Features WATER DAMAGE


If your block is facing increased insurance premiums and excesses, or is unable to secure any insurance cover at all for escape of water, installing a Leaksafe system provides immediate and positive results.


The identification of existing low level leaks that can seep into the building fabric and result in substantial repairs being required. Automatic water shut off to individual flats if a leak or burst is detected to dramatically reduce the damage caused. An easy and convenient means of turning the water off every time you vacate the property so that a leak or burst cannot run unnoticed.


Once a Leaksafe system is installed there is also the potential for:


A reduction in insurance policy excess; A reduction in annual insurance premium; and A reduction in property management charges


Christmas bonus


LeakSafe work with property managers, property owners and most of the major UK insurers, and currently protect over £400,000,000 of property in the UK.


In one block of 14 flats with insurance claims in excess of £200,000 in one year, Leaksafe has installed systems in each flat - 10 low level leaks were found while equipment was being installed and a further four leaks were prevented in the three months following installation.


Says the freeholder: “We sought advice from Leaksafe not only because our insurer had significantly raised our policy excess for escape of water claims, but also because the number of leaks and the disruption they caused was seriously impacting on both our lessees and their tenants enjoyment of the property.


Leaksafe surveyed the building and provided a report on each flat, together with details of the equipment they recommended we install.


“While Leaksafe were installing the systems into each flat the existing leaks that were causing pervading damage were identified and fixed, and to prove the system’s worth, soon after installation, the leaseholders in Flat 5 returned after their Christmas break to find their water turned off as the system had detected a leak.


Undetected, this leak could have had catastrophic consequences over the holiday period for this flat and the flats below it.”


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Installation is simple and could help keep your claims record clean


Could you bring your insurance premiums down?


Leaksafe specialises in designing and retrofitting leak detection and leak prevention equipment in blocks of flats with a poor history of water damage


Property management companies report that their involvement in managing the consequences of water leaks takes up to 80% of their time and is reflected in their charges to all occupiers in a block whether they have been affected by a leak or not. By pro- actively managing their escape of water risk residents can potentially better negotiate management charges.


Leaksafe employs a risk management approach when designing their systems to ensure that high-risk areas in flats or communal areas are protected while minimising disruption to occupiers and keeping costs affordable. They design leak detection systems that will pick up even low-level leaks characteristic of blocks of flats and if a leak is detected the system will automatically shut off the water but importantly, only to the flat affected. This is in contrast to a number of flow-based leak detection systems that will shut off water to the whole building when there is a leak.


LeakSafe are a solutions provider and use a range of technologies as well as leak detection including flow sensing, temperature, time out, PIRs to ensure that the system installed is appropriate for the


building and - more important - for the people that live in and use that space. The components are designed not to be visible once installed so they will not compromise the existing finishes of a flat.


Systems can be designed that will:


Link into a building’s BMS (building management system) to alert when a leak is detected. Link into a burglar alarm so that when the alarm is set it automatically turns the water off.


Include GSM modules to text alert individual occupiers, or concierges or response providers if a leak is detected to ensure a quick response and clean up. This option is ideal for occupants who are not resident all the time and who want the piece of mind and re-assurance that any leak is swiftly dealt with.


Generally, little is known about leak detection equipment by most property owners and occupiers, so Leaksafe provide a comprehensive service to their customers. Typically, LeakSafe conduct an on-site survey, learn about the property occupancy, review the claims history for the building


Issue 21


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