When flooding occurs inside a home, the damage can be disruptive, long-lasting, and expensive. Home floods may be caused by heavy seasonal rainfall, sewer backups, broken water pipes, toilets, and bathtubs overflowing and appliance failure. At Roto-Rooter, we see the damage caused by water every day and we would like to provide you with some helpful tips that can prevent many flooding scenarios, or at least minimize the damage flooding causes to your home and possessions. You can prepare your home for heavy rainfall by inspecting gutters and downspouts. They should always be clear of debris and obstruction so that storm water can quickly drain away from the home and its foundation. Ideally, your yard should slope slightly downhill and away from the foundation. If water runoff tends to collect there, it may be helpful to add extensions to your downspouts so that water can be channeled even further away. If your home has a basement, it probably has a sump pump installed in the lowest corner. If the pump is working properly it will collect groundwater in a pit below the basement floor. When the pit begins to fill, a float switch triggers the sump pump to turn itself on, then pump the water out to a city storm sewer or the nearest drainage ditch. To ensure your sump pump is working, test it by pouring a few buckets of water into the pit. Make sure the pump turns on, empties most of the water from the pit, and then turns itself off again. You'll notice that some pumps require electricity to operate. That means if a storm knocks out power to your home, the sump pump can no longer do its job. But, your Roto-Rooter plumber can install a battery backup system or a Venturi water-powered pump that will continue to pump away storm water and prevent flooding. Many people are surprised to learn that appliance failure is the leading cause of household flooding. When washing machine hoses fail or burst, they can unleash up to 650 gallons of water per hour. Inspect them regularly for stress cracks, bulges or other signs of wear. Replace rubber hoses every three years. Be sure to replace them with high quality, stainless steel braided hoses, which should last five to seven years. Most people leave the washing machine water supply valves turned on all the time but you'll greatly reduce your risk of flooding if you turn off the valves when the washer is not in use. Next, it's a good idea to inspect the water lines connected to your refrigerator's icemaker and the water supply and drain hoses connected to your dishwasher, water softener, and any other visible water connections to appliances. If hoses and crimped, pinched, or show signs of wear, they should be replaced with the highest quality replacement parts available. A water heater like this one has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. When the tank rusts out, the resulting leak could be a trickle or it could be a rush of water that spreads out across your floors. Flood alarms like this one will alert you as soon as they detect water. They're inexpensive and reliable, but they're only effective if you're home and you can hear them. If you're away, say on vacation, the resulting flood could be continuous and catastrophic. Your Roto-Rooter plumber can install automatic water detection and shut-off valves that will stop water from flowing into appliances at the first sign of a water leak and they'll sound an audible alarm to let you know if there is trouble. Homeowners with some do-it-yourself skills should be able to handle many flood prevention tasks on their own, but it's important to be careful and recognize when you're in over your head. Roto-Rooter has experienced plumbers ready to help whenever you need us. [Roto-Rooter jingle]