Here’s What Could Cause Water Damage in Your Home | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central

3/26/2020 (Permalink)

Leading Causes of Water Damage.

Water damage can be caused by severe weather, which is what usually comes to mind for many. However, while storms and flooding can cause catastrophic water damage, they are often not the main culprits.

Instead, various items in your home can be responsible for many situations that result in water damage.

Damage Caused by Water

Water damage is something that many homeowners will face as it is the third most common reason a homeowner will file a claim on insurance. Claims filed between 2011 and 2015 had an average payout per claim of $8,861.

It is important to understand the difference between water damage and gradual damage, which can impact insurance claims. Gradual damage is damage that has been happening over time, such as plumbing issues in the walls causing damage to the walls, ceilings or floors, or water damage caused by cracks in the foundation. Unfortunately, gradual water damage is usually not covered by homeowners insurance, while storm-related water damage usually is.

The Usual Suspects

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), has discovered that the leading causes of water damage are as follows:

• Plumbing supply system failures. This would involve frozen pipes that burst due to a buildup in water pressure caused by freezing water or when the supply system material fails and results in a leaking or burst pipe. Plumbing supply system failures are the leading source of residential water losses, according to IBHS, and claims average $5,092 per incident after the deductible. Homes 16 to 40 years of age make up a large group of supply system material failure claims.
• Plumbing drain system failures. These can occur if a sewer drain backs up and overflows into a home or from material performance failures. The IBHS study discovered that 52% of drain system can failures were caused by sewer backups and 37% were related to material performance issues. Moreover, they also found that the average drain system failure resulted in higher claims in southern region states as opposed to the northern region states.
• Toilet failures. Toilets come in second to plumbing supply system failures for residential water loss and these failures are caused by anything from faulty fill valves or clogged drain lines. Toilet failures that happen on the first floor of a home resulted in higher claims than those in basements or upper floors, according to IBHS.
• Water heater failures. If your water heater has reached or passed its life expectancy, the tank begins to deteriorate with rust and corrosion, which can cause leaking or bursting issues. IBHS found that 69% of all water heater failures resulted from a slow leak or sudden burst and, on average, claims were approximately $4,444 per incident following the deductible.
• Washing machine failures. These failures are typically caused by supply hose failures, machines overflowing and drain line failures. Washing machines are one of the top 10 sources of residential water losses. According to IBHS, supply hose failures accounted for over half of all washing machine-related water losses.If your home ever experiences any water damage, the professionals at SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central are available to help with cleanup and restoration and make it “Like it never even happened.”