Here in Middle Tennessee we often see a wild swing in weather and temperatures. We’ve seen afternoons in the low 70’s, only to wake up the next morning with a temperature in the mid 20’s and frost on the ground. It’s days like this that we can see those pesky weather related claims.
Follow these tips to help avoid weather related insurance claims:
Disconnect your hose from the outside spicket and install covers on outside faucets
When your garden hose is connected to your outside spicket, any water left in the hose can freeze and possibly crack the plumbing. Reduce your risk of damaged outside plumbing by disconnecting your garden hose during winter months.
Close your crawl space vents
Do you have a crawlspace? Help reduce the risk of frozen pipes by closing your crawlspace vents during winter months. Frozen pipes are no fun, and can often be prevented by taking this easy step.
Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher
Even if you are leaving the house for an extended period of time, keeping your house at 68 degrees or more can greatly reduce the chance of freezing. If you do plan on being away for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.
On extremely cold nights, drip your water and open your sink cabinets
If you know that your pipes are prone to freezing, open the cabinets under each sink. This helps helps keep your interior water pipes closer to room temperature and preventing them from freezing. By dripping water from your kitchen and bathroom sinks, you can also reduce the risk of your pipes freezing by keeping the water moving (albeit ever so slightly).
Close all windows near water pipes and cover/close open-air vents
Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
Reduce the risk of a homeowners liability claim by keeping your sidewalks snow and ice free
Did you know that a slip and fall on your property could lead to a liability claim? Help reduce the risk by keeping your sidewalks and driveways snow and ice free.
With a little preparation before cold weather hits, you can help avoid minimize the risk of weather related insurance claims. Contact your local Insurance Professionals at Stuible Insurance Group with any questions, or to receive a free no-obligation insurance review!