Does Home Insurance Cover A Hot Water Heater Replacement?

If you own a home and it suffers damage, you may assume your home insurance will step in and help cover those losses. In some cases, it will. In others, though, it will not.

Imagine this situation: Your hot water heater bursts. It happened out of nowhere and flooded your basement. You have damage to your home's drywall, carpeting, and furniture. Is your home insurance policy going to help you to recover from these types of losses? In some cases, it may. However, the amount of coverage will differ from policy to policy.

What Caused the Problem?

Most home insurance policies do not cover most forms of flooding. However, they may provide coverage for burst pipes and water heater leaks.

Water damage is generally covered if (and only if) the cause was accidental and unpredictable. If the damage occurred because the water heating system was very old and in poor repair, the insurance company may elect not to cover you.

What Will Be Covered?

If the water heater began leaking as a result of an accident or an unpredictable event, the insurance company is likely to provide you with financial help. This will likely cover the losses you might experience during the cleanup process, including:

Cleanup and removal of the water itself
Removal of the debris lost as a result of the water damage
Replacement of structural components of your home lost as a result of the water damage
Replacement for any lost furnishings

However, your insurance company likely will not pay for the repair to the water heater itself. It also might not cover the cost to replace the water heater. Homeowners generally will need to cover these costs out of their own pocket.

Every home insurance policy is different. Speak to your insurance agent about your plan. Some may include a specific exclusion to water damage from water heaters or burst pipes — so it's useful to learn when your policy is applicable.

Taking any steps possible to reduce the risk that of these types of incidents occurring is also important. Keeping your water heater in good working order is always the best first step.

Need coverage? We can help. Get in touch with HIG – Henrich Insurance Group today at (713) 349-0400 for a free Houston home insurance quote.

1 Comments

Keith Staley said...
This site was very informing and has enlighten myself on the reason one should extend there communication with the insurance ch company to help better understand all qualifying items covered under the policy.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 2020 4:59 PM