By James Lunders, Insurance Agent

Water damage can occur almost anywhere in your house. Water-using appliances and fixtures, such as refrigerators with icemakers, dishwashers, washing machines, toilets and water heaters are common locations of leaks.

Unfortunately, slow leaks at these appliances and fixtures are often times impossible to see until it is too late. If it goes undetected, a slow leak can lead to rotting house framing and subfloors, and can be a precursor to a catastrophic leak that can release several gallons of water per minute, causing extensive water damage. A water leak detection system may help prevent these problems.

There are two types of water leak detection systems: passive and active.

Passive leak detection systems are intended to alert you of a leak. They generally sound an audible alarm tone and some may also feature a flashing light. Passive systems are frequently battery-operated, stand-alone units. They are inexpensive and easy to install. Some simply sit on the floor while others may be wall mounted. A moisture sensor is located on the floor and activates the alarm when it becomes wet. Passive leak detection systems are especially useful in locations where it is easy for someone to hear the alarm such as near refrigerators, dishwashers, or toilets.

Active leak detection systems usually generate some type of alarm, but also perform a function that will stop the water flow. They feature a shut-off valve and some means to determine that a leak is occurring. Most devices use moisture sensors to detect a leak. Other systems use a flow sensor and a timer to determine that something is leaking and the water needs to be turned off.

An individual appliance system, which costs $50 to $150, detects a leak from a specific appliance, such as a washing machine or water heater and shuts off the water supply to that appliance only. You can often install these systems without the use of special tools.

A whole house system, which costs $500 to $1,500, sends an alarm when a leak is detected and automatically shuts off the main water service. Some models can also be integrated with a local or central station security system.

Contact a local contractor, building official or hardware store for more information about water leak detection systems. If you’d like more information about how you can prevent water losses in your home, please call or stop by my office.

By James Lunders, Agent

Do you have a finished basement? Do you store valuable things in your basement? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you owe it to yourself to do two things this year as spring approaches. First, schedule some time to meet with your insurance agent for a review of your homeowners policy. In addition to making sure you have enough coverage to replace your home and personal property, make sure you are covered for the right things. In this case, the peril of “Backup of Sewer and Drain.” The basic homeowners policy in the state of Iowa does not normally cover this peril. It can be covered with a relatively inexpensive endorsement. Should your basement become filled with water due to the backup of your sewer line or the failure of your sump pump, you can get valuable coverage with this endorsement to help you recover. That brings us to the second thing you need to do as spring nears. Check your sump pump to make sure it is in working order. Due to freezing temperatures your sump pump does not often need to run all winter long. As things begin to warm and thaw in the spring, sometimes the sump pump is needed to do double duty. In addition to making sure your sump pump works, you want to make sure it is serviced on a regular basis and cleaned properly so it can do its job when needed.

Here is a helpful link to learn more about maintaining your sump pump.

You can also get a water alarm to alert your household of a water intrusion from the drain or sump pump.  This is another inexpensive step you can take to avoid the  inconvenience that comes with a water loss.  Water Alarms are available at most Home Improvement Centers:

Click Here for an Example of a Water Alarm

No one likes to have water in their basement. Make sure you have done all you can to prevent it from happening and make sure your insurance agent has you covered in the event it happens anyway.

By:  James Lunders,  Insurance Agent
Chances are, either your home or the home of someone you know, has a fuse box.  Fuses function the same way breakers do—to cut off power if an electrical circuit is overloaded.  Both fuses and breakers can be very effective in protecting your home against an electrical fire.

However, one problem that can arise with fuses occurs when someone inserts a fuse of higher amperage than the circuit is designed for.  For example, a homeowner tires of replacing blown fuses and inserts a 30-amp fuse where a 20-amp fuse should go, the 30-amp fuse allows more current into the circuit than the circuit was designed to accommodate.  The fuse “blows” indicating that the circuits are overloaded. These must be replaced as the fuse element burns up.  A fire can result.

If you have a fuse box, it’s a great idea to have an electrician inspect it and check the wire size to install the proper fuse bases. Type S fuses should be used in aging fuse panels to prevent over fusing. Type S fuses are the only type allowed by the National Electrical Code in new fuse box installations.

