Are we Covered? Leaking Pipes and Buildings Insurance

JakiT

Hi

A good plumber has been today and has confirmed to us that the reason for our combi boiler pressure dropping is almost certainly due to a leak - there's a damp patch in the boiler room that wasn't there before and I suspected this was due to a leak. The boiler has been checked, expansion vessel replaced and all in working order. The plumber will be able to confirm a leak with leak-detecting cameras.

However our buildings insurance policy word it ambiguously and it seems as if we may not be covered unless we can prove damage to the property (and will they see a wet floor in boiler room as damage?)

Here is the relevant bit of the policy:

"Your policy covers you for reinstating damage caused by an escape of water, or leak, and also for making good material damage caused to trace or gain access to a leak, on the condition that the leak has caused damage to the property. If the escaped water has not caused damage to the property, the 'trace and access' costs could not covered.

For this reason we are unable to confirm cover under your policy for any losses caused by this event unless it can be confirmed that a leak has occurred AND that it has caused material damage to part of your property.

We recommend that a plumber attends the property to attempt to trace a leak. If it is confirmed that a leak has caused damage to the property then you could continue with a claim to reinstate any damage caused by the water, or caused in tracing and accessing the leak. If it is confirmed that there is no leak, or that there was a leak which did not cause damage to your property then we would not be able to cover any losses caused by this event...."

Thanks in advance

bridgedino

Has the leak caused damage?

JakiT

Hi - it's caused a stain on the boiler room floor, but insurance probably won't count this as damage, will they? The floor will need to be dug up but if they don't accept there's damage they won't pay for that either

jhs14

If there's no damage then what are you trying to claim for?

JakiT

Damage to the pipe, digging up and repairing the floor to access and repair the leak

Ruski

Wow - name and shame that insurer please!


What they're pushing for is to find an alternative solution - this may mean re-routing the pipework above floor to save the expense of removing and relaying the flooring.


Talk to your 'good' plumber - you may find that removing and reinstating a small area of flooring is a relatively minor job - probably even less than the excess on your policy - which there is bound to be.


However - if there is a leak under the floor - it would suggest to me that there is a likelihood that the pipework is of poor condition/poorly protected anyway - so a suitable alternative (and accessible) pipe run may be a preferred solution in the long run anyway.


Try not to think of this as a "I want my insurers to pay for this", but more from a "How can I ensure that this doesn't happen to me again" - long term that's less hassle than the situation you find yourself in at the moment recurring again.


HTH


Russ

Browntoa

Loads of houses near here where all the pipework was laid under the floors without anything round it before the screed was laid , standard repair is to reroute as you cannot be sure of the state of the rest if you repair one bit

jc808

agreed

not a fan of buried pipes

had my water pipe rerouted so it goes through the joists this week

no concrete attacking the pipe, no hidden leaks, easy

Seronera

The first thing to do is to speak to the insurance company and lodge a claim. They might well say "you dig the floor up to confirm the leak we can inspect if we wish, then you have a claim" . They might even be sensible and take a written report from your heating engineer as sufficient.

As others have suggested the only 100%certain solution is a re-pipe above floor level to by pass the leaking section. You also need to compare the cost of rectification with the amount you have to contribute to the claim cost anyway, and loss of no claims bonus. It might end up being more economical to stump up the cost of repair. You have to get all your quotes lined up and make a decision about the best way to proceed. I've been in this position a couple of times and ended up not claiming in the end.

JakiT

Thanks for all your helpful replies. The buildings insurance is arranged by housing association (we are in shared ownership property which basically means we are responsible for household repairs, 2 year defects period has ended so we are in years 3 - 10 of NHBC but from all accounts, we can forget them). Our plumber has had experience of other houses built by the same builders (many people have had leaks in these properties).

Plumber said it could cost £400-500 quid for a day, day and half's work to dig up concrete and repair leak once it's located and then relay the floor provided no other leaks occur in the process of doing it. But this just a ballpark figure. The first thing is to hire the company to locate the leak which we and the plumber think is certainly in the boiler shed near where boiler is located because of large wet stain on floor. There is no evidence of leak inside the house and plumber mentioned a similar situation in one of these houses where it was just something that needed tightening. Of course, ours might not be the same situation.

Thanks re suggestion of rerouting pipes. Plumber didn't suggest this and he's the type who would suggest anything to save you money The underground pipes are plastic by the way - probably not relevant but thought I'd mention it.

But back to insurance question. Can I not argue that stain on the floor is damage to property in that it looks unsightly?

Thanks

Seronera

The plastic pipe bit is crucial actually as it cannot corrode in concrete as copper does if unprotected, so it is most likely a faulty joint or connection unless the pipe has been punctured. In normal circumstances an installer should do anything to avoid joints in buried concrete, and this is pretty easy with plastic pipe which can be obtained in a long coil. It's rarely possible with copper pipe.

I'd suggest it is poor workmanship if other properties are having the same problem after such a short time. I'd still ask for a quote to make the pipes external so that in the event of future problems you don't have to go digging again.... And this does happen and can be very distressing for property owners. Try and think ahead about what will give you an easier life in future.