How to avoid home emergencies

Updated on 9th December, 2022 by Martin Astley

With a little forward-thinking and a lot of care, you can avoid the trauma of a home emergency. Even if you have home emergency cover and appliance cover, you’ll still want to minimise the likelihood of a plumbing or electrical breakdown. Quite often, there is nothing people could have done to avoid home emergencies, but in many instances, these crises would not have occurred had homeowners taken steps to protect their electrics, plumbing, and other utilities.

So how can you avoid making a claim on your home emergency cover plan?

Water escape

Leave your central heating on over winter to avoid frozen pipes.

You can keep the water circulating in your internal plumbing system when your house is unoccupied without wasting too much money by putting your central heating on its lowest setting. If you’re going on holiday, consider asking a friend to visit your home and turn the central heating on and off. You could also ask them to turn lights on and off or switch the radio on so that burglars think the house is occupied.

Invest in an automatic stopcock.

If your pipes start leaking, an automatic stopcock will shut your water system down and minimise the water damage that the leak leads to. Automatic stopcocks are also designed to shut down your plumbing system if you do not use the taps for a couple of days, if the outside temperature drops below zero, or if there is any indication that you require emergency plumbing repairs, such as if the system notices that an unusually high volume of water is being consumed.

Accidental damage

Be careful with liquids

Many appliance cover claims arise when people accidentally spill water on electrical items. Therefore, don’t place any drinks near to home entertainment systems or other electronic goods.

Plan in advance when performing DIY

So many home emergencies occur during DIY; people fail to use pipe and cable detectors when putting holes in walls, and find themselves rupturing pipes or electric cables. As well as damaging property and cutting out utility supplies, these failings can lead to personal injuries, or even cause a house fire or fatal electrocution.

Security

Claim on security cover whenever you need to

If you notice a security issue, such as a broken window or door lock, then contact 247 Home Rescue immediately so we can send someone to your home to deal with the problem. Burglars are opportunistic, so if a criminal notices that your home is insecure, they could be very likely to target it and steal from you. Therefore, you need to have security issues remedied as quickly as possible.

Get a friend to look after your home when you are on holiday

As we said above, a friend’s assistance can not only help you avoid plumbing emergencies when your home is unoccupied but can also dissuade criminals from targeting your house by making it appear as if it is still occupied. Ensure that you choose a friend you can trust, and don’t advertise the fact that you are away on holiday on social media pages!

Alternatively, consider cancelling the post and milk deliveries and thinking about buying a timer to automatically turn lights on and off.

Buy security alarms, window grates, CCTV systems, and other security devices.

Most burglars will not even attempt to steal from you if your home clearly has strong security systems.

Keep valuables out-of-sight

As burglars are opportunistic, you will be far more likely to be victimised if your expensive valuables are on display and visible through your window. If you can’t move them out of the way, then close your curtains.

Lock your gates

Any barrier to entry will make a thief less likely to strike at your home, so lock your garden gates and keep any climbing implements, such as wheelie bins, behind these locked gates.

Weather damage

Keep your home well-maintained

Check that water is flowing freely through your drains and gutters, and ensure there are no loose tiles on your roof. Ensure that any flat roofs, such as those on conservatories, are not holding water and that rain is draining from them properly. Draught-proof your home; not only will this reduce your energy bills, but it will also minimise the likelihood of any pest infestations.

Prepare in advance when bad weather is forecast

Move your garden furniture inside when heavy rain or strong winds are forecast, and give your home a spot-check for any signs of damage.

247 Home Rescue accepts no liability for any injuries or damages you sustain following the advice on this website. If in doubt, seek professional assistance.