Almost every water loss we respond to traces back to a component that gave a warning first. Twenty minutes twice a year catches most of them.
Appliances and supply lines
Replace rubber washing machine hoses with braided stainless every five years. Check the water heater for rust at the base and know its age — most fail between 8 and 12 years. Look under the dishwasher and behind the refrigerator for mineral crust, the fingerprint of a slow weep.
Know where the main shutoff is and confirm it actually turns. Tag it so anyone in the house can find it.
Sump pump and drainage
Pour a bucket of water into the pit and confirm the pump starts, discharges and shuts off. Check the discharge line outside for blockage. If your basement is finished, a battery backup pump is inexpensive insurance for a July storm outage.
Clean gutters and confirm downspouts carry water well away from the foundation.
HVAC and cheap technology
Flush the AC condensate line, confirm the pan is dry, and change the filter. Then put a $20 leak sensor next to the water heater, the washer, under the kitchen sink and by the air handler.
Sensors that alert a phone have prevented more expensive losses than any other single upgrade we see.
Key takeaways
- Braided supply lines and a known main shutoff prevent the worst losses
- Test the sump pump with a bucket, not by hoping
- Leak sensors are the highest-value cheap upgrade in the house
Need water damage restoration in Northeastern New Jersey?
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More from week 4: Prep & maintenance
End-of-summer checklists that prevent the next loss before fall arrives.