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August 1, 2021 By Rick Rolfs

Should You Be Worried About Your Appliance Hoses?

There’s a ticking time bomb in your South Florida house right now, waiting to strike when you least expect it. In fact, there might even be more than one. And each can cause thousands and thousands of dollars in damage.

We here at Rolfs Insurance Services are talking about faulty appliance hoses, of course.

Consider your humble washing machine: According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), washing-machine failures cost an average of more than $5,000, and faulty hoses are responsible for more than half of those failures.

You can take steps to defuse these ticking time bombs — or at least make them less likely to go off. Here are the common hoses and tubes you should be checking:

Washing Machine
Most washing machines come with rubber hoses that connect to your water supply — hoses that can wear out and eventually burst. The IBHS says to check frequently for blisters, worn tubing, stress cracks and loose connections. Even if there is no obvious wear, replace hoses every five years. Use a reinforced steel-braided hose, as they are less likely to fail.

Dryer
Although you should clean the lint trap in your dryer with every load, danger lurks behind the dryer as well. Flexible plastic or foil ducting can easily trap lint and increase the risk of fire, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The agency recommends the use of a rigid or semi-rigid metal duct instead. Whichever you use, be sure to disconnect and clean the ducting annually.

Refrigerator
If your refrigerator has an icemaker or water dispenser, it also has a hose connecting it to the water supply. Replace the standard hose with a steel-braided line for added security.

Dishwasher
Dishwasher leaks can easily go undetected, so it’s important to check these connections regularly as well. Make sure that hoses and lines have no kinks, and periodically remove and clean the filter in the dishwasher, which is designed to stop food pieces from making it into the drain hose.

Gas Grills
At least once a year (typically when you fire up the grill for the first time after winter), check the hose connecting the fuel source to the burners. Simply brush it with some soapy water, turn the gas on (do not light the grill) and check the hose for air bubbles. If you see any, replace the hose and fitting.

In addition to checking your hoses regularly and replacing them when needed, there are monitoring systems available now that can automatically shut off your water supply in the event of a failure. Some detect leaks with moisture indicators, while at least one new system actually checks your water meter for unusual activity.

To further protect you, your homeowners insurance may cover certain damage that results from appliance hose failures. But, it all depends on the circumstances of your situation and on your specific policy. You may find that an appliance hose failure is not covered by your insurance, so it’s best to maintain your appliances to avoid damage in the first place.

If you have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage or need help with a claim, we here at Rolfs Insurance Services are happy to help.

Filed Under: Appliance Maintenance, Home Insurance, Newsletter articles, Property Maintenance, Water Damage Tagged With: Appliance hoses, dishwaser, Florida, gas grills, home, home insurance, home maintenance, homeowner, homeowners insurance, Insurance, maintenance, property maintenance, refrigerator, Rolfs Insurance Services, South Florida, washing machine maintenance, water damage, water supply line

April 4, 2021 By Rick Rolfs

Heavy Rain? Be on the Lookout for Heavy Water Damage

Your home protects you from the elements, but heavy rains can weaken that protection. With a little maintenance and a lot of vigilance, it’s not hard to stay safe and dry.

Spring rainstorms are a fact of life in many areas of the country, and they help keep things green, even if they keep you inside. But when they get heavy, it’s time to start thinking about the potential impact all that water has on your home. The first step is finding and fixing any immediate problems as soon as it’s safe to do so. Then, you’ll want to take measures to prevent those problems from happening during the next downpour!

A homeowners insurance policy may provide coverage for water damage with or without limitations, but does not provide coverage for flooding. Obtain flood insurance coverage to insure your home for floods.

Where is all that rain going? Check the roof and gutters to avoid interior water damage.

Your roof and gutters form a key line of defense for your home – and in a storm, they’re vulnerable, because so many things can damage them. Trees, hail, and other objects can create weaknesses that might lead to leaks in your roof, so check for missing shingles and other issues. And keep your gutters clear so all that water drains properly.

Are you checking everywhere? wind driven rain can lead to water damage from the exterior walls and openings.

Water dripping from the ceiling is hard to miss. Water in your crawl space, however, can easily go undetected because hardly anyone ever checks there. Don’t forget to look down there after a storm (or have a professional do it) to make sure everything is nice and dry. If you do see moisture, you’ll want to get it out with a sump pump as soon as possible to avoid further water damage.

And don’t just look up – another place to check is your home’s exterior, whether it’s siding, brick, or another material. Weak spots can be hard to see, so look at various times of the day in different lighting conditions.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed to keep the elements out, too. Consider purchasing electronic water sensing devices to detect interior water intrusion. Should water make its way inside your home these water sensors can alert you to help immediately begin mitigating any water damage. The most basic water sensors can be purchased for as little as $10 a sensor.

What about around your property?

Storm water has to go somewhere, and if your property doesn’t drain well, or if runoff goes toward your foundation, you could have problems. So watch for patterns, and grade property so it drains away from your home if possible. Always be wary of hillsides and tilting trees after heavy storms, because the land might not be stable.

And don’t forget to keep storm drains clear of leaves and other debris. This can prevent flooding both on the streets and your own property.

What should you do during the storm?

During powerful storms, stay inside. This is not the time to check your roof, your exterior, or your property unless there’s an emergency and you know it’s safe to go out. Monitor your interior, making sure no water is getting in. If it is, do what you can to alleviate the situation in the moment, even if it means just placing something under a leak to collect the water to prevent further water damage. For more serious problems, though, remember that safety is the most important thing. If your basement is flooding, for example, don’t go down there – you could be trapped and even drown.

Thankfully, powerful storms only hit once in a while. Preparing for them, however, should be on your mind a lot more frequently, because the next one could be tomorrow.


Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user Victor U used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Filed Under: Flood Insurance, Newsletter articles, Water Damage, Weather Tagged With: Boca Raton, Broward, Deerfield, flood insurance, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, heavy rain, Hialeah, homeowners insurance, Lee County, Martin County, Miami, Miami-Dade, Miramar, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie, protect your home from water, protect your property from heavy rain, rain, roof damage, roof leak, South Florida, spring storms, Storm Season, storms, wall damage, water damage, water damage insurance, water insurance, water mitigation, weather, Wilton Manors

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