Water Leak Insurance: Are You Covered And How To Claim 

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Water Leak Insurance: Are You Covered And How To Claim 

Water Leak Insurance

When was the last time you cared about the risk of water damage? Nobody thinks water damage can happen in their home but it’s not that uncommon. Leaking pipes have the potential to flood your home and ruin furniture, carpet and a lot more. Water leak detection isn’t easy so if you are not prepared, it could turn out to be an expensive lesson. This is why every homeowner should carry a home and contents insurance policy with a clause covering losses caused by water leakage.

What Is Water Leak Insurance?

Almost all the home insurance policies in Australia have a clause covering losses due to escape of liquid. This typically covers any damage or loss caused due to water leakage from plumbing, fixtures or appliances. An important distinction here is that this clause only covers losses when the escape of liquid is accidental or sudden. 

If the damage has happened due to regular wear and tear or you are aware of the gradual water damage, the insurance policy won’t cover the losses. For example, losses due to corrosion, mildew, mould or rust are not covered. If you want to know whether your current policy covers water damage and to what extent, you should go through the policy document carefully.

Some policies provide coverage for the cost to detect the source of water damage in case it’s not clear. The cost of repairing or replacing may not be covered in the policy.

What Does Home Insurance Cover?

A typical home insurance policy in Australia is available in several variations including contents insurance, home insurance, and, home and contents insurance. Home insurance typically covers loss or damage to the residential building including garages as well as any other structures on the property such as fences or garden sheds. 

Some policies also cover domestic fixtures that are permanently attached to the house such as air conditioners, built-in wardrobes, kitchen cupboards, dishwashers, awnings and inground swimming pools as well as any permanent structural improvements. 

The contents insurance cover typically includes loss or damage to contents inside the home such as kitchenware, electrical appliances, computers, furniture, furnishings, valuables such as cameras, sunglasses jewellery, internal blinds, fitted carpets, rugs and other such things. All such policies also have a few optional extras such as accidental damage cover, flood cover, landlord cover, motor burnout, personal effects cover and a lot more.

Does Insurance Cover Water Leaks?

A typical home and contents insurance policy covers loss or damage due to sudden or accidental water leakage from plumbing, appliances or fixtures. If the loss is gradual or if it can be proven that the homeowner knew about the gradual wear and tear that could have led to water leakage, it may not be covered under the existing policy. You are responsible for maintaining appliances, fixtures and plumbing. If the water leak is caused by gradual damage, it is unlikely to be covered under the current home insurance policy.

Water Leak Insurance

What to Do If Something Is Leaking?

If you notice water leakage on your property, it is important that you do not ignore it. Here are the steps you should take to take control of the situation:

1). The first thing you need to do is to ensure the safety of everyone in the house including your pets. Whenever you detect water leakage, you should first attend to your family members to ensure that everyone is fine.

2). Cut off the water supply to your home by turning off the mains supply.

3). If you want your insurance claim to be successful, you need to keep track of things. Document everything such as the time of water leakage, the extent of damage caused by the leakage and other such things. Take photographs and videos. This evidence will go a long way in assisting with the insurance claim. 

4). Make sure to file a claim with your insurance provider.

Final Thoughts

Water damage is not uncommon in Australia and so are the insurance claims. While most home insurance policies have a clause covering the losses caused by accidental or sudden water leakage, your insurance claim is likely to be rejected in case the damage is caused due to gradual wear and tear or avoidable water leakage. This is why you should take proper care of all the fixtures and appliances in your home. If you notice any water leakage or growth of mould, you should immediately engage the services of a leak detection expert to fix the issue.

Reliable Water Leak Detection Services

Most homeowners often ignore minor water leaks but it could be a sign of corrosion in the pipe system or some other issue. Water Leak Detection is the premier leak detection service. Our leak detection services include tracer gas detection, acoustic leak detection, camera inspections, thermal imaging detection, natural gas detection and a lot more. If you suspect a water leak on your property, our experts can help by detecting the source of the leak and fixing the issue.

If you suspect you have a water leak, please call us at Water Leak Detection for a free consultation today on 1300 425 325 or leave an inquiry on our website.

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