With the cost of natural gas skyrocketing and heating oil prices still high, you have to balance fuel cost considerations with the potential damage of building freeze-ups. The temptation to drop the thermostat down those 5 degrees could cost a lot more than it saves!

One winter, MIIA handled 13 frozen pipe losses totaling $500,000 in damages to buildings and their contents. Two of these incidents were in excess of $150,000. These incidents had 5 factors in common:

• All were older buildings
• All occurred over the course of a weekend
• Outside temperatures were very low and winds were above normal
• Thermostats had been turned down to save energy, in some cases to 50^oF
• The pipes that burst were heating system lines located in exterior walls

How can you protect your buildings and contents from water damage?
Remember, although your insurance covers most damages, the interruption in work and the inconvenience in rebuilding/replacing equipment are not covered. And no one wants to deal with the aggravation of having to deal with the mess.

Prevention starts with determining your exposures. Buildings should be inspected for uninsulated pipes located in exterior walls, insufficient wall insulation, blocked vents, etc. Some of these may be difficult to determine, but you will be surprised by what you and your staff already know or can surmise once you get into the process.

Once you have determined which buildings are most at-risk, there are a number of things you can do to reduce exposure to freeze-ups:

• Check univents to assure outside dampers are closed. Even a small opening can allow enough cold air in to cause problems.
• Assure that tops of heating units (a favorite gathering spot for books, plants, displays, etc.) are kept clear so that air/heat can circulate freely. Have custodial staff check often to assure that these areas are kept clear.
• Consider replacing the water in hot water systems of at-risk buildings with an anti-freeze solution. The slight loss of heating efficiency will be more than offset by avoiding a flood.
• In those ‘cold spots’ – consider installing a low temperature sensor/alarm.
• When very cold weather is predicted, leave the heat up a few degrees - especially on weekends and holidays when the building is less likely to be occupied.
• If heat cannot be adjusted up, determine if circulator pumps can be set to run so that water is at least running in the heating system pipes.
• Have someone with appropriate knowledge check at-risk buildings on a daily basis when extreme cold/windy conditions exist or are forecast. The slight wage cost is minimal compared to the cost of a freeze-up.

Remember the buildings and contents you protect are yours. No one wants to deal with the mess and aggravation of a water damage incident.

For more information, contact Jeff Siena at 800-882-1498 ext. 259

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