FAQs

When water damage happens, it can hide in walls creating the perfect habitat for mold growth

Yes. Water damage in homes and commercial buildings can dry by itself. But it may take months!

Unless you call in the professionals to do an assessment with meters to measure the moisture, it’s the water you can’t see that can have damaging effects on your health later on this year.
Because a lot of water – 30 gallons or more – can get soaked into your dry wall and the insulation behind it.
And it won’t dry out by itself fast enough to prevent further damage.
Wet flooring and drywall are prime suspects for mold growth and termite infestation later.

When water heaters fail, floods happen!

1. Stop the Water!
Locate the cold water supply pipe on your unit. This is the pipe that leads from the main water line into the top of the water heater. When working properly, water stops flowing when the tank is full. But, if the tank bursts, the tank will keep trying to fill. As it does, water is pushed out into the room. To stop the water, turn off the cold water supply line by twisting the valve clockwise until it can’t turn anymore.

2. Shut Off the Power
An electric or gas heating element in your water heater is designed to be submerged. Once the tank bursts, the heating element can pose a fire hazard to your home or business if it continues to run without water surrounding it. Heating elements in hot water heaters are designed to shut off after the water reaches a certain temperature, but if your tank bursts because of a faulty thermostat, it probably won’t shut off by itself. To manually shut off the power, locate and flip the breaker for the hot water tank in your electrical breaker box. If the hot water heater is gas-powered, shut off the gas line leading to it, and vacate the building until the natural gas smell is completely gone.

3. Cleanup
Call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services at 877-750-7876 as soon as you can. Having a flood of 40 to 100 gallons of water in your home or business is more than an ordinary shop vac can handle. In a situation like this, you want the experts with the proper equipment and meters to make sure the area is completely dry. If it isn’t dried completely – and fast – mold and bacteria are sure to grow.
Our water damage specialists will remove any undamaged furniture, boxes or other salvageable items from the water-damaged area. Then, we take photos of the items that are damaged, as well as the walls, floors and other fixtures that are covered or soaked with water. The photos will help your homeowner’s insurance company determine the cost to repair or replace the items.

4. Call your insurance agent
Contact your insurance agent or company to make a claim. Don’t throw away your hot water tank. An insurance adjuster will need to see it to determine the cause of the burst and whether the company will pay for damages that were caused by the burst. The cost of the water heater itself is usually not covered, but nearly anything else that was damaged by the water will be covered, less your deductible.

For this homeowner in Philadelphia, burst pipes caused a lot of water damage

WHEN TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE FALL BELOW 20* Fahrenheit…

1. Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer. The more insulation the better.
2. Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
3. Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).
4. Keep a slow drip of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.
5. Drain the water system, especially if your building is vacant during cold periods.
6. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure you have it blown out every year and the water supply is turned off to the system.

If your pipes do burst, make sure you turn your water off at the main.
Then call PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services at 877-750-7876

Fire and smoke damage in a Burlington, NJ home

As soon as the fire is out:
1. Contact your Insurance Agent and your Mortgage Company as soon as possible.  Ask them what they want you to do about the immediate needs of your home including emergency board-up of windows and doors and water extraction.

2. Take pictures of all the damaged items.

3. Discard all food and drink that was exposed to the smoke. Empty the refrigerator and freezer and prop the doors open.

4. If the heat is off and temperatures are freezing, protect your pipes from bursting by draining the lines. Pour one tablespoon of antifreeze down sink and tub drains and toilets.

5. Send all clothing, bedding, and curtains to a qualified professional dry cleaner who specializes in cleaning smoke damaged textiles.

Then call us at 877-750-7876! We’re open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We’ll start the fire and smoke restoration process quickly to get your home or business back in shape fast.

When water damages homes in Philadelphia and New Jersey, PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services gets them clean, dry, and sanitized

We are restoration professionals – not insurance agents. So, the best way to find the answer to this question is to contact your insurance agent.

Certain types of water damage may be covered under your policy, but it usually depends on where the water came from.
For example, if a pipe breaks or a water heater bursts in your home and causes damage, this will most likely be covered.
However, water damage that comes from over-the-ground flooding caused by storm water is usually excluded in a basic homeowner’s policy. Ensuring you are protected in case of damage from a weather or natural disaster related flood means purchasing a separate flood insurance policy.

No matter what the source of the water damage, make sure you call 877-750-7876 as soon as possible to prevent mold and bacterial growth from contaminating your home and creating more damage.
PuroClean Emergency Recovery Services works with all national and regional insurance providers.

Mold damage on a closet door Ocean City, New Jersey

The answer to this question is “it depends!”

You will need to contact your agent to get a clear understanding of the level of mold protection on your policy.
Mold damage may be covered on your homeowner’s policy if it’s caused by a “sudden peril.”
Because mold requires moisture as well as time to grow, broken pipes, leaky roofs or excess humidity could all be possible causes.
Your homeowner’s insurance policy will state the exclusions to coverage for mold damage remediation.