COLUMBUS, Ohio – Insurers are warning Ohio homeowners to protect their pipes during cold weather to prevent them from freezing and bursting, causing expensive damage that may not be covered under an insurance policy.
“Water damage is among the most common causes of homeowners’ insurance claims,” said David McMullen, vice president of insurance for AAA Ohio Auto Club.
While standard homeowners’ insurance policies cover damage caused by burst pipes, McMullen says homeowners must be able to prove that the damage came from the burst pipe and should be aware of the following limitations:
Policies typically do not cover the replacement cost of the pipe. This is because insurance doesn’t cover normal wear and tear on a home, and the insurer may determine the pipe burst because it was old or corroded, or attached to an appliance that malfunctioned.
If the homeowner is responsible for the pipe bursting – if, for example, a pipe burst in an unheated home — the insurer may deem this negligence.
To protect pipes from freezing, McMullen says homeowners can take some simple steps:
Open cabinets to let the heat from the home circulate around the pipes
Let the water drip from the faucet
Keep thermostat at 55 degrees or higher