Any good home insurance policy should include cover for burst pipes and water leaks as standard. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons for home insurance payouts in the UK.
But even if you have insurance, your cover might not include burst pipes and water damage if your insurer believes that the damage was your fault. For instance, this could be because you ignored a slowly leaking pipe and allowed the problem to get worse, or because you overfilled a bathtub, or you didn’t leave your boiler switched on and at a minimum of frost protection during this truly cold spell.
Further, you should have accidental damage cover as part of your home insurance. If you don’t you may find that your claim is declined. Every policy is different.
There are a few other things to look out for too. All home insurance policies should protect you against ‘escape of water’ – that’s any damage caused by a flood or leak in your home. But they may not include your expenses when it comes to hiring a plumber to find the leak and prevent it from happening again – this is called ‘trace and access’ by insurers.
The type of leak also matters. If a pipe burst suddenly and floods your home, you should be covered, but not all insurers will pay out for damage caused by a slow drip if you had a chance to fix the problem before it got worse.
Take a look at our useful blog article on protecting your property from climate change.
Frozen Pipes?
If you notice that your water pipes have frozen, don’t panic – here’s a checklist of what to do next.
- Turn off the stopcock – this prevents any more water from entering your home, so if there is a leak you haven’t spotted, it won’t cause a flood.
- Carefully check your pipe for any splits – if you find one, call a plumber. If not, you can try thawing the pipes yourself.
- If you find any splits, call our helpline 07943 862190 to discuss next steps and how we can help you!
- Start by emptying your pipes – flush the toilet and run your cold taps until no more water comes out
- Gently warm the pipe – using a hot water bottle or a towel soaked in warm water. You can use a hairdryer too, but only on its lowest setting – too much direct heat could damage your pipes. Never pour boiling water over a frozen pipe – it’s a fast way to causing a serious split.
Flooded House?
If a burst pipe floods your house, the first thing to worry about should be your safety.
- Switch off the mains power at your fuse box – if water comes into contact with your electrics, it could give you a lethal shock or even start a fire.
- Shut off the water supply to your home at the stopcock. Again, drain the pipes by running all your taps and flushing the toilet.
- Now it’s time to get some help. Call our 24/7 helpline on 07943 862190 to discuss how we can help you.
- If you can, take photographs of the water damage at its worst. Your insurer’s Loss Adjuster could take several days to get out to your property, so make sure you document the water damage as much as possible when you make an insurance claim for a burst pipe.
Know what you’re covered for
Make sure you know what you can claim compensation for before you make the claim. Imperial Claims Consultants offer a free 1 to 1 consultation 7 days a week should you need to talk through your policy with an expert.
A burst pipe is something that every homeowner or business owner hopes they will never have to deal with, but this advice should help your water damage insurance claim go a little more smoothly should the worst happen. A Loss Assessor can help take even more of the stress out of the process, from handling all negotiations to helping you find a temporary home. Get in touch to find out more about how we can help during a burst pipe insurance claim.
Request a FREE Callback
Why Use Imperial Claims Consultants?
We only ever work on behalf of people like you, the insured, we never work for the insurance company.
We manage all of your concerns including
- Reducing the stress of the claims procedure
- Protecting you from invalidating your claim
- Ensuring all potential losses are included
- Helping you obtain the best settlement from your insurer.
- Advising and managing all repair works through our network of vetted and approved quality trades.
- What’s more, we offer claims handling on a NO WIN, NO FEE BASIS removing your own risk and stress in these difficult times. Please refer to our Fees Page for full details.
- What’s more, we offer claims handling on a NO WIN, NO FEE BASIS removing your own risk and stress in these difficult times.