Seized Stop Tap - Severn Trent Water Homeserve?

ashe

canaldumidi said:

Most insurance policies will exclude 'pre-existing conditions/problems'. Same as breaking down in your car - you can't phone the AA sales team, sign up, and then immediately call them out....

So the plumber they send might look at the stopcock and say "it's been like that for yonks. Poorly maintained. Sorry I'll have to bill you."

Or he might not.....

I think they basically outsource it so the plumber that attends won't care as he is getting paid for the work 

we had similar offer from Northumbrian water few years back and had them lit to fix all sorts, guy was happy to oblige. 

Section62

anotheruser said:

I wonder if it would be up to them to prove it though.
While it "may have been like that for yonks" it also may have happened fairly recently.

Stop taps tend not to seize up suddenly though.  Usually it is as a result of a long-term build up of corrosion or limescale preventing one or more parts moving.  Regular use of taps prevents this build up.  Stop taps rarely get used, hence are particularly prone to seizing.

If the work is done by an independent contractor they may be willing to replace the stop tap with a nod and a wink.  However, the underwriters might have audit processes in place to ensure they aren't victims of bogus claims.  Therefore be very careful in the information you provide - and what you sign - to make sure you don't become party to a possible fraud against them.

As a general rule, insurers take a very dim view of people who try to defraud them.  The long-term financial consequences for those people can easily outweigh the cost of just paying to get a stop tap replaced.