Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is only a couple days away and we just wanted to take a moment to share a few turkey day cooking tips to help keep you safe for this holiday.

Remember that over 4000 fires start each year on Thanksgiving Day and most of those are due to cooking related accidents.

Before the cooking begins make sure to clean your oven or stove.

Remember that young children and pets love to be under foot while you are cooking and given how extra chaotic Thanksgiving Day can be it’s a good idea to clear a 3-foot safe zone around your oven.

If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, carefully slide a lid on the pan and turn off the burner. If a fire starts in the oven or microwave, keep the door closed. Then, turn off the oven or unplug the microwave as soon as possible. Leave the door closed until the appliance is cooled down. Using water can splatter a cooking fire around the kitchen.

Finally, when it comes to the turkey, remember that turkey fryers can spew hot oil while you’re cooking so be extra careful. Never drop a frozen turkey into hot oil!!!

We thank our friends at the Washington Herald for this information and remind you all to please be extra careful this turkey day and have fun.

If you have any questions regarding your insurance and turkey fire coverage please visit us at http://www.marsinsurance.com/

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Stay Safe During the Holidays

With the Holidays just around the corner and the decorations about to go up remember December is prime time for home fires. Here are some old and new suggestions for a safe holiday season from our friends at Standard Mutual.

-Look for the fire-resistant label on artificial trees and decorations.

-Buy a natural tree that is really fresh. It should have needles that are hard to pull off.

-For outside decorations, buy only those made specifically for outdoors. Use heavy-duty extension cords and plug them into circuits that have a good ground fault interrupter.

-Get a remote control to easily turn off lights before you go to bed or it rains or snows.

-Avoid fires by staying in the kitchen when cooking on the stove top.

-Put heat resistant candles in places where they can’t burn something or get knocked down.Before lighting a fireplace or wood stove, clear the area of tree boughs, paper and other combustibles. Never burn gift wrappings in a fireplace.

-Put indoor and outdoor lights on a timer.

-If cold weather makes you want to use an indoor heater of any kind make sure it is positioned well away from curtains, trees and decorations.

We hope these tips help to keep you safe during this upcoming holiday season and if you may be wondering if your current insurance policy will cover you in the event that you have a small holiday fire in the home this year or if you have any other insurance questions please visit us at http://www.marsinsurance.com/.

Avoiding a Laundry Room Disaster

There are a number of areas in your laundry room that, if not properly maintained, may be putting your home at risk of water damage. Here are some specific areas in your laundry room that are at risk and what you can do to prevent potential losses.

Washing Machine Connections

• Inspect for tiny leaks in the connections to both the hot and cold water lines. Repair even the most minor leak.
• Check both ends of the water lines for possible leaks. Replace the small hose washers in the line if they haven't been replaced recently.
• Check for discharge hose kinks and cracks. If the hose is brittle or old, replace it.
  

Money-saving Home tip: The most destructive water damage losses in homes come from broken or burst washing machine hoses. In fact, the output of water from a broken hose is approximately 650 gallons per hour! It is recommended that you replace your machine's rubber hot and cold hoses with woven steel hoses. For less than $15 you can get six feet of woven steel hose from your local home improvement store. This simple upgrade could save your home from serious water damage problems.

Hard Water Problems

• In areas with hard or mineral-laden water, if the washer is slow to fill, there's a good chance that the in-line filter is clogged. Turn off the water supply and remove the hoses. Remove t he small wire filters from the washer inlets, or, if not removable, use an old toothbrush, cotton swab or shop vacuum to clean out the clogged filters.
• Is there a steady drip into the washing machine? Grit has probably damaged the shut-off valve. Repair it yourself or call an appliance repair specialist.

Hoses & Filters

• Inspect and periodically replace all types of hoses.
• When replacing hoses, be sure to also install new hose washers.

Utility Sinks

• If the utility sink drains sluggishly, take steps to remove the blockage
• Watch for any sighs of dripping faucets, water damage to the flooring, or leaks in the drain pipe. Do not ignore even a small leak.

