Going On Vacation? How To Prevent Mold After Water Damage!
First Call Restoration specializes in mold removal and water damage restoration. For more than two decades, we have been serving consumers and business owners in the Southeast New York area. In this article you will learn How To Prevent Mold After Water Damage.
During the winter months, people plan vacations to warmer places down south to soak in the sun and relax. Unfortunately, for many home and business owners that travel, getting back to reality after their vacation can be a harsh homecoming when they arrive to a flooded basement caused by a broken supply line or over the ground flooding.
Usually the first indication that there is a problem is a strong odor upon return because the water has been sitting for days and even weeks.
Your first step is to call First Call Restoration to remove the water. The next step is to remove the mold that has grown.
One of the goals of First Call Restoration is to educate consumers in the Southeast New York area. With this in mind, the purpose of this article is to provide you with some excellent tips and advice to prevent you from coming back to a flooded and moldy property when you go away for a well deserved vacation in the sun.
Experts at water damage restoration and mold remediation in your home or office
Contact us today
(845) 442-6714
Do You Know Where Your Water Main Valve Is?
Many water meter setups have two valves, one on the street side of the meter and one on the house side. If you live in a colder climate, you’ll typically find the main shutoff in the basement near the front of the house. In warmer climates, it will be outside your home attached to an exterior wall or in an underground box with a removable lid.
Types of main Shutoff Valves:
There are two types of main shutoff valves:
Gate Valve:
The gate valve is common in older homes and has a round handle that must be turned a number of times to open or close the valve. Gate valves are designed to be fully open or fully closed. Water flowing through a partially open gate valve can wear away the metal and cause the valve to fail over time.
Ball Valve:
The ball valve is more common in newer construction and has a lever handle that needs to be turned 90 degrees to turn the water on or off. You can immediately tell if it’s open or not. In the closed position, the lever is perpendicular to the pipes; in the open position it’s parallel.
You should make a habit of checking your shut off valve at least semi annually and make sure to spray some sort of lubricant like WD-40 on it while opening and closing it a few times.
This process should be performed not only with your water main but all shut off valves such as under your kitchen sink, bathroom sinks, toilets and laundry room washer valves.
If you spring a leak you will be well prepared to mitigate loss by quickly shutting off the proper valve!
Now that you know where to find the water main valve, here are the top 4 tips to help you enjoy your relaxing holiday while you are away! 🙂
1. Shut Off The Main Water Valve!
The single most important action you can take before leaving for vacation, is to shut off the main valve that controls all the water entering your home.
Don’t forget about your outdoor faucets. These are the first plumbing parts to freeze and burst when the temperature drops. So always close the supply shutoff valve inside the house before you head off on vacation. This is a good idea even if you have a frostproof faucet, since you’ll probably turn down the thermostat when you leave home. After turning off the supply shutoff, open the outside faucets to drain the remaining water out of the pipes. Never leave a hose connected to an outdoor faucet because it traps water in the faucet, which can freeze and crack open the faucet.
Another tip to avoid frozen plumbing is to turn the heat down to 60 degrees F when you leave, but not lower. You want to keep things warm enough inside the house so that water pipes running through exterior walls don’t freeze and burst. Leave the doors of bathroom vanities and kitchen sink cabinets open to allow more heat to get to the plumbing, and consider using a temperature sensor.
Make Sure The Water Valve Is Shut Off Properly With A Test!
If you are not sure if the water main valve is completely shut off, test it.
This test if fairly simple. All you need to do is turn on a faucet somewhere in your home and then shut off the main water valve. If the shutdown works properly, then all the water should stop.
If you have never turned off the valve before, some words of caution.
An old valve can break, so be gentle when performing this test. If the valve is stuck, leaks, or does not shut off all the way, please leave it alone and contact a licensed plumber to loosen the valve and/or replace it. The last thing you want to happen is to try to turn off the valve and inadvertently break it.
If you are planning to travel and have never shut off the valve before do this test a couple of weeks in advance just in case you do need some time to call a plumber and your municipal water supplier if any maintenance is required.
