The Top Three Gadgets That Can Help Prevent Home Water Damage – Olympus Insurance FL

Even a small amount of water can be devastating in a home environment, flooding expensive carpeting, seeping between walls and soaking porous drywall. Water detection gadgets and devices can be a great way to detect leaks that shout out trouble with appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and sump pumps.

1. Water pressure gauges

Water pressure that is set too high is the leading cause of leaks and burst pipes. The case, hoses, pipes and water lines can crack under pressure and create a nightmare of home damage. The money spent on a simple, inexpensive device called a water pressure gauge can be one of the best investments you will never make. Attach the gauge to a faucet and turn the water on full force to have a reading your home’s water pressure. If the PSI (pounds per square inch) reading is higher than what is recommended, install a pressure reducing valve—also available at the same hardware, plumbing supply or home improvement store where you purchased the gauge.

2. Water detectors

One of the simplest ways to help protect your home from unchecked water damage is to purchase water sensors from any local retailer that sells plumbing solutions. Most water detection devices are inexpensive and operate on battery power so they can be placed literally anywhere a problem might occur. Floor sensors are ideal near plumbing, beneath or behind appliances, and on sump pumps. Installation is simple and no tools are required. Maintenance is limited to one important item: Be sure to check batteries and power sources regularly just as you would for a smoke detector.

3. Water shut-off valves and sensor/shut-off devices

Whole-house floods have occurred when washing machine hoses burst and no one is home, even for a few hours. A simple way to help prevent that catastrophe is to install a manual shut-off valve on the water supply to your washing machine. The only challenge will be to train yourself and everyone in the household to actually use the valve each time as part of the wrap-up routine when washing clothes. More sophisticated and costly whole-house water-sensor systems can monitor and automatically shut off the water supply to a specific appliance or to the entire house if a leak is detected. The price and installation cost for electronic systems varies but for some homeowners, the expense is worth the peace of mind.

Olympus Insurance customers have the ultimate peace of mind with a 15-minute response time from the first alert of water damage. The Olympus partnership with water-damage experts Rytech provides 24-hour emergency assistance, 365 days a year. The Olympus claims team is always standing by at 866-281-2242 or call the Rytech emergency line at 800-865-8787.