What to do After a Hailstorm

Unfortunately, hailstorms occur all over the country throughout most of the spring and summer seasons and can cause damage to your property.  After a hailstorm hits, MAX members typically ask if they need to file a claim and inquire about the necessary steps to file a claim.  Here are a few helpful steps if your home sustains damage after a hailstorm:

  1. Please be sure to make note of the day and time of the hailstorm to correctly report to us.
  2. After the storm has passed and there is no risk, you can inspect your dwelling for damage, including roof, gutters, air conditioning unit, window screens ,etc. We recommend that you do not climb on your roof if is steep and dangerous.   Also, check for any interior water leaking in any of your interior rooms.
  3. If you have any broken windows or interior water damage, contact a contractor to complete temporary repairs and keep the invoice to submit for our review.
  4. You may wish to have a local, licensed contractor inspect your property and give you an estimate to determine if the repairs will exceed your deductible. Many policies have a 1% wind/hail deductible.
  5. You can file a claim by calling your agent and he/she will submit the claim to us. If you don’t have a local agent or his/her office is closed, you can call us direct at  877-971-6300 and we will file your claim.
  6. Once your claim has been filed, one of our adjusters will contact you to discuss your claim and answer any questions.

If you have any questions, please contact your MAX agent or give us a call at 877-971-6300 and we are happy to help!

Photo by Care_SMC

Spring Maintenance Tips

Although it may not always feel like spring lately, it is sure to come any day now.  We would like to take a moment to share some spring maintenance tips for your home:

  • Clean out your gutters and downspouts to make sure they are not filled with leaves and debris.
  • Ensure that water drainage is moving away from your home when it comes out of the gutter. You can add an extension to the gutter to make sure the water drains away from your home.
  • Purchase a battery backup for your sump pump. Springtime is also storm season and power outages can happen this time of year.  If your sump pump fails, water can collect in your basement.
  • Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

It’s not always easy to remember when we should do home maintenance.  If you prefer an automated home maintenance schedule, check out HomeZada.com where you can sign up for email reminders and online alerts.  Have a wonderful spring!

This is Us – Lessons Learned on Fire Safety

By Karen Morrone, Marketing & Communications Manager

Several MAX team members watch the popular television show “This is Us” and after watching the last few episodes (spoiler alert – don’t read if you aren’t caught up on season 2), we couldn’t help but think of fire safety tips for our MAX members after learning how our most beloved character on the show, Jack, dies.

Here we go:

  1. Smoke alarms with batteries are life-saving!  Immediately when the camera panned to the ceiling and Rebecca was telling Jack she knows she forgot to buy something at the mall but couldn’t remember what, we knew the smoke alarm would play a part in the fire.  Not only must a smoke alarm have batteries, but they must be working batteries.  Test your smoke alarms at least twice a year (Daylight Saving Time is a great reminder) to check the batteries.  And, if you have wired smoke alarms, check the dates on them.  Both battery and wired smoke alarms should be replaced every ten years.  For more information, check out the NFPA’s smoke alarm tips here.Did you know there’s a smart alarm that can connect to your smoke detectors via Wi-Fi?  Of course this technology did not exist in the 90s when Jack lost his life, but it’s available to us now. The alarm will send notifications to your phone when the batteries run low or if your smoke alarms sounds and you’re not home.
  2. Unplug your electrical appliances. It’s not the Crock-Pot’s fault!  There have been several articles about slow cookers and this one provides fire safety tips about using a Crock-Pot.  The main takeaways are to unplug your electrical appliances when you are not using them and do not use appliances that are so old they would not pass safety regulations.  If this Crock-Pot was unplugged, it would not have sparked and caught the kitchen towel on fire.  Also, the Crock-Pot was given to the Pearsons seventeen years ago as a gift from a neighbor who had previously used it for probably several years before that – plus it had a known faulty switch.  We saw Rebecca tinkering with the switch in fact when she was preparing the Super Bowl feast.
  3. Let emergency responders save your pets. Jack being the ultimate father to his little girl would do anything to not disappoint her.  After the Pearsons escape from the upstairs bedroom window and make it safely to the ground, Kate hears her dog barking and screams his name trying to get the dog to escape.  Jack goes back into the house.  And for a minute I think he has perished in the fire as more things in the house blow up and the fire intensifies.  Then the front door opens and Jack walks out with the dog (and a bag of Pearson family treasures) in his arms.  Jack didn’t die in the home.  And neither did the dog.  However, Jack suffers from severe smoke inhalation and eventually does die from its effects on his lungs and heart.  Let emergency responders save your pets.  Your life is ever so more important than the pet, and your pet will need you alive to take care of him or her in the years to come.  You can read some pet fire safety tips here.