Dryer Connections

• If the dryer vent hose isn't tightly connected to the outside vent, repair the clamp or re-tape to seal.
• If dryer lint is accumulating behind and under the dryer, the vent pipe may be clogged. Check that it is free of debris, both from the inside and outside of the house.
• If there are too many twists and turns in the line for the dryer to vent efficiently, make the exhaust more short and straight.

Laundry Room Smart Tips

• Give the utility sink periodic drain treatments to prevent clogs and promote free drainage.
• If at all possible, connect the dryer hose in a straight line with the outdoor vent.
• Metal dryer vent pipes are preferable to the plastic accordion types.
• Hose clamps and good metal HVAC tape can help seal up a poorly connected dryer hose and eliminate excessive moisture and dust accumulation.
• Make it a habit to vacuum around and behind the washer and dryer routinely.
• Keep the laundry area clean, dust and dirt combined with moisture can promote unwanted growth.
• Remember to clean out the dryer lint trap after each load.

Thanks to the Institute for Business & Home Safety for providing this material along with the folks at Kemper Insurance, a Unitrin Company. Visit IBHS for more ways in which to protect your home at www.ibhs.org.

Remember, all of us at Mars Insurance are advocates for home safety.

Student Loans and Life Insurance

Do you have student loans or did you co-sign for any student loans?

Anyone that is involved with student loans should consider life insurance for the student, especially the co-signer. In the event of a serious accident involving death of the student, this is one of the most difficult loans to cancel leaving the remaining loan for the co-signer to pay off. Even filing bankruptcy will not forgive this debt.

On average, the cost of a life insurance policy is around $100.00 a year providing protection of $100,000 which can be used to pay-off student loans. In the event of an unforeseen tragedy, don't you want to have that protection?

Mars Insurance has many life insurance programs available from multiple companies. Contact us today and allow us to provide you with a program that is designed just for you.

Helpful Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Fall is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape throughout the winter months.

Here are some tips to help you prepare your home for winter:

· Make sure your furnace is in good working order. Check that the furnace filter is clean and replace it if it’s not. Make sure that the thermostat and pilot light are working properly and that the pipe brining fuel to your furnace isn’t leaking or lose.
· Have your heating ducts cleaned. The ducts should be vacuumed every five years.
· Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind could cause weak tree trunks or branches to break, damaging your home or car, or injuring someone walking on your property.
· Remember all of the leaves falling off your trees this autumn? Well, a lot of them will remain in your gutters. Cleaning them out will help prevent water from building up and freezing in the gutters.
· As long as you’re cleaning out leaves, make sure none are clogging your chimney. Install a screen over the chimney top after cleaning.
· Check the caulking around doors and windows to make sure there’s no cracking or peeling. Re-caulking, if needed, prevents cold air from entering your home. Why pay a higher heating bill if you don’t have to?
· Keep snow and ice from building up around the bottom of the garage door so that it closes completely and doesn’t warp.
· Frozen water pipes can crack and spew gallons of water all over your home. You can prevent this by draining your outdoor hose bibs and by keeping your heat on even when you are away from home.
· Keep the house warm. The temperature in the home should be at least 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls, where the pipes are located, is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 will not keep the pipes from freezing.
· Make sure steps and handrails are in good shape. Broken stairs and banisters can become even more dangerous when covered with snow and ice. Make repairs now to prevent someone from falling and being seriously injured.
· Get to know your plumbing. Learn how to shut off the water, and know where your pipes are located. If your pipes do freeze, time is of the essence. The more quickly you can shut off the water, or direct your plumber to the problem, the better chance you have of preventing the pipes from bursting.
· Take special care if you plan to be away from home. If you are not going to be in your home this winter for an extended period of time, have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting. Also, hire someone to check on your home on a regular basis. That way, a problem can be fixed quickly, lessening any damage. Activity at your home also reduces the likelihood that it will be burglarized.

Source: Insurance Information Institute

Look to Mars Insurance for more helpful tips on claim prevention. Ask Mars Insurance to review your policies to make sure you have the coverage you need in the event of a major loss.

Protecting Your Home with Enough Coverage

If you're like most homeowners, you probably purchased enough insurance to equal the market value of your home. Unfortunately, this can lead to underinsurance. Why? Because the cost to rebuild your home completely is usually greater - often tens of thousands of dollars greater - than its market value.

