How to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing

Frozen pipes may sound innocent enough, but the real problems arise if they burst. A crack as small as an eighth of an inch can gush up to 250 gallons of water each day, resulting in flooding, a breeding ground for mold and potential structural damage to your home. Both plastic and copper pipes can freeze and burst in any climate if three conditions are met: poor insulation, quick drops in temperature and thermostats set too low. So how can you prevent this expensive disaster?
Take some time to prepare your pipes for the worst of winter. If they aren’t already, insulate the pipes with heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables, focusing on the pipes in the attic and near outside walls. Check for air leaks near pipes and seal them with caulk or insulation. Even a small leak can let in enough cold air to freeze a pipe.
When the cold reaches freezing levels, leave your faucet open to drip warm water. That slow trickle can keep the water moving enough to avoid freezing. It also helps to leave cabinet doors open to allow the heated air to reach pipes underneath sinks. Even if you leave for a vacation, set the thermostat no lower than 60°F to give the pipes enough warmth. Remember, the interior of the walls where the pipes are located is a colder area than inside the living areas; a higher temperature is necessary so the heat can penetrate the walls and warm this interior space.
If your pipes do freeze, despite your best efforts, it’s important to stay calm and act quickly. Call a plumber right away. While you wait, turn the faucets on and try to warm the pipe with a hair dryer, starting close to the faucet and working back. However, do not use electrical appliances if there is standing water and do not use any open flame that would create a fire hazard. If your pipes burst at any point, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve and do your best to dry the mess while help arrives. Keeping the area dry and clean will prevent mold and mildew from causing further problems.
We’ve got your back when you need us most. Call Security First Insurance Agency at (810) 732-5800 for more information on Flint home insurance.

What Types of Trucking Insurance Are Available?

Trucking insurance is required by law for both businesses and owner-operators who provide trucking services. However, the legal requirements are few and there are many additional types of coverage that are designed to protect your trucking business more completely. Let’s look at some of the coverages that you may want to consider:

·         Primary Liability: Every rig, even leased units, must have primary liability coverage, which protects third parties who suffer bodily injury or property damage following an accident.

·         General Liability: This coverage protects third parties from injury or property damage from accidents that occur when trucks are not on the road. For instance, a warehouse worker could trip and fall while unloading a truck.

·         Physical Damage: This coverage protects your rigs from damage as a result of collision, fire, theft, vandalism or severe weather. The premium is typically a percentage of the value of your equipment.

·         Non-Trucking Liability: This coverage protects trucks and third parties when the driver is not under dispatch. This may include trucks that are parked.

·         Cargo Insurance: Covers any damaged or lost freight during transit. This coverage may have exclusions such as unattended vehicle and maximum theft limits.

·         Terminal Coverage: Covers freight located at terminals. This coverage may have time limitations, such as 72 hours per load.

·         Warehouse Legal: Covers goods that are warehoused in the event of loss, damage, theft or fire. The amount of coverage is dependent on the goods being stored at any given time.

·         Non-Owned Trailer: This can be divided into liability and physical damage. Both cover trailers that you pull for a third party.

Ask what trucking coverage is right for you. Call Security First Associated Agency at (810) 732-5800 for more information on Flint trucking insurance.

Beware of Winter Road Hazards

It goes without saying that winter driving can be more dangerous than at others times of the year. Slippery roads and limited visibility dampen one’s ability to drive safely, but there are also winter road hazards that some individuals may not be as familiar with. Let’s take a look at some of the most common road hazards and what you can do to improve your winter driving experience.

• Rain, snow and ice: These wintertime staples can lead to slippery road conditions. The degree of slipperiness can be affected by type of precipitation and varying temperature changes during precipitation and/or winter storms. If you begin to slip, remove your foot from the pedals and steer in the direction your car is sliding. If you need a boost of traction, pour salt or kitty litter around your tires.
• Drifting snow: Drifted snow is more densely packed than fallen snow. Because of this, deep snow drifts can lift cars up off the road and strand them. See below for emergency kit items that will get you through being stranded.
• Diminished visibility: Conditions out of your control, such as sleet, rain and snowfall, can affect driving visibility. However, there are easy ways to improve your chances of clearer winter vision. Thoroughly de-icing your windows and mirrors will assist with your ability to see in all directions while driving. And don’t forget your headlights. They should also be brushed free of ice and changed regularly to ensure that they remain bright and functioning. This not only improves your own visibility, but also helps other drivers see you on the road. Turn your headlights on during any form of precipitation and when the weather is misty or grey.
• Tires and battery: Tires loose air pressure faster in cold temperatures. Make it a habit to check your tire pressure monthly and fill them as need, according to your owner’s manual. Before winter hits, check the tread on your tires. They’ll need replacing if the tread has worn down. Batteries over three years old should be replaced, as the cold can impair a battery’s ability to start a car. Have your battery properly checked and replaced if needed.
• Plan for emergencies: You should always plan for the worst. Anyone can become stranded in a car for hours during poor winter driving conditions. Pack an emergency kit, which can include items such as blankets, protein-rich food, bottled water, weather radio, salt or kitty litter, road flares, jumper cables and any other items you see fit.

