House insurance, claim for external burst / leak.

[Diyisfun]

I have a leak on my water supply from the meter to the internal stopcock (confirmed by Anglian water).
I called my insurance company (Axa), to check I was covered I can see there is an excess of £350.
They tell me they cant tell me if I am covered until I may the claim, it is in the building section services & pipes.
As I live in an old house (200yrs) we believe the water supply is under the house & it looks like a new supply will go in via my neighbours property, the pipe run will be about 4 metres.
Just looking for info as to this being a valid claim.

 

[Ian H]

I do these repairs for a living but have no idea about how the claims are done.

As far as I know you need to start a claim for them to proceed some investigation. If the investigation finds no leak, there is no claim. If a leak is found the claim escalates and the excess is paid.

It would be unusual for the new supply to go via your neighbours.

 

[Notch7]

Now you have contacted them, it will be on your file -so expect a premium increase

 

[Diyisfun]

I did contact AXA, They said until I claim they don't know if covered.
Anyway.
Dug down at meter & can see blue pipe going to a sleeve, so when the fella done the renovations 10yrs ago he re did water supply.
So I can see blue pipe at meter & I can see the other end in utility room all is dry I am leaking 30 litres/hr.
To get at the pipe in the utility room the boiler will need to be moved (its large floor standing LPG).
So Im at a loss as to where the leak is, good news though is I don't need to route it through neighbours garden.

 

[Ian H]

If I were you I would turn off your internal stop tap to double check what Anglian said.

Then slowly walk the line of the pipe to see if you can hear the leak. If the pipe is already blue then it's likely to be on a joint somewhere unless he backfilled the trench with slate or glass.

Another thing could be he replaced only part of the pipe. The sleeve mustn't go all the way, if it did your 30litres would be showing there.

 

[Diyisfun]

Ian H. Anglian confirmed. I had established when I turn my stopcock it still flows.
Anyway
I had a plumber round & he said that when the house was renovated the chances are he could bend the pipe & put a joint in & advised I dig.
I dug 3 foot no pipe then saw water in neighbours garden & dug, found the pipe.
So the pipe is about 2/3 foot in neighbours garden,, she said permission wasn't asked. So no sleeve either.
Well at least leak found.

 

[Ian H]

Snap!!

If yours is holed rather than split you could simply cut it and rejoin with a Philmac 20mm UTC.

 

[Diyisfun]

Its a hole.
BUT
The job needs doing properly, not 12" down in another property as Mr Bodger did,
Anyway plumber will make a fix & we will discuss sorting.

 

[KenGMac]

Diyisfun, good evening.

OK I work freelance for Loss Adjusters in the Insurance industry, generally as an Adjuster or similar.

The way it works is that you have to register a claim before the insurer can tell you if you have a claim or not, the insurer will have to "Investigate" your claim, following the "Investigation" the Insurer will after a period of time inform you that you do, or do not have a claim which will be funded and a repair undertaken by the insurer, or a Contractor of your choosing, In effect the handler you discussed your "potential" claim with in AxA was correct, you have to trigger the so called intimation of a loss [make a formal statement that you wish to claim]

Your images make it clear that there is a valid [In my opinion] Insurance claim here, the claim would fall under the heading of so called damage to underground services.

Now for the BUTS?

1/. As NOTCH7 your telephone call will have been logged and your file noted accordingly [We record all incoming calls for training and MONITORING purposes] Etc. Etc. Etc. There is a 99% certainty that this one phone call will cause a hike in your Premium next time you renew your policy, why? because in the eyes of the Insurer you have just by one phone call become a greater risk to them having to fork out on a claim.

2/. There is a good possibility that the work you have undertaken and the cost of your Plumber will be less than the Excess that the Insurer would apply?

3/. Given the way the Insurers work the "investigation" by them could take a week or even two, not a priority job?? then the insurer has to Authorise the repair, followed by await for the insurers contractor to mobilise and do the work

Going back to 1/. above if the premiums do rise above a level you are comfortable with then go to Compare the Market, that is why these sort of firms exist, as an aside these types of firms get a "Kick Back" from the insurers for the business sent to the Insurers

Welcome to the murky world of Insurers.

Ken.

 

[Diyisfun]

Job not complete yet.
As said, the pipe is on neighbours property & they never gave permission its been there about 9/10 years.
The pipe is about 25ft in length with 5 joins.
I would think pipe is cheaper that couplers.

 

[Ian H]

Is the neighbour being awkward? Is there a route it could take within your own boundary?

25mm MDPE is about £1/mtr and comes in a 25mtr roll.

 

[Diyisfun]

Is the neighbour being awkward? Is there a route it could take within your own boundary?

25mm MDPE is about £1/mtr and comes in a 25mtr roll.

Neighbour is ok, no alternative route.

 

[Ian H]

You just need one of these then:

I can't imagine it leaking again.