As we now prepare to see the Pearson family mourn the loss of Jack in the weeks ahead, it’s a good reminder to us all to remember these life-saving fire safety tips.  Be safe.

KarenKaren Morrone

Karen is the Marketing & Communications Manager for MAX where she manages content marketing and social media.  When she’s not at the office, Karen can be found transporting her children to soccer and other after-school activities.  In her “spare time”, you can find her volunteering at scouts, tending to her garden, or baking treats.

 

Ways to Prevent Frozen Pipes in Your Home

By Karen Morrone, Marketing & Communications Manager

Frozen pipes.  What are they and why should I be concerned about them?  Those are the questions that came to my mind this week after learning frozen pipes have been occurring across the country and affecting some of our MAX membership.  We had losses with damages in excess of $100,000 due to water pipes bursting due to these freezing temperatures.

According to the American Red Cross, when water freezes, it expands and that expansion causes pressure on the pipes and can essentially break the pipe regardless of how strong the pipe may be, whether it’s metal or plastic.  Simply put, water can freeze, put a tremendous amount of pressure on the pipe and then the pipe busts open and can cause water damage, possibly a lot of water damage to not just your home, but your contents as well.

Which pipes freeze the most often?  Houselogic.com shares the following:

  • Pipes that are exposed in unheated areas of your home. Think crawl spaces, basements, attics, garages or kitchen cabinets.
  • Pipes that are located on your home’s exterior walls. These pipes probably have little to no insulation around them.
  • Pipes that are on the exterior of your home. Garden hoses come to mind.

So, how can I prevent a pipe from freezing in each of these scenarios?  Check out these tips from both the American Red Cross and Houselogic.com websites:

  • For pipes in unheated areas of your home or pipes located on the exterior walls, add extra insulation or heat tape. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  You can also open your cabinet doors in your kitchen or bathroom to allow warmer air onto the pipes.  Let water drip from your faucets.  Even a trickle could help prevent a pipe from freezing.
  • For garden hoses, remove, drain and store them outside before the first freeze. This tip would have been more helpful to readers in the fall, but is still good to know even in winter months.
  • Lastly, if you are going out of town for an extended period of time, set your thermostat for no lower than 55 degrees and consider shutting off the main water valve or get one of these, opening your faucets and flushing the toilets to drain the system. Coming back from a vacation and finding water damage in your home is not a welcome surprise for anyone.  We recently had losses with damages in excess of $100,000 due to water pipes bursting due to freezing temperatures while members were away.  Water ran for a few days before discovery, resulting in extensive damage to drywall, kitchen cabinets, hardwood floors, carpet, etc.  It is always a good idea to have someone check on your home when you are away, especially in winter months.

Here’s hoping the remainder of the winter season that the Groundhog predicted earlier this month is favorable to you and that your pipes do not freeze.

KarenKaren Morrone

Karen is the Marketing & Communications Manager for MAX where she manages content marketing and social media.  When she’s not at the office, Karen can be found transporting her children to soccer and other after-school activities.  In her “spare time”, you can find her volunteering at scouts, tending to her garden, or baking treats.

Appliance Breakdown: Hot Water Heaters

Hot water heaters can crack and leak due to sediment buildup within the unit.

So, what does this mean? 
Just like any other appliance or area in your home, hot water heaters need to be cleaned. Over time particles and minerals within your water will settle and begin to buildup around the interior of the unit. This buildup can also coat the heating element, which can lead to corrosion. Drain your water heater once a year to clean the interior and remove particle buildup. This will decrease sediment buildup and prevent cracks and leaks. It can also improve the performance of your unit, saving you money to operate the unit.

What happens if your hot water heater has a breakdown? At MAX, homeowners and farmowners policies have Equipment Breakdown coverage available.  Talk to your MAX agent or contact us for more information to add this valuable coverage to your policy.

Source:  Mutual BoilerRe

Photo by Tom Feary