Experience Files

I recently saw a post about a competitor inadvertently flooding a house they were attempting to dry. The scenario was a nightmare: after cutting the water supply to the house and demoing a bathroom vanity, someone turned the main water back on to use an outdoor hose. The problem? The internal water lines were either left open or the valves were missing. The water ran for over 12 hours, likely causing far more damage than the original incident.

Look, accidents happen, and even good people can have lapses in judgment. But the crucial question is: what can be done to prevent this kind of devastating secondary flood?

The Simple Solution: Cap Your Lines

The short answer is surprisingly simple: always carry a variety of caps in your toolbox and make it an absolute habit to cap any water lines you've worked on. Even if the lines aren't actively leaking at the moment, conditions can change in an instant, leading to a catastrophic re-flood.

And yes, you can and should bill the insurance company for these caps. Realistically, especially if you're a mitigation-only company, you'll rarely see these caps again once the rebuild starts.

Your Essential "Cap Kit"

For the cost of a modest lunch or dinner, you can equip yourself and your technicians with a crucial "cap kit" to prevent such incidents:

• (4) 3/4" SharkBite caps: Ideal for typical lines feeding a water heater.

• (4) 1/2" SharkBite caps: Common for lines feeding sinks or toilets.

• (4) 1/2" Screw-on caps: Standard for sink angle stops.

• (4) 3/8" Screw-on caps: Typically used for toilet supply angle stops.

• (2) 1/4" Screw-on caps: Essential for refrigerator supply angle stops.

By making this small investment and establishing a strict habit of capping open lines, you can prevent a costly and embarrassing re-flood, saving your client, your company, and potentially your reputation from significant damage.