2022 Home Insurance And Plumbing: What You Need To Know

Understanding your home insurance and what you are covered for when it comes to plumbing can be overwhelming.  Do you have cover if the land mower of your neighbour damages part of your pipeline? What about if you have a burst flexi hose?  Is Mould removal covered in your policy? What happens when a storm leads to damage in your stormwater drain?

When you know relevant answers to these questions, it helps you know about a successful claim and how you can achieve savings in case of an emergency. If you are in the midst of a plumbing emergency right now, please contact our team on 0420 102 394 and we will assist you with support over the phone until our team arrive.

Before you go searching online for what your insurance covers in the case of a plumbing emergency, please check in first with your existing insurance provider and your existing policy. Read thoroughly through the fine print to get an idea of what is covered and what is not covered in your existing policy. Each insurer is slightly different, and it depends on what type of cover or extras you have nominated at the beginning of your policy commencing with the provider.

[Please know, we are providing you with general information. Please contact your personal insurance provider for more targeted information for your policy and home and get to know the ins and outs of your specific policy. Ask a lot of questions and ask for information in writing.]

Home Insurance Cover For A Leaking Roof

Your leaky roof will not be covered by the home insurance policy if it has occurred because the roof was not maintained properly in your home.
On the other hand, if the roof gets damaged by a storm or weather event then you could be entitled to avail the repairs for the roof along with internal damages due to water leaking.

Home Insurance Cover For Mould

Nobody likes to see mould. And with the recent very wet summer and autumn, mould is now a problem along the east coast of Australia. If your home develops a mould infestation, will your home insurance policy offer cover for getting rid of it? Unfortunately, in a wide number of cases, the answer is negative. It is because mould occurrence is regarded as a gradual process. It is mostly caused by factors that remain fixed in routine maintenance – like blocked ventilation, leaking showers, and so more. It usually does not come under the insurance cover. However, we suggest checking your policy and calling your insurer to double check.

Home Insurance Cover For Tree Removal

The home insurance policy is known to offer cover for damage from a tree that falls on your property during a storm. The exception is that the tree should not be rotten. The home insurance company will also offer paying towards cutting down the remaining part of the tree while taking it away.

However, if you wish to voluntarily remove a tree, the home insurance policy will not be offering cover. If you are taking down a tree and it falls on your property and damages the same, you will not be required to make any claim on the insurance for the given damage. Again, check the parameters of your policy with your insurer.

Home Insurance And Water Damage Or Plumbing Issues

Most home insurance policies will cover for the loss or damage caused due to a water leak or escape of liquid – if it is sudden or accidental. It would include leaking, water pipe bursting, or overflowing from the fixtures, appliances, or plumbing in the house.

Water damage is quite common in every household. According to Suncorp water damage is responsible for 17% of Suncorp’s Home Insurance claims! While some situations are unavoidable, it is recommended to have the right level of Home and Contents Insurance policy to help you ensure that you are well-prepared.

When you talk about home insurance for plumbing issues, here are some aspects that receive ample cover:

• Swimming pools, waterbeds, spas, and fixed tanks
• Appliances like freezers, washing machines, refrigerators, and dishwashers
• Sinks, baths, basins, and toilets
• Fixed pipes, drains, rainwater downpipes, guttering pipes, sewage and drainage systems
• Fixed cooling or heating systems
• Fire hydrants, water mains, and water supply pipes
• Aquariums

It can also be used for covering gas appliances that are permanently plumbed to some gas supply.

Water Damage Due To Storms And Flooding

Insurance cover for flood or storm damage is included with almost all Home & Contents Insurance policies. However please, please, please read your policy and check your policy now as a lot of recent flood victims in Australia have found they are not covered for this.

Flood, in such a case, is defined as the covering of an otherwise dry land by water that has released or escaped from the confines of a river, lake, reservoir, dam, canal, or creek. There is also the delivery of cover damage or loss caused due to a storm. This will include water damage due to heavy rain. Insurance providers offer cover for flood damage to the contents and building due to floor or stormwater. Such policies might include:

• Temporary accommodation
• Replacing or repairing the contents
• Repairing or rebuilding the home
• Cover for medication and spoiled food

While the overall type of storm cover included in the home and contents insurance policy will vary significantly from one provider to another, here are some of the common inclusions you can observe:

• Loss or damage due to fallen trees and other natural debris
• Loss or damage due to strong winds
• Loss or damage due to surface rainwater running off from the surrounding areas under the effect of a storm
• Loss or damage due to the escape of rainwater from gutters, pipes, or drains
• Loss or damage due to some earth movement –like erosion, mudslide, or landslide under the effect of a storm
• Loss or damage due to lightning strikes

ALE or Additional Living Expenses Coverage

ALE coverage or Loss of Use coverage is responsible for reimbursing your hotel, food, and travel expenses if you are temporarily displaced from home. For example, it could be due to plumbing issues at your home.

If the water started unexpectedly coming out of appliances like washing machines when you were not present at home, it could lead to significant damage to your property, including furniture. Moreover, the water leak that occurs through the floor while damaging the ceiling or walls can also be considered. In the given case, you will be provided coverage by the home insurance policy for your property.

Once you have filed a claim, the insurance inspector or adjuster will visit your property to analyse the situation. For example, if the overall costs of replacing or repairing the floor, low-floor or mid-floor or ceiling turn out to be around $3000, and the home insurance policy has a deductible of $1,000, then your insurance company will be paying the remaining amount of $2,000.

Your insurer will seek to assess the damage before processing your claim, although your policy may not cover any additional damage caused.

What Are Plumbing Issues Not Covered By Insurance?

Your insurance policy WILL NOT cover gradual damage that could have been avoided by maintenance. Nor will your policy cover you if the negligence of the homeowner has caused the damage. Therefore, it is best to have your plumbing and electrical fixtures or appliances inspected regularly and repaired immediately.

At Proximity Plumbing, we suggest scheduling regular plumbing maintenance appointments where our expert team can go through a checklist and make sure your property and plumbing is being maintained in optimal condition.

How to Improve Chances of Getting Claims Approved?

• Go through the insurance policy document carefully while ensuring that you are capable of understanding the fine print.
• If you live in an area prone to storms or floods, increase the overall coverage offered by the home insurance policy.
• You could investigate installing a pit and a pump.
• Aim at scheduling regular maintenance and inspections of the electrical and plumbing fixtures, flexi hoses, water appliances like dishwashers, hot water heaters, and refrigerators, as well as cleaning your gutters and inspecting your roof.
• Maintain specific records of all the maintenance and repair work you have scheduled on the property. If a sudden plumbing problem occurs, the record will make sure that your claim will get accepted.

Owning a home is no walk-in the park, it comes with obligations and conditions of your insurance policy to maintain. When you know about the general rules for home insurance and plumbing covers, you can handle claims on the go. Moreover, it can also help in saving you ample amounts of time and money in the long run.

To talk to our team today and organise a regular plumbing maintenance appointment, call us on 0420 102 394.