We often take our plumbing and appliances for granted. It’s assumed that they will always work and be reliable. Yet, too many homeowners arrive home and find their house flooded due to a burst pipe or faulty appliance.
Prevention is the best medicine to avoid your house from getting flooded. But, nothing is ever perfect, so one day or another you may find yourself with a flooded basement or kitchen.
And when it does happen often there is a domino effect that causes other things to go haywire. You can end up with structural damage or even severe mold later on, in which case you’ll need to call a Fire, Mold, Smoke & Water Restoration CT professional.
In this article, I will outline the steps to take in case you come home to find a flood.
Shut off the electricity
You’ll need to act quickly here to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. The first thing to do is to shut off the electricity if you find the water rising.
If you have to walk through the water to get to the circuit breaker, however, you need to call in some help. An electrician can handle this so if this is the case, then start with the next step and then call a pro.
Shut off the water
Hopefully, the damage is not too bad yet, but either way, you need to find the source of the water coming into your house.
One of the most common causes of house floods is a faulty water heater. It makes sense to start there if the water is flooding your basement. If your kitchen or bathroom is flooded then chances are it’s a burst pipe.
Go to the main water supply and shut if off to stop the water from rising further.
Get your paperwork together
Once you’ve stopped the water from continuing to flood and the crew is cleaning up, you’ll need to go over your paperwork to see if you are covered.
A minor even with not a lot of water damage can still cost thousands of dollars. You’ll want to see what your insurance company will cover. You should also check on the warranties of your appliances that either caused the flood or were ruined as a result of it.
Start your claim
You’ll want to start your claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. It can take weeks or even months for the claim to process and you will usually need to talk to your adjuster quite often during the process. So, the sooner the better.
To make your claim take stock of the damage the water has caused. A thorough inspection is needed as the water could have done damage within the walls of your home in addition to the obvious damage.
Document everything
Take pictures of everything so you have visual documentation of the damage. Then, make a note of every phone call you’ve made. Write down the time and date of the call, the topic of the conversation and who you spoke with.
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