Contents insurance claim after small electrical fire

hungry_hippo

Hi

Last night I had a small electrical fire in my flat, the bosch washing machine / tumble dryer started smoking and filled the kitchen with smoke very quickly.  I called the fire brigade and they came out really quickly, here in 5 mins, and stopped it before it spread / ignited properly.  On the Incident Handover Report, they put Hazards identified:  "water inlet pipe not disconnected under sink, electrical cover for mains to washer dryer on wall has a hole in it," then in measures implemented "water turned off to washer/dryer feed, electrics isolated to inlet, advice given".  Then in Services Isolated, "water and electrics to washer dryer"

They also disconnected the washer dryer and put it out in the garden.  I asked them if I could get a new one fitted and they said that was fine.  There's no other damage apart from minor smoke issues that have gone, but should I claim on my Churchill home contents for a new washer dryer?  It was about 15 years old I think, I assume it's the same one that was here when the flat was built.  They are quite expensive new but this one was clearly knackered though it was working (well until it nearly caused a fire!).

Also I'm not 100% sure if it was the dryer itself or the way the wiring of it was set up (or both). I know the fire crew has sorted the wiring and I don't think they wouldn't have disconnected it and put it in the garden if it was just the wiring and not the machine.  Obviously I'm getting a new one and it's getting recycled, but could I claim it on my contents insurance given how old it is and what the fire dept wrote on the form suggests (to me) internal wiring was at least part to blame for the smoking appliance.

thanks

DullGreyGuy

You need to get a sparky to check the electrics and guessing from what you've put the socket needs changing. This aspect is unlikely to be covered by insurance. 

How much is a new washer dryer? What is your excess? Is there smoke damage?

The machine may or may not be covered, it really depends if the electrics had a problem or if it was just wear & tear on the machine. The problem is that by attempting to make a claim you then have to declare it for the next 5 years irrespective of if they payout or not. Depending on the difference between the like for like replacement and your excess its at best borderline to attempt to make a claim

hungry_hippo

Thanks, yeah good point about the electrics, I'll get an electrician in first before I replace the washer dryer and provide these comments.  I think the FB isolated the issue to make it safe but it's not fixed.  Last thing I would want is someone connecting a machine back up again with it not fixed, that might be dangerous again.  

Don't think I'll bother with the insurance, was a really old machine that came with the flat so was needing replacing soon anyway 

TELLIT01

You should be able to claim on home insurance for the smoke damage but I doubt you'll get much, if anything, for the washer dryer given its age.  You may even be asked how often you cleaned the filter on the machine, as a build up of fluff from the dryer has often been the cause of fires.