House Insurance policy covers mice chewing water pipes causing a flood?

bigmondy

Someone just asked me this and I could not answer. I told her yes.

kingstreet

Vermin attack is normally a specific exclusion on contents-type cover eg if your furniture gets chewed.

However, the damage from escape of water would be consequential, so the damage could be claimable, but not the cause?

Mice chewing metal though?

HappyMJ

kingstreet wrote: »

Vermin attack is normally a specific exclusion on contents-type cover eg if your furniture gets chewed.

However, the damage from escape of water would be consequential, so the damage could be claimable, but not the cause?

Mice chewing metal though?

Water pipes may be plastic.

Quentin

bigmondy wrote: »

Someone just asked me this and I could not answer. I told her yes.

Why guess over something important if you could not answer?


What's wrong with "don't know"?

kingstreet

HappyMJ wrote: »

Water pipes may be plastic.

Good thinking, batman.

Could have been a waste pipe (rather than a supply pipe which was my first thought) and they are all plastic aren't they?

magpiecottage

kingstreet wrote: »

Good thinking, batman.

Could have been a waste pipe (rather than a supply pipe which was my first thought) and they are all plastic aren't they?

Modern pipes are largely plastic as it is much quicker to fit and less likely to split if it happens to freeze.

It is also dead easy to cut and you can take it apart and reassemble it a bit like Lego®.

It is a bit unsightly so copper tends to be used where it must be in normal view and within one metre of a boiler.

bigmondy

Sorry guys - yes the pipes were plastic and the damage was not only to the fabric of the building but also the contents. Such a shame.

eddddy

HappyMJ wrote: »

Water pipes may be plastic.

If they're Speedfit pipes for example, all their literature and technical specs say:

Vermin: Speedfit products will need special protection in vermin infested areas

(I don't know if that opens up another can of worms - Should the installer have known that the area was vermin infested? If so, they weren't installed according to the manufacturers instructions.)

bigmondy

Good point. It was a small domestic flat type establishment and it was in between the floor joists.

bigmondy

oops - sorry double postage.