The plumbing system.
Why? For 4 reasons:
1. Water leaks.
A home is 5 times more likely to incur water damage than fire damage. When a home becomes vacant and gets winterized (the drain lines are flushed and filled with anti-freeze), water and drain lines stop being used.
So, when the water is turned back on and the supply and drain lines are hit with the sudden surge of water pressure, the dry connections and split water lines spring a leak.
2. Cost to repair.
Water heater leakage, freezing pipes, broken washer hoses, sewer line trouble, and toilet overflows are the second most frequent insurance claim and cost more than $7B a year to fix.
3. Hidden leaks.
When a home is vacant, there’s sometimes no information about its history. That’s why it’s important to know how to operate a home and find those hidden problems before you close.
4. Mold growth.
This is the biggest reason the plumbing system is so important. Dark, humid conditions inside the home create the perfect environment for mold, which happens alot in unoccupied homes.
Once mold takes hold, you need to fix the source and repair the damage it causes.
Where do most plumbing leaks come from?
According to the insurance company Safeco:
• 30 percent were due to appliance failure
• 62 percent were due to faulty plumbing
• 8 percent were due to weather
