TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015
 Has anyone ever talked with you about the water lines going to the toilets in your house? If not, you might want to pay close attention to this information! Those little lines in the back of the toilet connect the water line to the rest of your toilet. Each has a shut off valve. Take a moment and locate those on the toilets in your house.
Why are these important? Because they should be replaced every five to seven years. Why? Because they carry a lot of water pressure every time you flush the toilet. They get corroded, they rust and, if they are at an angle, they put pressure on the plastic fittings, which can break.
Once one of these little hoses breaks, the water just keeps coming and coming into your home until you turn off the water. Then you have a flooded house to deal with. If the toilet is upstairs in a house, you might have to replace flooring, ceiling, furniture and part of the walls. It can become an expensive insurance claim.
But being proactive will keep you from having a flooded home and not filing claims will keep your home insurance premiums lower. It's pretty simple and will save you a lot of hassle.
- Replace or have a plumber replace old lines with the stainless steel lines. Make sure they are stainless steel braided over rubber with threaded couplings on both ends. These last the longest of all toilet hoses. The hoses don't cost much, and for a few hundred dollars, you could have all the toilet hoses replaced.
- Check for moisture on the hose every month and if you find any, ask a plumber to check the hoses. A small plumber's fee could save you thousands of dollars in future house damage.
- Check the nuts on the bottom of the toilet tank. If you feel water or see small drips on your floor, tighten the nut. Not too tight, just tight enough to stop the drips.
- Check for rust on the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. If you see rust, ask a plumber to check it out. Rust indicates they are being exposed to water which means there might be a leak you can't see.
- Inside the tank there is a flapper that needs to be replaced at least once a year. The flapper gets old and starts leaking, which will raise your water bills. You can have a plumber replace the flapper system with a new system that lasts longer; or many people choose to simply perform the task themselves.
Maintaining the toilets in your home can help you avoid messy floods. You can do most of the work yourself, or call a qualified plumber and make it part of an annual house inspection.
Worried about interior water damage? Call Raymond Longoria Insurance at (956) 581-1034 for more information on Laredo home insurance.
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