Burst rising main under an old cottage. Elderly Mum frantic!

[RigidRaider]

Mum aged 87 lives in an old cottage in Wiltshire and has just received a bill for over £600 from Bournmouth Water, who came and read the meter after six months of estimated bills. BW and BG who cover her internal pipework, boiler etc. have both agreed that it's a big leak between the meter and her stopcock. Happily it's gravel around there so I guess the 45 m3 of water she has lost will be running away into the ground and not washing her foundations away.

Now she has been given a date of 14 June for the repair, and is frantic with worry about the cost of the lost water. I have tried to reassure her that her household insurance will cover the lost water but you know how elderly folk love to worry. I've told her to ring her insurers and tell them the likely date of the repair.

What technique is the contractor (Dyno-Rod apparently) likely to use to replace the main? It runs into her cottage under the floor of her new conservatory so access might be a bit tricky. Do they use some kind of tunneling technique? Anyone got any words of wisdom?

 

[dilalio]

Just leave them to it and tell your mum to stop worrying. They will approach it in the least disruptive way possible as all good trades do - it's daily routine for us if not for homeowners, especially older folk.

 

[RigidRaider]

Thanks, that's exactly what I'm trying to tell her!

 

[Tigercubrider]

A mate had a leak after his meter and once repaired, they issued a new bill based on the previous year's usage

 

[KenGMac]

RigidRaider, good evening.

As I understand it if your Mum has a services agreement from [BG?] British Gas? then use that route, why? because there is no Excess to pay!! [An Insurance Companies Excess for an escape of water [see below] can go as high as £500 [HBoS, BoS] Other Insurers Excesses vary WILDLEY!!!

Yes, your Mums Home Insurance will cover the cost of the leaking pipe under either "Damage to underground services" or [more unlikely] "A leak from a fixed domestic installation" Both of the above phrases are present in all Domestic Insurance documents, and as such are a so called "Perils" which is a risk the Insurer will sort out, and fund the repair of.

As for the potential cost of the water lost due to the leak, Most Domestic Insurance policies have a clause that Indemnifies the Policy Holder against the loss of oil [remote properties with oil fired Central heating] and loss of water from a metered supply.

I would STRONGLY advise do NOT go near your Home Insurer, why? because even telling the Property insurer can [will] make for a hike in next years premium. Why? because the insurer looks at your Mum and in the Insurers eyes she has become a risk that at some time in the future the Insurer will have to spend money on her claim.

As with all Policies the devil is in the detail,

Just have your Mum use British Gas to sort out the leak, and await the local to you Water Board making a call on the cost of the lost water, I believe that if you present the Water Company with the documents from British Gas then the rather large cost of lost water should go away?? if not then contact the property Insurer and make a claim for loss of metered water, but as previously the premium your Mum pays next year will rise.

Ken.

 

[Doggit]

Unless there is damage to the property, it's not a home insurance situation, so as Ken says, don't bother with them whatsoever. BG and BW will sort out the repair, and the water company will either take last years readings, or more likely monitor her usage for the the next 3 months, and then use that to calculate last years bill. They don't charge for leaks, only for what you use; but call them and check, then you can reassure your mum.

Been there, seen it, done it. Dug a channel myself as the waterboard wouldn't bore whilst the scaffolding was up. I laid a new pipe myself, got the plumber to connect it either end, and then sorted it out with Souther water - painless. Check which size pipe thay are installing, and maybe see if they'll go one size larger to give a damn good pressure.

 

[RigidRaider]

Great advice as always from DIYnot members, thanks. Actually I've just phoned Bournemouth Water who are remarkably helpful and the nice young man explained that they have a Leak Allowance that covers lost water due to one leak in any five year period, meaning she won't pay a penny for the lost water. Have passed this to her and BW have even agreed to telephone and take the time to explain this to her in person. BG will take care of the pipe replacement, meanwhile.

 

[dilalio]

How it should be

 

[Agile]

Now she has been given a date of 14 June for the repair, and is frantic with worry about the cost of the lost water. I have tried to reassure her that her household insurance will cover the lost water but you know how elderly folk love to worry. I've told her to ring her insurers and tell them the likely date of the repair.

I have never encountered anyone who has claimed for the cost of lost water.

But then I have never heard of a water supply co actually charging for leaked water.

I would never ask anyone aged 87 to negotiate with their insurers themselves but either do it myself or get someone with experience to do it. Say one wrong word and you have lost your insurance cover.


I did meet a guy of 86 who sells stuff every weekend at car boot sales on Sat and Sun but he is pretty unusual. He probably could deal with insurance. Statistically most men are already dead before they reach 86 !

Tony

 

[Ian H]

If it's leaking in a particularly awkward place they could send a new feed in through an INSUDuct, an insulated box that would be the new point of entry for the supply.

 

[Tigercubrider]

When my mate's leak was fixed, they used a mole and a couple of holes to get about 25 feet from the road to his side door and fitted a new pipe

 

[RigidRaider]

Must have been a hell of an energetic mole. Was it on drugs?

(Don't bother answering, it was a carp joke)