Insurance not covering condensation damage

Apodemus

I can't answer the question on insurance, but I have experience of a property that had a similar problem where a combination of faulty ball-valve and cold weather caused excess condensation on the outside of the metal header tank in the loft, leading to soaked insulation and water damage to a ceiling, so I can attest to the issue being possible.
 
However, in my case it was a 140 year-old property, with a large, poorly insulated steel header tank and possibly exacerbated by warm air from the house coming up from open fireplaces with chimney stacks removed, so terminating in the loft space.  I would have thought that suitable conditions for this should not occur in a more modern property, but it clearly has in this case.
 

ThisIsWeird

Another possible way to address the claim; IF the tank was insulated to 1997 standards, and IF the loft was ditto or hopefully better, and since no unusual living circumstances were taking place (no horticultural activities in the bedroom below, for example), and IF the house was heated to an adequate level (and it seemingly was), then this situation (Ie condensation) should simply not have occurred, could not have been anticipated,  could therefore not have been mitigated against, and could not be considered the fault of the owner or be considered as being caused by their negligence.

That's a harsh decision by the ins co, tobesure, and worth a challenge?

Do you have Leg Prot included with your policy? Call them up for a chat; they should be completely independent if the ins co.

TELLIT01

If the ball valve wasn't stopping the tank filling, it's possible that water was actually escaping around the fitting where the ball valve assembly attaches to the tank.  That is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to prove to be the cause.

diego_94

Why cant you get up into the loft?

DullGreyGuy

ThisIsWeird said:

Another possible way to address the claim; IF the tank was insulated to 1997 standards, and IF the loft was ditto or hopefully better, and since no unusual living circumstances were taking place (no horticultural activities in the bedroom below, for example), and IF the house was heated to an adequate level (and it seemingly was), then this situation (Ie condensation) should simply not have occurred, could not have been anticipated,  could therefore not have been mitigated against, and could not be considered the fault of the owner or be considered due to their negligence.

The fault of the owner is irrelevant, home insurance covers you if you drop a pan and damage tiles etc. 

The issue is insurance is almost always an "insured perils" so you have to show the issue fits in one of the definitions:

Flood (is from external sources)
Escape of Water from fixed water system
Accidental Damage
Fire
Theft
Impact
Earthquake
Storm (normally requires windspeeds over X or rain over Y)
Subsidence 

They typically also explicitly exclude wear & tear, poor design/workmanship and maintenance issues. 

Condensation isnt a listed peril and wouldnt fit into EoW as it didnt originate from within the water system. 

Alphatauri

@diego_94 I’m disabled and it is not physically possible for me to climb into the loft. Together with a phobia of falling.

Thank you to everyone who has responded, I can’t see a way to prove it is anything other than condensation and that is clearly not covered by my insurance.