{"id":5383,"date":"2025-09-01T13:19:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T17:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/non-classe\/how-to-prevent-water-damage\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T17:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:01:14","slug":"how-to-prevent-water-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/understanding-insurance\/how-to-prevent-water-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to prevent water damage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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September 1, 2025<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n

Water damage is frequent according to the Chambre de l\u2019assurance de dommages (ChAD); it is the leading cause of home insurance claims. This is why it is important to prevent it by taking the following ten precautions. <\/p>\n

1. Locate your main water shut-off valve<\/h2>\n

Do you know where the main water intake for your home is located? Yes? Excellent! Now, make sure that the people living with you know as well. This way, they can quickly cut off the water supply if a pipe bursts. <\/p>\n

2. Monitor your appliances<\/h2>\n

Never leave the house while the washing machine or dishwasher is running. Ensure that the hoses for these appliances are in good condition: replace them every ten years or at the slightest sign of deterioration (bulging, cracking, corrosion). <\/p>\n

3. Replace your water heater<\/h2>\n

Like your appliance hoses, a water heater should be replaced every ten years. So, if yours is getting a bit old, inspect it regularly to avoid unpleasant surprises such as a flooded basement, a damp house, walls covered in mold, or swelling floors… <\/p>\n

4. Clean out the gutters<\/h2>\n

In the fall, dead leaves and samaras can quickly clog your gutters, causing rainwater to overflow toward your home’s foundation instead of draining toward the street, alley, or backyard. So, don’t skimp on the effort and clean your gutters! <\/p>\n

5. Drain your outdoor faucets<\/h2>\n

Before winter, in addition to cleaning your gutters, drain the pipes that supply your outdoor faucets, which are more likely to freeze quickly: close the supply valves inside; then, open the outdoor faucets to let any remaining water escape; once the water is drained, close the outdoor faucets for the winter. Also, empty your garden hoses. This will prevent stagnant water from freezing and breaking your pipes. <\/p>\n

6. In winter, absence = caution!<\/h2>\n

Ice blockages can also form in your plumbing if you are away for more than 4 days in winter without heating your home. The pressure inside the pipes could cause them to burst, flooding and damaging your entire property… To avoid such a situation, here are a few tips before you leave: <\/p>\n

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  • close the water inlets;<\/li>\n
  • drain the pipes;<\/li>\n
  • ask a trusted person to visit your home during your absence to ensure your heating system is maintaining a sufficient temperature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    7. Check your roof<\/h2>\n

    Winter means snow, rain, and ice. In the event of a significant accumulation of these three natural elements, carefully monitor the condition of your roof, especially if it is flat. Indeed, slight cracks can form and allow water to seep in. Your roof could even collapse! <\/p>\n

    8. Maintain your vegetation<\/h2>\n

    While the trees around your home are beautiful, ensure that their roots are not wrapping around your water and electrical lines. This could damage your drain, pipes, and septic tank… Keep this in mind when planning your landscaping by keeping trees away from your plumbing. <\/p>\n

    9. Have your plumbing inspected<\/h2>\n

    Do you notice water infiltration, increased humidity in your home, or even mold? In that case, ask a plumber to check the condition of your drain, your sump pump, and your backwater valve. One can never be too careful! <\/p>\n

    10. Install water detectors<\/h2>\n

    Water detectors are designed to trigger an alarm when they sense a certain level of humidity or slight water leaks. It is therefore ideal to install them near your water heater, sump pump, appliances, and toilets. <\/p>\n

    If, despite these precautions, you experience water damage and it is covered by your insurance policy, call your broker immediately. Of course, for any questions, do not hesitate to call us. One of our brokers will be happy to help you. <\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"class_list":["post-5383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-understanding-insurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.assuranciagt.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}