FloodSax soaking up water from a leaking roof at a house in Yorkshire FloodSax soaking up water from a leak at a supermaket All these 20 FloodSax came from this one easy-to-carry box FloodSax holding back torrential floodwater

Just one FloodSax worth £7 can save thousands of pounds damage … and here’s the proof

A FloodSax alternative sandbag costing just £7 has saved potentially thousands of pounds damage at a house in Yorkshire.

The autumn storms with howling wind and torrential rain have now started to lash the UK. The high winds, perhaps coming from different directions than usual, will find any weak spots where water can get in which is why you’ll see leaks you don’t usually get.

That’s what happened to a homeowner in Yorkshire.

He said: “We were being battered by Storm Boelo and I noticed drops of water on the bathroom floor, looked up and could see it dripping through the ceiling. Not only that, the water was also coming in far too near a light fitting for comfort.

“So I climbed up into the loft and, although it took some finding in the dark, spotted where the water was coming in through the roof near the gable end. Fortunately, I always have some FloodSax which I use to sort these kind of problems quickly as water can cause horrendous damage if left unchecked.’’

He placed a FloodSax in the loft under the leak which instantly soaked the dripping water up, preventing it from getting any further.

The homeowner added: “It was lucky I spotted those drips and acted quickly. If I’d just ignored it, more water would have got in and dripped into the loft, through the floorboards and the ceiling below, potentially causing severe water damage and also wrecking the electrics in the bathroom.

“The cost of the damage doesn’t bear thinking about, let alone trying to organise tradespeople to come and do the repairs and the bathroom being unusable. Then there’s all the hassle of dealing with insurers.’’

Yorkshire-based Environmental Defence Systems Ltd, which devised and manufactures FloodSax, recently revealed that most insurance companies have two-tier policies when it comes to usual accidental damage and damage caused by escapes of water.

The excess for accidental damage is often around £100 although it’s usually more than three times that at £350 for damage caused by water leaks or flooding.

Environmental Defence Systems director Lucy Bailey said: “Many people don’t realise this difference in insurance excesses and that they will have to pay far more for any damage caused by escapes of water inside – such as from pipes or boilers – or water ingress from leaking roofs and windows.

“That’s why it’s vital you always have something on hand to deal with any water emergency quickly. Luckily, this homeowner with the leaking roof was prepared but, sadly, very few people are and only do this once it’s too late and they’ve had a water leak or flood which has caused serious damage and all the problems that come with repairing it.’’

In their dry state FloodSax are very flat with a large surface area and an internal gelling polymer which soaks water up and retains it.

They are transformed into tough and robust sandless sandbags when they are immersed in water which the gelling polymer inside absorbs and retains in around five minutes so they expand to weigh about 20kg and are ideal to stack into tough and robust sandless sandbags to prevent floodwater getting into homes and businesses.

FloodSax are a favourite ‘tool of the trade’ for plumbers and facilities management companies to deal with any water issues and quickly prevent damage.

James Lucks from Huddersfield-based Lux Plumbing and Heating says his FloodSax have proved themselves in action at all kinds of plumbing scenarios from leaking pipes to faulty boilers and weeping radiators to overflowing toilets.

He said: “When replacing radiators I’d always need to drain down the entire central heating system to do it. Now I’m able to slip FloodSax below the pipe and even under the floorboards which means I can just remove that radiator without draining the entire system. Any leaks that come out of the pipework during the operation go straight onto the FloodSax and are soaked up. It’s a massive time and money saver.

“That’s the beauty of the FloodSax – you can slip them into the tightest and seemingly most inaccessible places where you’ve no chance of getting a bucket and they’ll absorb any leaks and spills. Usually only a bit of water gets on them so I pop the FloodSax in my bucket and can use it at five or six jobs like this before I’d need a new one.”

James was called to a house where a toilet was leaking from a corroded old lead pipe. He put FloodSax around the toilet and across the bathroom floor just in case the leak worsened … and it did in a massive way.

The seal suddenly gave way, sending gallons of water gushing across the bathroom floor.

James said: “The FloodSax not only saved the day but the customer an awful lot of money in damage. The FloodSax soaked the water up which meant it didn’t penetrate the floor and leak through to the ceiling below. If the water had gone straight onto the floor it would have been a ceiling breaker for sure.”

A box of 20 FloodSax retails for around £140, making it just £7 per FloodSax.

For more information go to https://www.floodsax.co.uk/