Insurance for water tank

Madmish_2

Hi

Please can anybody help me??? After dealing with a burst water tank last week, I desperately trying to find out if there are any companies that insure them??? I live in a flat and have economy 7, so I don't think that gas boiler insurance will cover me.

Any light that anyone could shed on this, would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

2sides2everystory

What exactly are you trying to cover?

Tanks generally don't burst - they corrode and leak, and the pipes leading from them can burst if unprotected from freezing. So if you have fixed the problem this time and made sure that the pipes can't freeze, then it is hardly likely to happen again, is it? But then again was there any frost last week? What exactly happened and what have you done so far to fix it?

Normal household contents insurance covers damage arising out of leakages of water following burst pipes or leaking tanks ... for example damage to your own contents and even damage to ceilings and decorations if you are a tenant in the flat and responsible for such things (tenants liability section), but it doesn't cover the cost of replacing the leaking pipes or tanks. Generally that is a maintenance issue so neither you nor your landlord can expect an insurer to cover it.

Madmish_2

Thank you so much for your response.

Basically, my water tank is approx 13 years old and I'm advised by a plumber that he thinks it may have corroded inside causing a leak and flooding into the flat below.

This being my first property, I've have no idea whether tanks could be insured or not. From what you're saying it looks like I would just pay for maintenance of the tank, right??

I'm having to have the whole tank replaced at a small fortune, but at least the new one will be guaranteed for 10 years, so it shouldn't be a problem in the future.

I have a Tribune Premier tank, do you know if there are specialist plumbers that deal with those, or would any good plumber worth his salt be able to service it?

2sides2everystory

13 years old and corroded??

I am the sort that would tend to question that. I could understand there being hard water deposits in the bottom of it at that age (which are usually loose and can be removed from simple cylinders -but the corroded internally and needing replacement ? - I am not a plumber but I'd need some convincing to allow a plumber to persuade me to let him replace my own 15 year old hot water cylinder

However, your hot water cylinder is rather more complicated than mine and in particular it is pressurized I think (mine isn't). The pressurised nature of your hot water system alone means that yes I would want to be sure that the plumber was an experienced one. I don't know how much more susceptible to abuse/corrosion that makes it. I can certainly imagine it being expensive compared to mine. I see from a few sites on the internet that spare parts for yours are freely available like this one: http://www.uk-plumbing.com/santon-tribune-cylinder-spares-tribune-premier-classic-cylinder-spares-c-938_1125_1219.html

You may get a better response from the plumbers that inhabit the In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving forum about the reasonableness of having to replace a 13 year old Tribune hot water cylinder and what it should cost.

Back to the insurance aspects, you have indicated that a leak from your flat has caused damage below in a neighbours flat - if you have homeowners contents insurance and your neighbour has intimated a claim against you in writing, then without admitting liability you should pass on the claim to your contents insurers because it is they that provide you with public liability cover. If the claim has not been formalised you should nevertheless still notify them. If you do have such insurance already, do not tell our neighbours that they are covered. It is one of those things about living in a flat and if they formalise a claim then you can be polite and simply pass it on to your insurers. I have a feeling that in most cases the party that gets wet actually ends up paying themselves or claiming on their own insurance without the claim being made against the upstairs neighbour, but it is only a feeling.

If you do not have Contents cover (and therefore liability cover which comes with it automatically) then do not admit that to your neighbour lest they play on it. You can simply again be polite and sympathise and smile and say "I think it's one of those things that happens when we live on top of one another in blocks of flats, isn't it? - I had no idea until the plumber told me what it was and he's fixing it - sorry it had to be you who was inconvenienced ... have you contacted your contents insurers and/or the freeholder's buildings insurers? I am sure they will know what to do."