Buildings insurance - won't help with flooding, do I have grounds for complaint?

mac.d

I discovered water in the sub-floor void under my kitchen, no obvious signs of a leak. Contacted insurer after speaking to a couple of drainage specialists (said they only really deal with insurance companies) and they got a company to investigate where the water has come from.

First guy said it was probably from drains outside, he put dye down and said they'd be back to check. When they didn't return I phoned insurer and they said as it was due to drain that was outside the property, therefore not covered. When I said I'd checked and there was no dye come through so seemingly not the drains, they sent someone else out.

Second guy couldn't find anything and said its probably water underneath the ground (water table?) because the kitchen space is lower than the rest of the house. The insurer phoned to say that's not covered either, and when I said they haven't even established where the water has come from and that I am not happy with their decision and wanted to make a complaint, he said "we're not here to fix problems with your house" but did say someone would be in touch. No one has. Am I likely to get anywhere with a complaint?

I'd like to get rid of this water and establish if it is water ingress from below, or maybe from a previous leak that's been fixed but the water not dealt with (the 2nd guy said it wouldn't be an easy job and possibly have to drill through concrete floor of kitchen), I'm at a loss how to do that though.

DE_612183

I would think you need to get the insurance company to provide a definitive response for the water ingress - have you checked the T&Cs of your policy - it should say there what is covered etc.

Most insurance companies will try not to pay a claim if they have to.

Weighty1

DE_612183 said:

Most insurance companies will try not to pay a claim if they have to.

this is simply untrue.

OP, which of the insured perils do you feel that you are covered for with this ingress of water?  Fire, Theft, Storm Damage, Escape of Water or Flood?  These are the typical things covered by a home insurance policy.  Obviously, it's going to fall under escape of water but if no leak can be found within your property boundaries then it's dificult to say that your policy should cover it.

SaverRate

Whos your insurer?

Annemos

This is probably a really daft comment, as maybe already checked. I am assuming it is not a burst water main? 

mac.d

Thanks for the replies.

To be clear, there is no evidence of where this water has come from, it's definitely not a burst main, or damaged drains. My initial thought was that it's from a previous leak/flood and the cause was fixed but either no one knew the water was there or no didn't think it was worth worrying about. It's an ex-council house that had been bought by the previous owner who was an elderly lady.

I understand the possibility that it may be water seeping from underground (the rest of the crawl space below the house is completely dry, it's just that space under the kitchen, which is significantly lower), but naively thought the only way of investigating that properly would be to get rid of the water and if more appeared, then that's the problem identified.

I've checked the policy booklet and it does say "that happens gradually over a period of time", "that does not arise from one identifiable event which directly and immediately caused the loss or damage" is not covered. So I guess that's their get out.

Even if I've wasted my time with the buildings insurance, I'd like this fixed but struggling to see how, and worrying how much it'd cost.

user1977

If you want to eliminate the possibility of it being an ongoing leak, surely the answer is to pump out the water (or otherwise remove it) and see if it stays dry?

CSI_Yorkshire

mac.d said:

I've checked the policy booklet and it does say "that happens gradually over a period of time", "that does not arise from one identifiable event which directly and immediately caused the loss or damage" is not covered. So I guess that's their get out.

It's not really a "get out" - insurance is there to cover a sudden event, not for maintenance or just because things get old and it's time to replace them.

mac.d

No one knows how the water got there, it may have been from a sudden event, it may be gradual from water below the house, there is no evidence of how it got there, just that it's there, so it is a bit of a get out. But if no grounds to complain, fair enough. My own fault for not checking the wording of the policy and being a bit naive thinking they'd get rid of the water to properly investigate the cause if it's not obvious.  

As for the simple answer being to pump the water out, I contacted a couple of plumbers first, they said they couldn't deal with it, then tried a couple of drainage specialists, who said they only deal with insurers. Insurer won't cover it, so what next?

user1977

Try somebody else? Do it yourself? How did you discover the water?

Zanderman

As others have said you need to work out what's happened - that's not really the insurer's job. And then go to the insurer with the information.

Monitoring the level would be a good step - does it change and by how much?  After rain or not after rain? Pumping out is the most obvious second step, get it dry and see if and how it returns - instantly? gradually? not at all?  after rain?   A general tradesman and a hired pump might do the job.

How do you know it's not a simple leak from a pipe - can you see all your pipework? Even a small but long established leak can cause a flood below floors, it may not be very detectable if it's just a leaking joint hidden in a wall or void.  Or a leak from the drainage hose of a washing machine or dishwasher - which are very common and, if they drain to under the floor, are often unnoticed.

It's not clear from your posts what depth you're talking about - 6 inches, 1 inch, 1 foot deep?  Or how deep the void is.  And how big a problem is it, other than being a worry? Does it smell? Is it in contact with the floor joists or below them? 

If neither then it may not be a hazard apart from humidity (everyone has a water level - i.e. the water table - somewhere below their house, just not always that high!)