Whether you have a fuse box or a breaker box, have your electrician tell you the size of your electrical service to make sure it is sufficient. Years ago, 60-amp or 100-amp service wasn’t uncommon; but most families today have electrical appliances that demand more service.  It’s smart to get an electrician’s opinion on whether an update is needed since modern homes are typically wired for minimum 200-amp service.

Electrical fires are all too common, and many homes in the U.S. need electrical updates.  Please take whatever action necessary to update the electrical service in your home.

By James Lunders, Insurance Agent

Water damage can occur almost anywhere in your house. Water-using appliances and fixtures, such as refrigerators with icemakers, dishwashers, washing machines, toilets and water heaters are common locations of leaks.

Unfortunately, slow leaks at these appliances and fixtures are often times impossible to see until it is too late. If it goes undetected, a slow leak can lead to rotting house framing and subfloors, and can be a precursor to a catastrophic leak that can release several gallons of water per minute, causing extensive water damage. A water leak detection system may help prevent these problems.

There are two types of water leak detection systems: passive and active.

Passive leak detection systems are intended to alert you of a leak. They generally sound an audible alarm tone and some may also feature a flashing light. Passive systems are frequently battery-operated, stand-alone units. They are inexpensive and easy to install. Some simply sit on the floor while others may be wall mounted. A moisture sensor is located on the floor and activates the alarm when it becomes wet. Passive leak detection systems are especially useful in locations where it is easy for someone to hear the alarm such as near refrigerators, dishwashers, or toilets.

Active leak detection systems usually generate some type of alarm, but also perform a function that will stop the water flow. They feature a shut-off valve and some means to determine that a leak is occurring. Most devices use moisture sensors to detect a leak. Other systems use a flow sensor and a timer to determine that something is leaking and the water needs to be turned off.

An individual appliance system, which costs $50 to $150, detects a leak from a specific appliance, such as a washing machine or water heater and shuts off the water supply to that appliance only. You can often install these systems without the use of special tools.

A whole house system, which costs $500 to $1,500, sends an alarm when a leak is detected and automatically shuts off the main water service. Some models can also be integrated with a local or central station security system.

Contact a local contractor, building official or hardware store for more information about water leak detection systems. If you’d like more information about how you can prevent water losses in your home, please call or stop by my office.

By James Lunders, Agent

There are so many “rainy days” that people can experience — a sick child, a broken-down car, a late mortgage payment.
But what about a lawsuit?
These days more and more lawsuits are being filed — not just against big corporations, but also against people like you and me. Litigation can be expensive when you add up lawyer’s fees and settlements or jury awards. If you have assets, such as cars or a home, you should consider a personal liability umbrella policy.
What is an umbrella?
A personal liability umbrella policy is designed to give you extra liability protection. It can include coverage for various situations such as false arrest, false imprisonment, wrongful detention, libel, slander, defamation of character or invasion of privacy.
This policy can be beneficial, especially if you are ever sued because of an accidental injury to someone else or damage to their property.
For example, if a visitor tripped and fell down your stairs, your homeowners insurance would cover his or her doctor bills.
But if the person went a step further and decided to sue you; would your homeowners policy provide enough coverage? If a jury awarded damages that exceeded your coverage limits, you could be in jeopardy of losing your home or other assets. This is where the umbrella could help you out by giving you extra protection. A personal liability umbrella can also be applied to your auto coverage.
Why an umbrella?
A personal liability umbrella policy can give you a lot of coverage — about $1 million worth — for a small premium.
It can protect your assets when you need it the most and can bring you piece of mind knowing that you have it around.
To see if this is a policy that can be beneficial to you, talk to your insurance agent.

By James Lunders, Agent

Every day people ask themselves, “How much homeowner’s insurance do I need?” The answer varies, depending on each person’s situation. Usually you should insure your home for its whole value, the actual building and all of its contents.
In order to find out exactly how much your home is worth, you should have it appraised. You can have an appraiser, builder or insurance agent give you an estimate on its value. However, if you ever remodel or add on to your home, its value will increase, and you will then need to purchase more coverage.
For any valuable possessions you have, you can purchase extended coverage, to ensure those items are covered as well. The best thing to do is take a room-by-room inventory of your valuables then keep this list somewhere outside the home, for example, a safe-deposit box.
To determine if valuable possessions, such as TVs, stereos or computers are covered, or if you have any other questions about homeowner’s insurance, contact your insurance agent.

This site is being developed daily and should be up to speed by the end of February, 2008.

Thank you for visiting.

James