Stay safe while driving down harsh winter roads. Call Security First Associated Agency Inc. at (810) 732-5800 for more information on Flint auto insurance.

Staying Safe in Your Vehicle

By now, even if you reside in a state without seat belt regulations, you’re aware that buckling up can save your life. But buckling up is not the only way you can proactively act to keep you and your loved ones safe in your car.

1. Properly arm your airbags: If your car contains air bags, make sure they are properly armed. If they have been triggered, you’ll need to have them armed again.

2. Utilize your seat belt properly: There is a purpose for seat belts stretching across our chests and not only our waists. These chest straps prevent us from hitting the dashboard, the seat in front of us, or getting an extreme case of whiplash. Make sure to utilize your seat belt as it was designed so you can get the maximum level of protection.

3. Practice suitable and timely vehicle maintenance: Transmission problems can cause your vehicle to seize up in the middle of the street; improperly filled tires can impede your brake system—there’s no limit to the prospective collisions that car maintenance issues can cause. Bring your vehicle to the mechanic regularly so he or she can test for these issues before they help cause a collision.

4. Practice airbag safety: Airbags have saved many of lives, but they can also be damaging in some instances. Kids under age twelve should not sit in the front seat with driver’s side airbags. If they must, they should be correctly buckled up with the seat pulled away from the dashboard, since airbags can actually injure anyone who is 2-3 inches from the point of inflation. Because the driver’s airbag is located in the steering wheel, he or she can be hurt, too. Measure your standard seating position when you drive and ensure that you are located at least 10 inches away from the middle of the steering wheel.

5. Purchase rear facing car seats: Airbags are not the only in-car hazard to a child’s safety. Children less than one year old or who weigh less than 20 lbs. should always be strapped into rear-facing car seats in the back seat of the car. Kids under 4’ 9” should also use booster seats when riding in the car. This prevents seat belt injuries in case of an accident.

6. Adjust your mirrors: It’s easy to get into your car after another driver has ridden in it and forget to adjust your mirrors. This can cause blind spots that let you back into an obstacle or change lanes without seeing a neighboring driver. Always be sure that your mirrors are properly adjusted and that you check your mirror’s blind spots before making any moves in traffic.

Exercising these easy auto safety precautions will give you peace of mind and might eventually even save a life.

For more information about Flint car insurance, give Security First Insurance Agency a call at 810-732-5800.

Getting the Right Advice on Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

Your friends and family want you to have what’s best for you, just like you want the same for them. Unfortunately, this desire for you to have the finest things in life can steer several of them to suggest advice that—while well intentioned—is not always as educated as you require it to be.

One good example of this can be found in the advice that many family members and friends extend while you are searching for Flint home insurance.

Many Streets are Paved with Good Intentions…

Everyone has their own thoughts about what is and isn’t necessary in a homeowners insurance policy. And that’s fine—when it’s their insurance they are referencing. But when you are looking for insurance to cover your house, the best advice you can receive is from your own agent. Your agent knows about all the different benefits of insurance plans and is able to get you the most comprehensive coverage at the most reasonable price.

While goodhearted friends can suggest great advice about dating, television programs and new restaurants, it is wise to leave the monetary guidance to the licensed, and experienced, professionals. It is unlikely that your friends and family have had as much preparation, instruction and experience with insurance as your local insurance agent. The familiarities of friends and family are often narrow—resulting from their personal insurance shopping experiences or stories told by their friends and neighbors. Not only are these just an incomplete sampling of the information available, they can also be peppered with misinterpretation and bias that your friend or family member does not even know of.

