The Importance of Sump Pump Coverage
We share these basic steps you can take to reduce your risk exposure this spring:
1. Check your gutters and drains
Malfunctioning gutters and drains tend to be the number one issue for wet basements in our industry during the spring. Make sure that gutters are flowing freely and that downspouts are directing water away from the house into the appropriate drain field (not your neighbor’s yard). It is good practice to observe your gutters and downspouts during a rain event to make sure that they are functioning properly.
2. Test your sump pump
Testing your sump pump is an important procedure. This can be as simple as adding water to the drain crock (no more than 5 gallons) to make sure that the pump activates and drains the crock.
3. Install a sump pump alarm
An alarm will alert you when the pump is not properly functioning. There are models that can alert you via your smartphone. This feature earns our highest recommendation as most water losses occur when residents are not home.
4. Are you covered for sump pump failures?
Many water losses in basements are not covered by a standard homeowner’s insurance policy.
Sump pump failure is a specific rider that must be on a policy in order to be covered for a loss from water coming from outside of the home into the basement.
Many homeowners believe that they are covered for these issues, and are devastated to find out that they are not covered when they experience substantial damage. The cost of this rider is usually marginal relevant to the cost of a homeowner’s policy and certainly nominal relevant to the costs of mitigation and repair.
Check with your agent today to see how you are covered and what is available. You can also reach out to Compleat for any consultations.
This April, let the showers water your flowers and not your basement!
Submitted by Aaron Jacobs, Business Development Consultant, Compleat Restorations