10 Tips for Winter Home Preparation

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With fall here, winter is just around the corner. The holiday season can be an extremely stressful and busy time. Let’s avoid adding to the stress by making sure our homes are ready for the winter season.

That is why we put together these helpful tips so you are ready to begin your winter home preparation. Winter weather can be severe and potentially damaging to both your home and car. Follow these tips to avoid disasters such as frozen water pipes bursting and ice dams damaging your roof.

According to Kiplinger here are multiple ways to prepare your home for winter:

  • Check your heating system and even give it a test run for good measure. In fact, for about $80 to $100 a technician can inspect your heating system to make sure it is running efficiently and is clean. Doing this will allow your heating system to achieve manufacturer-rated efficiency. (Also, make sure furniture in your home is not blocking any heating vents).
  • Once the majority of leaves stop falling make sure to clean your gutters of any loose leaves or debris. Doing so will help prevent any ice dams or leaks from damaging your home.
  • Another helpful tip is to add extensions to water spouts so that water runs at least 3-4 feet away from the foundation of your home. Doing this will help avoid slippery patches of ice or possible flooding nearby the foundation of the home.
  • Drain water faucets and lawn irrigation systems. Undrained water pipes can freeze and burst if not properly winterized and prepared. Start by draining your garden hoses and then draining the water that remains in outside faucets. In the case that you don’t have frost-proof faucets turn off the shut-off valve inside your home.
  • Consider mulching your leaves instead of raking them in the Fall. Doing this will allow the dime-sized pieces of leaf debris to fall between the blades of grass. The debris from mulching will decompose and help nourish your lawn through the winter season.
  • Test your sump pump before the winter season. Slowly and carefully pour several gallons of water into the sump pit to test if the sump pump turns on properly. Remember to check your owner’s manual for more complete information on maintenance and testing.
  • Remember to properly check and prepare your chimney. This entails making sure your fireplace chimney and vents are clean and in good condition. If you need a chimney sweep professional be sure to search for a certified sweep via Chimney Safety Institute of America.
  • Check your roof for any damaged or missing shingles. Also related to roof inspection, consider having tree branches remove that hang over the home that could become weighted down with ice and snow.
  • Add weather stripping doors and consider making sure windows are properly caulked. This will help protect against any drafts or unwanted heat loss from the home.
  • Remember to restock winter essentials such as salt or ice melt and snow removal gear such as shovels and roof rakes so you are prepared to battle winters snow and ice assault. (For snow blowers remember to keep fuel in proper safety containers away from heat or flame producing risks).

We hope these tips help you prepare for a 2016 winter season that is both stress free and safe for you and your family.

Fire Equipment Distributors – NAFED Conference 2016

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Allied Insurance Managers partnered with West Bend Insurance in attending the NAFED Conference in Indianapolis May 12-13th, 2016.  We had a great time getting to see some of our clients and meeting new people.

 

Jayson Bass our resident Fire Protection Contractors Insurance expert attending the NAFED Conference in Indianapolis.
Jayson Bass our resident Fire Protection Contractors Insurance expert attending the NAFED Conference in Indianapolis.
Sally Gordon our awesome marketing rep. from West Bend Insurance.
Sally Gordon our awesome marketing rep. from West Bend Insurance.
Allied Insurance Managers supporting NAFED
Allied Insurance Managers supporting NAFED

 

Allied Insurance Managers located in Rochester Hills, Michigan has developed an expertise in insurance for Fire Protection Contractors.  We are the leading independent insurance agent nationally for Fire Protection Contractors Insurance.

Having a solid understanding of this highly specialized industry has made us uniquely qualified to help our clients develop insurance programs that are customized specifically to the fire protection industry.  We have an excellent reputation with our Fire Protection Contractor Insurance clients and our insurance underwriters.

We are actively involved in NAFED and the NFPA.  You will often see Jayson Bass at a NAFED or NFPA conference!

