One of the most disheartening experiences is to find flooding or extreme water damage to your treasured home.

At Gateway Insurance, we know you want to protect what's important. That's why we're offering these tips to help you prevent many of the most common causes of water damage.

Just a little time and some effort can prevent a lot of heartache and hassle.

• Make sure your water pressure is not set too high. For just $6 or so, you can purchase a gauge that will help you test your pressure for the appropriate level, which should be set between 60 and 80 PSI.
• Standard hoses on new appliances are not as durable as they used to be. So check your appliances. If you find rubber hoses, either replace them with longer lasting stainless steel braided hoses or replace them every three years.
• Keep water from leaking into the walls or floor of your bathroom by replacing cracked tiles and re-grouting when it's needed.
• Examine the shingles on your roof. Worn, curled, or missing shingles allow water to get in, so replace these as soon as you notice them.
• Consider buying a water alarm, which can help you find leaks, or automatic shut-off mechanisms, which can help avoid bursts.
• A lot of water damage occurs when nobody is home. Make a practice to avoid running the washing machine or dishwasher while you're out.
• When you leave for vacations, turn off the water supply to appliances.
• Keep up maintenance on all appliance hoses, because slow leaks from worn out hoses can cause major damage.

We here at Gateway Insurance hope these pointers will ensure your house stays nice and dry this year!

Contact Us!

At Gateway Insurance, we can work with you to make sure you've got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable.

Call us at 760-439-1323 or send us a note at paulgates [at] pacbell [dot] net. We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what's important to you is protected!

This article provided courtesy of Safeco Insurance