Water Softener leaked resin into water & heating - possible to claim?

jumeriah64

Good evening all, been a while since posted ... last time was insurance and had great advice and could use some help again.
We suddenly saw what looked like orange caviar or fish roe coming out of taps and loo flushes. Very odd. And it was all taps, shower heads, baths and loos. And then the heating went into melt down and switched off.
Cut a long story short, the water softener blew some seal or other and leaked the entire reservoir of softener resin into the house water system. It's caused more than a little bit of damage. Every filter and device is clogged and the entire system has had to be drained and cleaned. It also caused damage to the boiler and of course the softener itself.
I'm thinking I might be able to make a claim on our policy but am unsure the right approach or even if it's building or contents. In the main I guess it's buildings as most items affected are attached to the building?
We logged the issue with the water provider as we initially thought it was due to upstream work and we have a case number.
Our plumber came out on an emergency basis and eventually identified the problem and work required.
I'd appreciate some advice if it's possible to make a claim please. And if it is, the best approach to take and what we might claim for precisely. The restorative work? Items replaced? Mainly parts. And could we claim for the softener itself to be repaired or replaced?
We have rarely claimed in the past and were we have it's been a 100% open and shut case but this one I'm not sure about.
Many thanks in advance for any help or advice you have.

jumeriah64

Just a gentle bump.
Under a little time pressure to register a claim with insurance and yet unsure how/what to claim for etc. 
Bit like knowing I need to run a race but not knowing which direction to run in :-) 
Appreciate any skills or knowledge anyone can bring to this one

Grumpy_chap

How old is the water softener?
Have you made any enquiries of the manufacturer?
The type of issue you experienced is very rare on a domestic water softener that is mains-fed, because the pressures are simply way too low to cause the type of damage mentioned.
What type of value for repairs?  What insurance excess?

jumeriah64

Good morning to you and many thanks for responding.
Unit I think was installed approximately 2005 ish. I seem remember it being maybe £800 then and plumber suggests maybe the same now but for slightly more sophisticated unit. i.e electronic timer rather than mechanical. 

I do not think the manufacturer makes water softeners any more. It is still operating but think focuses now on pumps.

Compulsory excess=£50, Voluntary=£150, Accidental Damage Excess=£250. Policy says 'Primary Contents cover including Accidental Damage.

Optional cover= Legal, Home Emergency Cover, Upgraded Building cover. Also says full accidental cover.

Would that mean that if one of us had damaged the unit whilst refilling with salt that this would be covered?

Yes can imagine to be rare and don't fully understand it myself but was the clear conclusion of the plumber and it really was coming out of every single outlet. Got photos if would like to see .... was very bizarre. 

eddddy

From what you say, it sounds like a seal failed as a result of wear and tear, or perhaps as a result of bad design - your buildings insurance won't cover either of those.

If you're hoping it might be classed 'accidental damage', you need to read your policy to see how it defines accidental damage, and what the exclusions are. But I think that's grasping at straws.

(And it sounds like you've already had the damage repaired - so it's probably too late to claim anyway.)

It's also worth bearing in mind, if you contact your insurance company about this, it might be recorded as a "loss incident" even if you don't make a claim. And that might increase future premiums.

jumeriah64

eddddy said:

From what you say, it sounds like a seal failed as a result of wear and tear, or perhaps as a result of bad design - your buildings insurance won't cover either of those.

If you're hoping it might be classed 'accidental damage', you need to read your policy to see how it defines accidental damage, and what the exclusions are. But I think that's grasping at straws.

(And it sounds like you've already had the damage repaired - so it's probably too late to claim anyway.)

It's also worth bearing in mind, if you contact your insurance company about this, it might be recorded as a "loss incident" even if you don't make a claim. And that might increase future premiums.

Yes is a good summary you make edddy.
We have had the initial work done as we had no water or heat. Guess you could say was an emergency. We cannot deny that. So that cancels any claim potential?

The unit itself is interesting .... it had not had any salt loaded for a couple of months and it really is the case that when the wife filled it, the leak happened shortly after ... maybe even at the same time but we would have been at work.

This is as you correctly highlight, the thinking behind my question ... I only wanted to make a claim if there was reasonable changes of success.

But the unit was filled at that very time of the leak ... that much is the case.
Thanks

Grumpy_chap

Excess up to #300.  What did the repair cost?
I assume the unit you have is similar to this:
https://www.eastmidlandswater.com/harveys-homewater-twin-tank-non-electric-water-softener-f15slt/87?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=IR - Softeners and Salt&utm_term=4586200439890228&utm_content=Product PLAs

Leaving it without salt should not cause a seal to fail, but it is possible the unit is just old and the internal strainer, which is usually plastic, broke after slowly aging.  However, there should be a secondary mesh in the water connection also - that may have been missing as it is an installation part.

TELLIT01

Why not call your insurer, explain what happened, and ask if it's possible to claim?  I know insurers seem to be trying to find more and more ways to wriggle out of payment, but I contacted my insurer some years ago enquiring about a situation where I didn't think they would pay out and was pleasantly surprised to be told I was covered.  There's nothing to be lost by asking.

jumeriah64

Grumpy_chap said:

Excess up to #300.  What did the repair cost?
I assume the unit you have is similar to this:
https://www.eastmidlandswater.com/harveys-homewater-twin-tank-non-electric-water-softener-f15slt/87?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=IR - Softeners and Salt&utm_term=4586200439890228&utm_content=Product PLAs

Leaving it without salt should not cause a seal to fail, but it is possible the unit is just old and the internal strainer, which is usually plastic, broke after slowly aging.  However, there should be a secondary mesh in the water connection also - that may have been missing as it is an installation part.

the repair work itself was over £600. There was a front end part on the central heating boiler that needed replacing. Not sure exactly what but a filter was definitely mentioned. I think if I understood right that the filter was supposed to trip the unit if it sensed contaminants. But there was another part as well which I don't know details of. All the taps, filters where removed and cleaned or replaced. Also we have a Grohe Blue unit which stopped working (and still has not yet) after the event. Other items cleaned and checked .... shower, bath, w/c machine, dish washer etc.

The unit I think is a Salamander. Think is correct. They don't make softeners any more best I understand but I'd say that one you listed is a good equivalent model.

The softener has not been looked at to replace yet. I thought I'd ask here first before crashing ahead and buying. I've done that before a couple of times only to find I could have claimed. Sods law this time it sounds less like basis of a good claim. I thought I may have done. 

No the unit has sat without salt several times over the years without issue. I have not seen the actual damage or failure on the unit, only the output through every device in the house pretty much. Is a point not tried outside taps and irrigation. 

Sandtree

You have a £400 excess for accidental damage (£250 AD + £150 Vol) and so even if you argued it was covered your claim would be for £200.  A claim of that value is likely to be dwalfed by the additional premiums charged over the next few years for having made a recent claim

jumeriah64

Sandtree said:

You have a £400 excess for accidental damage (£250 AD + £150 Vol) and so even if you argued it was covered your claim would be for £200.  A claim of that value is likely to be dwalfed by the additional premiums charged over the next few years for having made a recent claim

Thanks Sandtree, yes unfortunately I think you are right.