When will they learn? (Prescott: insurance, homes, contractors)

[DellNec]

Well, we got another cold snap and like last time:

"Central Yavapai and Prescott firefighters were answering calls nonstop Wednesday about leaking water pipes."

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Sec...94&TM=79415.12

People, do yourself a favor and if you are getting a home built, make sure they bury the pipes deeper than required. In the walls of the homes, have them insulate and wrap the pipes in foam. It's a $1.25 for a 5 foot section of foam. It's usually $30,000+ for water damage inside of a home. Do the math.

The codes are too lax and the above happens.

[Esenjay]

$30,000? I'd love to see the math on that. Sure, the recent cold snap busted a lot of pipes--but still, 30K? Please, do throw up the math. I want to see it.

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by Esenjay

$30,000? I'd love to see the math on that. Sure, the recent cold snap busted a lot of pipes--but still, 30K? Please, do throw up the math. I want to see it.

Read it and weep:

"Broken pipes can cause major structural, environmental, and property damage yielding financial losses within thousands, even millions of dollars. Statistics from the SFIC (State Farm Insurance Co.) state that damage due to broken pipes alone over the past decade cost the U.S. insurance industry $4.2 billion."

Plumbing - Broken Pipes - Repair Broken Pipes Immediately or Pay the Price

The average cost to repair water damage due to a frozen/broken main for a 1,000 sq.ft home is approximately $15,000. That is the starting price and it goes up from there. That does not include multi-level (two-story) homes or any damage to furniture.

Frozen Pipes and Water Damage: Why You Need to Repair It Quickly

A busted interior water line causes catastrophic damage.

[sundrop]

You didn't point out that this occured in many homes and businesses that are currently vacant per the article. So this isn't neccesarily about lax building codes but more about lax property management. Whoever is responsible for these buildings should have seen that the heat was turned on.

Perhaps the city services that were used should be billed to the property owners to recoop some of the towns funds and of course make a point.

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by Chromekitty

You didn't point out that this occured in many homes and businesses that are currently vacant per the article.

If the property is vacant, how could they have called to report the problem?

"Central Yavapai and Prescott firefighters were answering calls nonstop Wednesday about leaking water pipes."

I do agree that the vacant homes and businesses had many water main breaks but the majority were occupied properties because people were calling to report the problem.

Even with the heat on, the problem is not a heating issue but a proper pipe insulation issue. In the Midwest, New York, Colorado, etc, it can get as cold as 30F below zero, yet you rarely hear of broken water mains.

Why? The code is better and they do a better job of protecting the pipes. Here, they are behind the times.

Out here, most of the homes are not even sheathed properly. They frame them, place some sheathing on certain corners, and the rest is just 2x4 wood framed, Styrofoam, chicken wire and a thin layer of stucco. One can break into a home by kicking through the wall. In a mild EF0 tornado, most of these homes will be destroyed.

[keninaz]

And previously you told me that firefighters would not respond to this type of thing.
I guess they changed their minds out of the kindness of their hearts.

Take your complaints to the people that are responsible for the building codes and quit airing them here.
It's apparent to me that if this were much of a problem that the code requirements would require what you speak of. And I am sure that the building the plumbing contractors would not mind that as that makes more money for them

[DellNec]

Originally Posted by keninaz

And previously you told me that firefighters would not respond to this type of thing.
I guess they changed their minds out of the kindness of their hearts.

I never said that. I stated that the FD should reconsider responding to these calls as it ties up valuable resources and costs you/us the taxpayer a lot of money.

Originally Posted by keninaz

Take your complaints to the people that are responsible for the building codes and quit airing them here.

This is a public forum and if you don't like the post, then don't respond to it. Nobody forces you to post and/or read these posts.

I already talked to the powers that be about this and the ones I talked to agree with me, it's just bureaucracy that prevents them from making the change.

[keninaz]

As you have talked to the powers that be and they don't care why keep bringing it up here?
Again, I would think that builders would be happy to comply with any code changes.
You seem to like to post negatives about building codes and such which has little to do with this forum, in my opinion, unless someone asked about them.
And as you point out this is a public forum, you have your opinion and I have mine.

[Esenjay]

I know there were a lot of busted pipes--mostly in the category of outside/landscape plumbing, but I'm sure there were some internals as well. $30K to fix? That's an extreme figure, not a baseline/standard expense, for what's occurring in this area. Hyperbole to make a point is tiring.

[motormaker]

Dell, this is just not gonna happen.

"One can break into a home by kicking through the wall."