When the Levee Breaks

When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay. Your customer will have no place to stay either.

When you think about the damage done due to gallons and gallons of water pouring into a home, it can really stop you in your tracks. I remember years ago being with my old boss at a customer house that had flooded out. The owners were staying at a friend’s house because their house had no heat or water. We were there for days repairing split pipes. One day a man walked up and asked if we could look at the house next door. My boss asked if he was the owner and the man said no but he knew the owner was away. He said he knew he wasn’t the owner but there was water pouring out of the front door and he thought someone should do something. We were able to shut the water off, but think about that. The water was running for so long there was a foot of water on the first floor and it was pouring out the doorway. I’ve had to run into a house where I should have had a rain suit or umbrella, houses that had water just pouring out of everywhere.

I once had a customer call me during freeze-up time and tell me she had no hot water. She had water but it was cold. I told her I would be over later in the day. When I got there the two hot water heaters (very large house) where both running but the water coming out was cold. The cold water was running and condensing. I checked the water meter and it was spinning like a fan in august. The woman’s son was home and I asked him if anyone was in the home? No. Are you doing laundry? No. Suddenly it hit me, “Do you have an outdoor shower?” Yes, he said and brought around to the back of the house. Water was pouring out like Niagara Falls and the ice looked like a Glacier. It’s amazing they could have had this happening for hours and no one heard anything. People are funny and common sense isn’t very common.

Damage from broken pipes can be catastrophic. You have all seen it. Floors bucked up, sheetrock ceilings lying on the dining room tables, doors all buckled and worst of all, MOLD. We had a customer who’s pool house dishwasher had the plastic solenoid break and no noticed if for a few days. Talk about mold damage! The hot water was streaming out of the valve for days. Did you know that most insurance companies don’t include mold damage on your insurance policy? I didn’t. It’s a separate rider that most don’t offer because it’s so expensive. What many insurance companies do offer is a deduction your policy if you install an automatic water shut-off valve on your water main.

Water damage can be brutal but there are options available. Have you looked into water safety shut-off valves for the water main? We install two different types but I know there are others. Some use a timer design, while others use sensors that you place around the home. They almost all connect to your home security system or to an app that allows you to monitor your water usage remotely.  

Of the two different designs we use, the first offers sizes up to two inch. This product uses a flow monitor to time the amount of water you usually use at your home and shuts off the water to your home if you exceed the number of gallons you have set the device for. Simple idea, and it can be purchased with a remote keyboard that allows you to reset the valve if it goes off or make changes to the settings, all without going into the basement. I believe they now have a remote app that allows you access to the valve setting from your hand help device.

The other valve we have used only comes in three sizes,  ½”, 3/4” and 1”.  It uses remote sensors, is a little more competitively priced and also has an app to access the valve while away from the home. This product monitors your water usage daily and alerts you if the water usage exceeds the normal use. The device now has remote sensors that can be set around the house in different locations when can alert the water valve and shut off the water. The app will alert you if the valve has activated and shut off the water to your home. You can reset it remotely or wait until you return home. A lot better than returning home to a flooded house huh? Another accessory to this product is battery-powered back-up in case of prolonged power outage.

These are just a couple of products that are available for your customers to give them peace of mind and protection against water damage. The added feature of having an app that allows you to monitor your home is interesting to your younger clients as they love having that feature on their phone. So the next time the levee breaks, they’ll know it right away. 

Scott Milne is the owner of Milne Plumbing and Heating. He and his company have been serving the greater Boston area for nearly 30 years. He specializes in high-efficiency heating systems for custom homes.