Churches offer case study for proactive building monitoring

On a blustery day in Massachusetts, a cold wind opened a neglected church basement window, ushering in air so icy it could easily freeze water pipes.

In a small Minnesota town, on a frigid January night, dropping temps and a near-empty propane tank put a little church in imminent danger of heat loss and frozen plumbing.

In these and many similar scenarios, churches were able to avoid property damage and lengthy service disruptions. A simple sensor sent texts or emails to designated personnel, notifying them about changes in temperature or the presence of water. Sensors are the latest example of insurance companies incorporating technology as risk management support to their policyholders.

Securing seasonal facilities

In many cases, churches are only occupied once or twice a week. So property damage can go undetected, multiplying the damage from a minor equipment malfunction or weather event.

Churches utilizing the sensor technology are a great case study for other seasonal buildings such as summer camp facilities, summer resorts and schools that might go days or months without being checked on. Building owners should consider an extra form of monitoring to ensure reprieve from potential damage.

The results from sensor saves speak for themselves.

Since launching the CM Sensor program in 2016, Church Mutual Insurance Company has provided 7,000 free sensors to its clients across the country, helping to prevent an estimated $10 million in weather and water-related damages. The program has been expanded each year since its inception because of the positive response from building managers and policyholders. The latest expansion features Wi-Fi enabled sensors, which is very helpful for policyholders with smaller buildings.

Implementing a sensor program

Church Mutual teamed up with Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) to select the best sensor technology for the job. HSB has worked with other insurers to incorporate the sensors as a part of a risk management strategy for commercial buildings and private homes.

Church buildings in general may be at a higher than average risk of wintertime water damage, considering their age and occupancy. Many churches are older, with aging HVAC mechanical equipment, exposed plumbing and inadequate insulation. Tight operating budgets mean that some rely on volunteers for maintenance tasks or defer maintenance until something breaks.

Building managers pray that winter won’t ravage their houses of worship, imperiling already-meager maintenance budgets. But freezing temps — and rapid fluctuations in temperature — pose a very real risk to pipes in plumbing or sprinkler systems.

That, in turn, can unleash a litany of destruction: burst pipes, flooded basements and costly clean-up. With extreme weather events on the rise, even churches and buildings in southern states are prone to the structural effects of sudden cold snaps.

Water, so fundamental to life, is also one of our most destructive elements. But building managers don’t have to learn that lesson firsthand. Proactive measures using sensor technology are preventing damage before it happens. A simple text can prevent extensive damage, the need for a major claim and disruption of services.

Guy Russ is assistant vice president of risk control at Church Mutual Insurance Company. He can be reached by sending email to CMICmarketing@churchmutual.com.

These opinions are the author’s own.

See also: Two times flood damage was not covered