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Learn More About Water Losses and Insurance Claims Water losses are common and cause millions of dollars in damage each year. ey can be due to freezing temperatures, faulty workmanship, wear and tear, mechanical failure, and product defects. Insur- ance will cover some of these losses, but there are many factors that may affect coverage. is article will address clean water that is escaping from a pres- surized water supply line causing damage. Since we are in the middle of winter, we will start with freeze related losses. Freeze breaks can occur even when you have followed all the normal freeze prevention tips. During extended periods of near zero or below temperatures, pipes can freeze in areas where insulation may be lacking or inconsistent such as in an outside wall, under a mobile home, or in a crawlspace. Most policies require that heat be main- tained in the home or the home winterized before coverage will apply. If the loss is covered, the repair of the pipe that froze and split may be included in the settlement along with the repairs of the damaged property. For most other water losses, coverage will likely depend on several factors. Was it a sudden release of water? Was the release of water accidental? Sudden and accidental releases of water will normally be covered under most policies. Where problems arise is when the release of water was not sudden, but due to leakage or seepage that has occurred over a period of time. ose types of losses may be denied. Even if a pipe has been leaking for weeks or months hidden from view and suddenly water is found at the base of a wall, it does not change the fact that the leak itself was a slow leak or seepage and will likely be denied. For covered water losses, other than freezing, the cost of repair to the plumbing system or appli- ance that allowed the water to escape will usually be excluded from coverage. is may be a wear and tear failure of a pipe, water heater, dishwash- er, or washing machine. e damage the water caused would be covered however. If a wall, slab, or other part of the home, needs to be cut open in order to access and make repairs to the plumbing system that allowed the water to escape, the repair of the damaged wall or slab will oen be covered. e repair of the pipe or other parts of the plumb- ing system will still be excluded. When a loss occurs under a home in a crawl- space and the dirt is wet or there is standing wa- ter, insurance will likely pay to dry the underside of the home to prevent the formation of mold and other damage from the elevated moisture content, but will not cover the cost of drying the dirt. Of course, in the process of drying the underside of Continued on page 11... 10 Find the Right Doctor for You and Learn More About Your Medicare Choices Find a plan that covers your prescriptions. Find affordable co-pays. Call us at (719) 538-2900 or visit cshp.net for more information Join us for one of our informational sessions to learn more about your Medicare options! This is an advertisement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information. For a listing of our contracted health plans, please visit www.cshp.net WWW.MEDICARE.GOV | 1-800-MEDICARE | (TTY 1-877-486-2048)