Agents, on the other hand, go through rigorous educational courses before they can even obtain a license. Then, they must attend continuing education programs every year in order to remain licensed. They deal with thousands of various insurance and claims situations each year and they stay up to date with trends and changes in legislature. They are experts in their field, and they have put a large amount of effort into earning that status.

So while Aunt Audrey has the best advice for making homemade bread, and Uncle Rick knows just how to keep your lawn perfectly seeded, trusting these helpful, but often misinformed people to offer you information about insurance could put you on the wrong track.

Fore more information about home insurance, give Security First Insurance Agency a call at 810-732-5800.

Disaster and Your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy

When you start learning about insurance, there are a lot of different phrases and policy options that can be easily misunderstood. Many consumers do not recognize the full scope of what their policies do and don’t cover, some do not understand what their deductibles and limits are, and others are not certain whether or not special incidents are covered in their car or homeowner’s policies. All of these areas of confusion are easy to fix with a call to your insurance agent or a fast read of your policy.

But not all insurance misunderstandings are safe. If you assume some insurable incident is covered by your existing car or home insurance policy and it actually isn’t, you could be subjecting yourself and your family to financial risks that you simply cannot carry on your own. One constant source of this kind of risky misunderstanding involves flood insurance.

Many consumers assume that flood insurance is inherently included in their home policy. Unfortunately, this error is so widespread that many policy holders don’t ask their agent or insurance company if their Flint home insurance policy will cover the damages accompanied with flood waters—they just assume that it will. This guess can turn out to be an extremely costly mistake after a flood actually happens because assuming that their homeowner’s insurance policy offers flood protection prevents them from taking the steps needed to find out the truth about flood insurance and protect their loved ones and their possessions accordingly.

Now that we all know that home insurance plans do not protect against damage caused by flooding, let’s learn what actually constitutes as flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program describes a flood as:

“A flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow.”

The explanation of flood is easy enough to understand, but the reason that many homeowners think it’s built-in to their home insurance policy is because several of the incidents that can cause flooding cause other damages that ARE covered under a home insurance policy. For instance, a hurricane may cause wind damage to your house that is covered in your policy, but it may also cause normally dry land to be temporarily drowned by water, which could run into your home and damage your carpets and possessions—but because those are flood waters, you will only be protected if you have a flood policy.

So be sure you have a flood policy in effect today. Whether you reside in a flood region or not, its protection that is not covered in your homeowner’s policy but needs to be in effect to protect you and your family.

For more information about home insurance, give Security First Insurance Agency a call at 810-732-5800.

5 Actions You Should Take Before Purchasing a Used Auto

Since new vehicles can lose more than 15 percent of their value once they are driven off the lot, purchasing a used car is often a smart financial choice to make. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do any research before making the purchase. There are five important things you should do before you sign the papers and commit to buying a used automobile.

1. Contact your insurance agent. Your Flint auto insurance agent can give you some direction in deciding which type of car would be the most reasonably priced as far as your insurance policy is concerned. This can be based on safety features, popularity with thieves and other factors.

2. Get a Carfax report. A used car has an unknown past that it can never reveal to you—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to know about it. Carfax has a series of complimentary and paid reports that will show you the history of your car with its previous owner or owners. This will help ensure that you don’t buy a lemon or a car that may have been mechanically compromised in a way that is not completely corrected through repair or replacement.

3. Compare safety options. Not only will a vehicle with front and rear airbags, anti-lock brakes and automatic seatbelts help keep you and your family secured, it will also lower your insurance premiums. Because used cars can be decades old, you cannot take for granted that the one you consider purchasing will have the safety features you desire. Make sure you research what options are available in used cars of different years and different models so that you can better focus your search.

4. Look up car values. Before you spend money or get a loan for a used car, make sure that you are paying a reasonable price based on its Kelley Blue Book value. Don’t believe that the company selling it is being completely fair; do your own research and, if necessary, be prepared to negotiate.

5. Bring the vehicle to your mechanic. Your mechanic can tell you whether or not a used car you are about to buy is worth purchasing or if it’s better left in the lot. He or she may charge you a small fee to inspect the car, but it would be well worth it to avoid potential repair fees beyond the basics that any used car buyer should expect.

Used cars may be a fiscally responsible choice, but it is still a big decision to make when buying one. Put the time in and do your research so you can drive off the lot with full confidence, an insurance policy you can afford, and an intact wallet.

Contact SecurityFirst Insurance Agency today at 810-732-5800 for all of your auto insurance needs!