and was able to put it out. Always have extinguishers around. I’d you think you have enough get a couple more.
Fire extinguishers are an excellent idea! I try to keep one in EVERY room; you just don’t know when something unforeseen will happen and cause a fire. Most fires can be put out if they’re very small and just started.
I recently saw a too-valid statement: “Murphy was an optimist!” How true.
Never estimate the power of water that can spray out of a plastic ice maker hose in the middle of the night! Nothing like waking up to a couple of inches of water in your house. They tend to get brittle over time. Spend a little extra cash on a braided hose.
Frank’
after being a home repair guy for some 38 years I have a few additional things to add. 1)wiring- critters love to get in your attic and chew on it, Particularly rats and tree rats.. Keep them out. 2)-chimneys should be inspected yearly.
Hope these help,
Steve
Yes, pipe leak will cause damage. A/C systems drain pan over flow can destroy a floor in one day.
A few years ago a toilet supply line broke in my home. I was not there when it happened as I was on a listing appointment way across town that was taking much longer than I expected. I was worried about my old dog being in the house, so I called my neighbor to come over and let him out. About a minute later she called me to say my house was full of water and she was trying to locate the cause. As I was talking to her I could splashing as she walked! I called Serv-Pro right after I hung up from her and they came out and did a fantastic job. Unfortunately the carpet and hardwood floors were ruined, so I decided to put tile flooring down in the entire house once I got the check from my insurance company. The insurance adjuster told me that broken toilet supply lines was a very common problem with homeowners and he suggested I replace all of the toilet supply lines with braided steel hoses, and do the same with the hoses to the washing machine, which I did. He told me that he always turned the water off to his house whenever he had to leave town, just to be safe.
A pair of hose bibs (valves) at the supply end of the washer hoses has served me well, and prevented any possible flooding as the valves are shut off upon the completion of washing activity. As the hoses are not under pressure when the washer is not in use, they last a long time, and if they do begin to deteriorate, symptom of their failure will usually be in the form of very minor leakage. I have yet to incur any catostrophic washer hose breakage, and my experience is based on managing of multi-family properties over some 50 years.
No laundry area should be without a floor drain capable of handling the possibility of a waterline (hose) break, i.e., 4 inch diameter. Laundry area floors should be water resistant, preferably concrete, and sloped to the floor drain.
Periodically sprinkling salt on the bed of coals in any woodstove of fireplace with chemically remove creosote buildup.
Just spent 750.00 to have a plumber patch a hot water pipe in my ceiling by an outside wall. I will end up with the painting job. I spent 450.00 a couple of years ago to get the pipe defrosted. So I heat the garage and wall with three portable heaters. Now I have an ice dam on the garage roof and it drips down and freezes my garage door to the floor. And I spent the month of Nov. in the hospital with a triple bypass. Its 9 degrees now and expecting snow tonight. I think the End of the World will be easy now.
ugh.
replaced mine thank god
I have had a washing machine inlet hose burst. It happened sometime during the night. I woke up about 4am to use the bathroom, only to find I was walking (wading) through ankle-deep water. (We don’t have a basement). What a nightmare. We had to call the fire dept. to help get the water out. Then we had Serv-Pro come in to dry up the walls and floors. Had to remove all furniture, etc, and store it to facilitate replacing all floors. Contractors to replace drywall up to 16″ from floors, replace carpets and hardwood floors, painters to match paint in all rooms, People thought I was crazy when I paid $30-40 for hoses wrapped in steel braiding, but they didn’t have to go through what I did. I ended up having a heart attack and by-pass surgery during the whole process.