By Central Valley Water Restoration Published
Why preventing the causes of water damage is worth the effort
We'd rather you never need us. A lot of the water damage we clean up starts with something small that failed quietly: a supply hose, a fitting, a clogged drain line, a cracked seal on the roof. Much of it can be prevented with simple, regular checks.
This list is written for how homes here are built: slab or raised crawl-space foundations, AC air handlers in the attic, evaporative coolers on some roofs, and sprinklers close to the walls. Winter storms are the main outside risk; hard freezes are rare, but they happen.
1. Burst and leaking pipes
Pipes fail from age, corrosion, high water pressure, loose fittings and, now and then, a cold snap. A burst pipe is obvious. A pinhole leak inside a wall or under the slab can run for weeks. Watch for a water bill that rises without more use, damp spots or stains, a musty smell, lower water pressure, running water when nothing is on, or a warm spot on the floor, which can mean a slab leak on a hot water line.
How to prevent it:
- A few times a year, look at the exposed pipes and shutoffs under sinks, at the water heater and in the garage. Crust, rust or drips at the joints are worth a plumber's visit
- Ask a plumber to check your water pressure. High pressure strains every fitting, and a pressure regulator fixes it
- When a freeze is forecast, insulate pipes in the garage and crawl space, cover outdoor hose bibs, and open sink cabinets on exterior walls
If a pipe does give way, shut off the main (make sure everyone in the house knows where it is) and call us for burst pipe cleanup.
2. Appliance leaks and failures
Washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators with ice makers and water heaters all move water, and all of them sit where you can't see behind them. A hose splits, a drain line comes loose, an ice maker line cracks, or a water heater tank rusts through. If nobody's home, the water runs until someone notices.
How to prevent it:
- Replace washing machine hoses that are cracked, bulging or stiff, and follow the manufacturer's replacement schedule. Braided stainless steel hoses are a common upgrade
- When you pull the refrigerator out to clean, check the ice maker line. Older plastic lines can go brittle and crack
- Check the water heater's base, connections and drain pan, and call a plumber if you see rust or water
- Put battery water alarms under the water heater, washer, dishwasher and sinks
If an appliance has already leaked, our appliance leak cleanup covers the water, including behind and under the appliance.
3. Roof leaks and storm water
Most of our rain comes in a few winter months, and it lands on roofs that just spent a long summer in the heat. Sealant around vents dries out and cracks, roofing wears, and gutters fill with leaves. A roof leak usually shows up as a ceiling stain, but by then the water has often soaked the attic insulation.
How to prevent it:
- Have a roofer look at an older roof before the rainy season
- Clean gutters and downspouts after the leaves drop, and point downspouts away from the house
- After the first heavy rain, look in the attic for wet insulation, stained decking or drips around vents
Roof repairs are a roofer's job. Our storm damage restoration work covers the water that gets inside: extraction, drying and documentation.
4. Air conditioning and evaporative cooler problems
Air conditioning runs for months here, and many homes have the air handler in the attic. As it cools, it sends the water it pulls from the air down a small condensate line. If that line clogs, the drain pan overflows, and the first sign is often a stain on the ceiling below. Evaporative coolers bring their own risks: a float valve that sticks, a supply line that leaks, or a corroded pan.
How to prevent it:
- Change AC filters on the schedule your system calls for. A clogged filter can make the coil ice up and overflow the pan as it melts
- Have the condensate line and drain pan checked during annual AC service, and ask whether your attic unit has a float switch that shuts it off if the pan fills
- Have the cooler's float valve, water line, pan and drain checked before the season, and shut off and drain its water supply at the end
We don't service AC equipment or coolers; your HVAC technician does. We handle the water they leave behind in ceilings, insulation and walls.
5. Crawl space, foundation and drainage water
On a raised foundation, water can collect in the crawl space from poor grading, downspouts emptying against the house, sprinklers and drip lines too close to the walls, plumbing leaks under the floor, or groundwater after a very wet winter. On a slab, water that pools against the foundation can wick into the bottom of the walls and the flooring.
How to prevent it:
- Keep the soil sloping away from the house on every side
- Aim sprinklers away from the walls, fix broken heads and drip lines near the foundation, and turn irrigation down in the rainy months
- Look in the crawl space once or twice a year, and after heavy storms, for standing water, damp soil, fallen insulation or a torn vapor barrier
If you find standing water under the house, that's crawl space flooding, and it needs to be pumped out and dried rather than left to evaporate.
A simple prevention calendar
- Monthly: look under sinks, around toilets, behind the washer and at the water heater base, and glance at the water bill
- Spring: AC service, including the condensate line and drain pan, and a cooler check before you start it
- Fall: gutters, downspouts, grading, sprinkler direction and a crawl-space look
- Winter: protect exposed pipes on freezing nights, and check the attic and crawl space after the first big storm
- Once a year: appliance hoses, the water heater, and a water pressure check
Two other habits help: a yearly video walk-through of your home, so you have a record of its condition, and a read of your policy's water and flood sections, with questions to your agent about anything unclear. Many standard homeowners policies exclude flooding from outside sources.
When prevention isn't enough
Even well-kept homes have leaks. If it happens, shut off the water, stay away from wet outlets, photograph the damage, and call us at (559) 999-1447. We answer 24/7, and a real person picks up. We'll give you a realistic arrival window and tell you what to do until we get there.
We're a father-and-son company, locally owned in Fresno and serving Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Mariposa and Merced counties. We're IICRC-certified, our estimates are free, and we document the whole job for your insurer. If repairs are needed once the structure is dry, our licensed partner, Gostanian General Building Corp (CSLB Lic. #346866), does them, working from our records.
About Central Valley Water Restoration
Central Valley Water Restoration is a father-and-son restoration company in Fresno, California. IICRC-certified in water damage restoration, applied structural drying and applied microbial remediation. Water, mold, fire and smoke, sewage and storm damage across Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Mariposa and Merced counties. Reconstruction and repairs are completed by our licensed general contracting partner, Gostanian General Building Corp, CSLB Lic. #346866. Financing options available — ask us for details.
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