If you have a well, shut off the electrical switch for the well when you leave for an extended period so it won’t pump any water while you’re gone.
2. Shut Off Valves To The Most Common Sources Of Water Damage!
There may be times when you do not want to shut off the water to the whole house, say if you have a neighbor watering plants, checking in on a pet, an automatic sprinkler system, etc. In cases like this, it likely is not necessary to shut off the main water valve to the whole home, provided you show your neighbor where it is just in case there is a flood event.
However, it is important that you do shut off the valves to the most common sources of water damage, including your dishwasher, icemaker, and washing machine just in case a hose cracks or leaks while you are away. Hidden water damage can often occur in these areas without immediate notice, leading to bigger problems like mold growth or structural damage if left untreated. Taking these preventative measures can help avoid costly repairs in the future.
Individual shutoff valves or “stops” are installed on the supply lines leading to most appliances as well as to toilets and faucets. Water supply stops usually have a small round or oval handle that you turn clockwise to shut off the flow of water.
The shutoff to your refrigerator’s icemaker might be located under the sink or in the basement.
As a final note, we also recommend that you inspect your supply lines as well prior to leaving for your vacation. It will take you about 10 minutes and a flashlight to inspect your supply lines for leaks, cracks, bulges, and/or signs of corrosion. If you find any problems, be sure to contact a plumber to have these issues fixed as well.
3. Make Sure Your Sump Pump Works!
Sump pump systems help keep groundwater out of your basement. Before a vacation, test your sump pump by filling the sump pit with water and making sure the pump is actually pumping out the water.
If it doesn’t, be sure the sump pump is plugged in (a surprisingly common oversight) and check the breaker as well. Also make sure the outlet pipe isn’t frozen or clogged and that it directs water away from your home. Clean the hole in the discharge line and check that the motor is running smoothly. Also consider adding a backup battery to your sump pump so that it functions during power outages, which seem to go hand-in-hand with heavy rainstorms.
4. Do An Inspection Of The Inside and Outside Of Your Home!
Taking the time to check the gutters and downspout extensions can save you thousands of dollars later by preventing storm water damage while you’re away. Check to see if leaves, sticks or other debris are blocking the inlet of the downspout and preventing water from flowing down the spout. Also make sure your downspout extensions are discharging the water far enough from the foundation and that you always reattach them after you mow your lawn.
Keep in mind, a 1,000-sq.-ft. roof can cast off about 620 gallons of water during a 1-inch rain storm. That’s about 103 gallons per downspout if you have six of them. That’s a lot of water dumped right next to your basement to greet you when you return! A quick check to make sure the gutters are clean and the downspouts are draining away from the foundation are key to prevent water damage and basement flooding while you’re away.
In addition don’t forget to inspect the following:
- Pipes under every sink.
- Water heater.
- Seals around windows (in case it rains).
- Appliance hoses: washing machine, dishwasher, and ice maker.
- Toilet tanks. Look for cracks that may worsen and leak while you’re gone. In addition, put anti-freeze in the toilet bowl during the winter. Even if you turn off the water main and drain the tank, there will still be some water in the bowl. Pour marine antifreeze (which is non-toxic) into the bowl to prevent the water from freezing, expanding and cracking the porcelain.
- Insulate exposed pipes if you’re leaving during the winter. You can buy the right insulation at any local hardware store.
As a final note, request a friend or family member stop by your home while you are gone. This will provide you with added peace of mind and will minimize damage if you a flood occurs and it is discovered early.
Got Water Damage Or Mold Removal Questions?
Read About – Frequently Asked Questions About Mold Or Water Damage
Have questions? Contact us today. If you come back to a flooded property, the first step is to have all of the excess water removed and the area dried properly by First Call Restoration. Once this is done, we will professionally remove the mold from your home to restore the fungal ecology. Once the mold is removed and the third party testing is done, then and only then should you begin the rebuild process.
Experts at water damage restoration and mold remediation in your home or office
Contact us today
(845) 442-6714
