Water damage coverage.

[Gmalone12]

So we went out of town for one night, and came home to the kitchen, living room and one of the bedrooms soaked with water.

The source of the leak was a filtration system hose busted out of its connection. I was the one that installed it about a year ago. We have not had any problems with it until now.

My question is... Will the insurance company give me a tough time since the damage is caused by a something that did not come with the house and was installed by myself?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[FlyingRon]

I assume this filtration is for drinking water or something else you would typically find in a residence. If so, I don't think there should be any problem.

 

[Gmalone12]

Yes it is a filtration device for drinking water. Thanks.

 

[quincy]

So we went out of town for one night, and came home to the kitchen, living room and one of the bedrooms soaked with water.

The source of the leak was a filtration system hose busted out of its connection. I was the one that installed it about a year ago. We have not had any problems with it until now.

My question is... Will the insurance company give me a tough time since the damage is caused by a something that did not come with the house and was installed by myself?
Thanks for any advice.

What is the name of your state, Gmalone12?

 

[Gmalone12]

We are in Texas.

 

[quincy]

So we went out of town for one night, and came home to the kitchen, living room and one of the bedrooms soaked with water.

The source of the leak was a filtration system hose busted out of its connection. I was the one that installed it about a year ago. We have not had any problems with it until now.

My question is... Will the insurance company give me a tough time since the damage is caused by a something that did not come with the house and was installed by myself?
Thanks for any advice.

Thank you for providing your state name, Gmalone12.

You will need to review your homeowners policy to better determine if the damage caused by the leak from the burst filtration system hose will be covered.

It is possible that your insurer will deny a claim because it was a self-installed system. Do-it-yourself installations and repairs are often not covered under many homeowners policies.

Even if the failure of your self-installed filtration system is not covered because it was do-it-yourself project, it may be possible to recover damages if it is shown that the manufacturer's parts were defective and the leak was due to that and not the installation.

Again, though, the first thing you need to do is look over your policy. I can see where your insurer might fight a claim.

 

[Gmalone12]

Thanks for the info. Yea that is my fear. I guess I will find out soon enough. I might just say the filtration system was pre installed in the house when we bought it. Just to avoid all the trouble.

 

[quincy]

Thanks for the info. Yea that is my fear. I guess I will find out soon enough. I might just say the filtration system was pre installed in the house when we bought it. Just to avoid all the trouble.

As you said, I guess you will find out soon enough. Good luck, Gmalone12.

 

[Gmalone12]

Thanks. Any more advice that might limit the risk of them denying the claim?

 

[quincy]

Thanks. Any more advice that might limit the risk of them denying the claim?

You could check the history of the filtration system and parts used to install it to see if there have been any recalls or product defect lawsuits.

You could also check the system instructions for installation so you can better show that all steps to installation were properly followed by you.

The first step, though, is to review your homeowners policy to see if the damage caused by the leak will be covered under the terms of your policy. If it is, then you should not have to worry about anything else.

Good luck.

 

[Gmalone12]

Thanks Quincy. I have looked it over and it seems it should be covered... I will update the status tomorrow when I get more info. Just incase if this would help some people in the future.

 

[quincy]

Thanks Quincy. I have looked it over and it seems it should be covered... I will update the status tomorrow when I get more info. Just incase if this would help some people in the future.

It would be nice if you can provide an update. I hope what you think about the damage being covered by your policy is true and that your insurance company will not give you any trouble.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Insurance fraud, such as claiming something to make a policy collectible is a felony and punished by jail time on many states. I do not suggest you lie.

 

[tranquility]

It is possible that your insurer will deny a claim because it was a self-installed system. Do-it-yourself installations and repairs are often not covered under many homeowners policies.

I have not seen that. Is it common where you are? I have seen some exclusions for "faulty workmanship", but for DIY?

 

[quincy]

I have not seen that. Is it common where you are? I have seen some exclusions for "faulty workmanship", but for DIY?

Yes, I have seen such exclusions in standard insurance policies. A standard policy generally pays for what is originally insured - not for upgrades or changes to the home. Any additions or improvements need to be added to the policy to ensure coverage.

That is probably why Gmalone12 mentioned saying the filtration system was a feature in the house when purchased (which, I agree with OHR, is not a good idea).

At any rate, depending on the policy, an insurance company can deny a claim if the work was not originally covered, or work was done by a homeowner that required a permit that was not pulled, or the work was poorly done by the homeowner and this resulted in damage.