As an independent agent, we represent ALL of the top insurance carriers who offer insurance products for Fire Protection Contractors Insurance.  On any given day we have a pulse on this specialty fire contractors insurance market.  Having the expertise and the relationships with key underwriters in this specialized marketplace allows us to negotiate the best possible terms and conditions for our Fire Protection Contractors.

Allied Insurance Managers is an easy choice when it comes to protecting your Fire Protection business!  We want to be your Trusted Advisor.

Get a Quote Now!

WE BUILD YOU A CUSTOMIZED FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACTORS INSURANCE PROGRAM

  • General Liability Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Professional Liability Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Errors & Omissions Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Workers Compensation Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Umbrella Liability Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Excess Liability Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Commercial Auto Insurance for Fire Protection Contractors
  • Surety Bonds for Fire Protection Contractors

OUR FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACTOR INSURANCE PROGRAM INCLUDES

  • Fire protection insurance
  • Fire suppression system installers insurance
  • Fire suppression services insurance
  • Fire suppression inspection insurance
  • Fire extinguisher services insurance
  • Fire extinguisher inspection services
  • Extinguisher services insurance
  • Sprinkler installers insurance
  • Fire sprinkler services insurance
  • Fire alarm installers insurance
  • Food service fire extinguishing service and repair insurance (Example – Restaurants)
  • Fire equipment dealers insurance
  • Restaurant Fire Suppression Insurance
  • Sprinkler contractors insurance
  • Backflow testing insurance
  • Inspection services insurance
  • Sprinkler inspection insurance
  • Alarm installation insurance

STATES WHERE WE ARE LICENSED TO WRITE FIRE SPRINKLER CONTRACTORS 

  • Michigan
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Virginia
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Tennessee
  • Kentucky
  • Indiana
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Wisconsin
  • Minnesota
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • Colorado
  • Arizona
  • Utah
  • Nevada
  • California
  • Oregon
  • Washington

CONTACT OUR RESIDENT FIRE SUPPRESSION INSURANCE EXPERT:

Read more about Fire Suppression Liability Insurance – Click Here

Allied Insurance Managers Announces ShareFile for our Clients

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Allied Insurance Managers is proud to announce to our customers we are implementing Citrix ShareFile technology to make your life easier when it comes to insurance. At Allied Insurance Managers we are always looking for ways to improve your experience, especially through technology. We believe ShareFile is the answer to these needs.

What is ShareFile? Why use it?

ShareFile is a secure enterprise file sync and share system.

What makes ShareFile so attractive for delivering your insurance policies and endorsements is the level of security, organization, and convenience it provides. The benefits of ShareFile include:

  • Protect data with the best-in-class security and reliabilityThird-party validated application and datacenter controls from SOC 2 and SSAE 16 audits. Bank-level encryption in transit and at rest. Multiple data storage locations around the globe. 99.9 percent uptime. Disaster recovery centers in the United States and Europe. Control over individual files or folders. Download alerts. 
  • Simplify sharing for your teamPoint. Click. Share. That’s how simple it is for you, your colleagues and your customers to share large files with confidence. No downloads, no plugins, no problems.
  • Encrypt emails and bypass attachment restrictionsThe ShareFile Plugin for Microsoft Outlook easily encrypts email messages, and both it and the Kloudless Plugin for Gmail automatically convert any attachments to secure ShareFile links.
  • Stay productive anywhere with easy mobile appsGet to your files, where and when you need them. Use ShareFile on your iOS, Android, Windows or Blackberry device to access, share, request and even edit files from anywhere.

What does ShareFile mean for you?

One thing that excites us most about implementing ShareFile is how much you as a client will appreciate it. Starting September 1,2016, you will have access to this secure network. Simply use your existing email you have on file with Allied Insurance Managers to access everything. You can change your password anytime.

Once connected to ShareFile you will have access to all your policies in an agile, convenient, organized, and secure environment. ShareFile will also send notifications and very user-friendly emails to you letting you know of updates and changes.

We are excited to offer you this new service and look forward to hearing about your experience.