According to a 2009 survey, nearly two-thirds of houses in the United States are underinsured. Of those houses, the average homeowner has enough insurance to rebuild only about 80% of his or her home according to Marshall & Swift/Boeckh 2009 Insurance to Value Index.

Reconstruction Costs vs. Market Value

Instead of insuring your home based on market value, it's best to purchase homeowners coverage based on the reconstruction cost.

While market value is based on fluctuating marketplace conditions for a house and a lot in a specific area, reconstruction cost is the amount of money it takes to completely rebuild your house with building materials that match the type and quality of the originals as much as possible.

When the reconstruction cost exceeds the market value, your home is underinsured.

That means without enough of the right coverages, you could be stuck with a big bill after a catastrophic loss - when you're least able to afford it.

Example: Tough Math for Underinsured Homes

Estimated Reconstruction Cost: $200,000

Amount your Home is Insured for: $150,000

What your out-of-pocket expense

may total if your home is destroyed: $ 50,000

What makes reconstruction costs rise? There are a number of factors that can increase reconstruction costs:

• Building materials are very susceptible to inflation and are more expensive for reconstruction contractors who purchase them in smaller quantities than new home builders do.


• Changes in building codes can add complexity and additional labor charges to a reconstruction project.


• access to the reconstruction site due to old growth trees and neighboring homes can equal more costs.


• Increased contractor demand after a disaster can also drive up costs.


• Homeowners who reconstruct their homes face extra costs for demolition and debris removal, which is usually necessary before a home can be rebuilt.

Insuring your Home Improvements

If you've updated or renovated your home, but haven't increased the home value listed in your policy, you could be underinsured. Additional square footage and upgraded materials are just a few things that can boost a home's value.

The good news for you? You're reading this blog and therefore, you know that we can help you through the insuring process of your home.

The information provided was courtesy of Grange Insurance.

Household Tips for Handling Gasoline

Most accidents occur in the summer months due to an increased use of gasoline for farming or recreational purposes (i.e. bonfires, burning leaves, boating, yard work, etc.). A lack of understanding of the explosive nature of gasoline by the general public seems to contribute to both its improper storage and misuse as a solvent, engine primer or fire starter. Gasoline burns decrease markedly in the winter months.

Most injuries associated with these products occur in the home, however, where the improper use and storage of gasoline and other flammable liquids can result in both personal injury and property damage. Knowing how to prevent these injuries can protect you and those you love from a devastating burn injury. The first step to ensure a safer home environment is to increase your awareness and identify potential hazards. The next step is to make the necessary changes in behavior and your environment. Change in the environment and modifying high-risk behaviors involves eliminating the cause of the problem, thereby reducing the risk.

Here are some helpful tips from the American Burn Association on how to handle gasoline with care in household situations:

• Don't smoke, use matches or other ignition sources anywhere around gas. Gas vapors can travel far from gas containers in enclosed areas.



• Use gasoline only in well-ventilated areas.



• Turn off equipment and let it cool before filling the gas tank.



• Never use gas to start the charcoal on a grill. Use a proper charcoal starter.



• Store gasoline in approved containers in a cool, well-ventilated area such as a shed or a garage that is not near the house. Keep only a minimum amount on hand.



• Never use glass or plastic bottles for gasoline storage.

According to a 2000 report by the National Fire Protection Association based on 1993-1998 data, the following are the gasoline-related annual estimates:

Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign
• Over 140,000 fires, including 120,000 in vehicles (most of them unoccupied, fortunately).
• Over 6,000 residential fires.
• About 500 deaths.
• Thousands of hospital emergency room visits.
• Nearly $500 million in direct property damage costs from gasoline-related fires.

(Source: The U.S. Home Product Report, 1993-1997, Flammable or Combustible Liquids, National Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, Quincy, MA, August 2000).

Additional information is available from the American Burn Association at http://www.ameriburn.org/

Remember, SAFETY FIRST!!

Keep following Mars Insurance for future blog posts on safety tips, insurance information and general need to know information.