Don’t Let Money Drip Away
Three ways to help detect water leaks and avoid extensive and expensive damage
That persistent drip under the kitchen sink isn’t just annoying – it’s wasting water and could be causing serious damage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, which is equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash 300 loads of laundry. Here are tips to help identify and prevent leaks at home:
- Maintain and Mind the Gaps. Some routine maintenance can help mitigate common causes of water leaks. Clean and maintain gutters and downspouts to ensure water is properly directed away from the home. Periodically check and caulk around sinks, tubs and showers to seal gaps. Pipes should be well-insulated, especially those in unheated areas, to prevent freezing, which can lead to leaks.
- Conduct Regular Water Checks. Homeowners should regularly check around hoses, pipes and faucets for signs of moisture, and make sure to handle small drips or running toilets right away. In addition, it’s important to monitor for unusual water meter readings or heavier than usual water bills. Water leaks can lurk silently behind walls or under floors, causing thousands of dollars in damage before becoming visible to homeowners.
- Connect and Detect Water Leaks. Early detection through smart technology has become an essential part of modern home maintenance and protection. The easy-to-install First Alert L1 WiFi Water Leak and Freeze Detector can be placed in high-risk areas such as under sinks, near water heaters, or behind washing machines to provide round-the-clock surveillance against potentially devastating leaks.
Additionally, professional installers can link the First Alert L5 WiFi Water Leak Shutoff Valve to connect to the main water supply and automatically turn off the supply to the home if a water leak is detected. The system connects to home WiFi networks and sends notifications to mobile devices when water or high humidity is detected.
Multiple First Alert water leak detectors can be connected and monitored through the First Alert app, making it simple to manage protection across an entire property. Each sensor can be named and tracked individually, allowing for precise identification of problem areas when alerts occur.
Research shows that 93% of water leaks can be lessened or minimized if an automatic water leak detection and shut-off system had been present in the home. Installing water leak detectors, ideally connected to a water shutoff valve in the home can help prevent detrimental water damage, but even having leak detectors by themselves can be a benefit.
Nationwide partnered with Resideo to analyze the role Resideo’s Honeywell Home and First Alert devices played in loss prevention for their customers and found that there’s both a frequency and severity reduction for customers who had at least one Resideo device installed. In fact, these customers yielded a reduction in average claim costs of $4,000.
For more information, visit www.firstalert.com.
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