How to Prevent Flooding in the Home

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Flooding in the home can do irreparable damage to your personal items and cause structural problems in the future. Fortunately, most floods from inside the home can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions. Just something as simple as being in the habit of promptly fixing leaking pipes can save you returning home to find items floating in water.

In this article, you can find out what you can do to protect your property from flood damage. You will also find some practical advice if you live in a flood-prone area.

Dispose of waste properly

One of the best ways to prevent your home flooding is to be in the habit of disposing of waste properly. This means not pouring grease or fat down the drain in the kitchen sink. Grease mixes with other chemicals in the sewer and can cause the sewer to block resulting in a flooded basement.

According to a report in the Journal of Oleo Science, buildups of oils and grease cause almost 50% of all sewer overflows in the U.S.^[1]

The best way to dispose of kitchen waste is to allow oils to solidify and put them in the trash can or pour them into a container and put it in the trash.

Fix leaks promptly

Fixing a leaking pipe can help prevent a water pipe suddenly bursting and causing untold damage to your home because of flooding. However, it’s not just leaking pipes that cause problems in your home when it comes to water damage. You should also make sure that roofs or cracks in the foundations aren’t letting water into your home. The result could be mold and structural damage.

Insulate pipes

Depending on where you live, you should make sure that pipes are well insulated to prevent them freezing in the wintertime. The end of winter is usually a busy time for plumbers because they called to fix pipes that have burst because they were frozen.

Keep drains clean

Last, but not least, you should make an annual inspection of your drains and gutters to make sure that water flows away from your property. Leaves, debris, and other items can block drainage systems and storm drains.

Advice if you live in a flood-prone area

If you have a basement, you should do all you can to protect it from flooding. Here are some practical tips:

Make sure that all sockets and electrical outlets are above your flood level.
Any fuel tanks, AC units, and other large electrical items should be anchored above flood level.
Have a plumber check you have an exterior backflow valve fitted to prevent sewage flooding your home.
Install foundation vent in your basement to prevent water filling up your basement.

Source:

Problems, control, and treatment of fat, oil, and grease by Japan Oil Chemists’ Society.