(Newswire.net — January 30, 2015) Mableton, Georgia — Atlanta based basement remodeling company Atlanta Basement Design has announced the offer of a free tankless water heater with every full finished basement contract executed to eliminate the threat of water damage to the newly finished area. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, 69% of all water heater ruptures are the result of a slow leak or a sudden burst, a totally unexpected event in the home. The institute reports that in the South are nearly twice as likely to suffer a water heater failure that resulted in a claim due to location of the water heater being within reach of such high dollar items such as furniture. The threat of this type of destruction to the finished basement is eliminated when the tradtional tank hot water heater is removed and replaced by a tankless water heater. The tankless water heater does not store water, but rather heats water on demand through a heat exchanger. Two other great benefits of the tankless water heater is that the home will never run out of hot water and there is significant space savings once the traditional tank hot water heater is removed from the home.
“With the cost of finished basements ranging from $30,000 up to $130,000, there’s just too much finish work to put at risk for a 69% likely event to take place without warning” said Atlanta Basement Design interior designer Kathleen Sullivan. “Replacing hardwood flooring, carpet, base trim and sheetrock affected by a water heater flooding the finished basement is an exhaustive process once you’re working in an area that’s already been finished.”
The complications of the process of replacing the damaged flooring, trim and sheetrock may not be the only major concern. A water damage claim caused by the rupture of a hot water heater is not guaranteed to be paid by homeowners insurance. If the insurance company takes the view that this rupture was caused by a failure to maintain the appliance, the claim will be denied, and often times this is the case. Hot water heaters should be drained once a year and the anode rod should be checked by a licensed plumber to determine the level of corrosion the water heater is experiencing. Failure to produce records of such yearly maintenance can result in the claim being denied.
“By the time people are done with a full basement remodeling project in Atlanta, their finances are typically spent and they’re ready to enjoy their new finished basement. A water heater failure can require a significant amount of money for the repairs and the homeowner is right back to another period of renovation where they can’t use the space.” said Ms. Sullivan. “The installation of a tankless water heater with the finished basement eliminates this very viable threat.”