Water leak in kitchen - insurance?

Lally

I had a new washing machine delivered and installed by Dixons a couple of weeks ago. I happened to notice over the last 48 hours that the laminate flooring in my kitchen looked a little warped. I had a search and it appears that the cold water valve where they connected the new machine is leaking.

To see the real damage I would need to remove my kitchen cupboards and look underneath, which I can't do. The lamanate is throughout the house, I have an open plan livingroom/kitchen. The whole house was done at the same time with no breaks so if one bit gets replaced, it would all need replaced.

I will call the insurance in the morning. But will they have anything to say about this? Will they say it is Dixons' fault and try to qriggle out of it? I ask because I have made a couple of claims before and they always find a way to wriggle out.

Or, is it purely accidental damage, which is what I am covered for? it could be a big claim, for both the kichen units and a whole house worth of flooring. And I need to see if my neighbour is damaged below me. He works away from home, house is empty, I have a key.....

Many thanks.

m_13

We had some electrical work done in a previous house when we were on holiday. When we returned everything seemed fine but some weeks later we spotted what looked like mushrooms growing from underneath the washing machine. The electricians had disconnected it to work in that area and not connected it correctly.

We claimed on our insurance and they in turn contacted the electricians and got their insurance details. It was all sorted out between them and we paid our excess only. The builders who came from the insurance company had to take the whole kitchen out, take up the floor, replace the joists which were now rotting and then put everything back.

I suspect that this is Dixon's fault but it's down to your insurance to sort it all out - that's what you pay the premium for. I think that the bit of our policy for legal cover sorted out some of our claim but again, not our problem!

Lally

I had a look again at my policy. Although I have full Accidental Damage cover, it excludes damage caused by faulty workmanship. So how do I know if this damage was caused by Dixons, or if it is a coincidence?

I am sure that if I tell Direct Line that I had it fitted just a couple of weeks ago and installed by Dixons, they will say my claim is not covered. I may just have to NOT mention it is a new machine. Not very ethical I know, but I can't afford the cause of the repair and there is no real way of knowing.

m_13

If you are with Direct Line then you should have legal cover on your policy. If you have this on a different policy then it would be better to ring them and ask advice so Direct Line don't get to find out. I also have it via an Employee Assistance Scheme at work.

I'm certain that Direct Line should pursue your case against Dixons. Their loss assessor should decide if it's accidental or faulty workmanship. It's best to be honest from the start or you may find yourself uninsured and then uninsurable.

Why not ring them and tell them what has happened. It's up to the loss assessor to come out and remove the cupboards and see what has happened. I'd keep quiet about the cold washing machine connection and see what they find!

phill99

I run a Maintenenace Company and 80% of my work is insurance. The problem is deciding if Dixons are responsible. although the leak has occured since they put the WM in, it is difficult to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that they caused it. It may be a faulty valve that happened to show a leak when someone touched it. If you had installed it it may well have leaked as well. This is an example of 'water ingress' and normally is covered. I would be reluctant to tell the Insurers the WM is new. For the quote, I would include all of your laminate flooring since it has been laid as one throough the house, plinths, investigation into damage to sub floor, temporary installation of dehumififiers to dray the property out. If the lamintae floor is laid under the skirting, these would need to be removed and replaced and as a result, possible redecoration.

Lally

The guy came yesterday. He didn't think the damage was that bad and offered me either a Loss of Appearance payment or the damage fixed. but they would only go as far as the lounge door. I have an open plan kitchn/lounge. I wasn't happy with that as there would be a join so I am taking the money and I will get it repaired. About 6 strips of laminate should do it.

phill99

Unless you habe some laminate flooring spare or know for definate that you can still get that colour and type, don't assume you can replace just a few pieces. Manafacturers change the colours frequently and the locking systems are not an industry standard. So beware,