Plumbing problems like blocked drains are a common issue many Sydney residents face throughout the year.
They are messy and inconvenient, can ruin your daily schedule and make your life difficult. It’s best to get the blockage fixed by professional plumbers as soon as possible, especially when stubborn.
When dealing with such an emergency, the one question that comes to everybody’s mind is whether blocked drains are covered by home insurance or not. And it’s not a surprise since so many clauses are listed in what a homeowner’s insurance policy covers, thus often confusing the homeowners. Always check the fine print and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. Speak to your home insurance company directly to determine what’s covered in your home. So, there are no surprises when you apply for an insurance claim.
That’s why we bring you this guide to answer all your questions about blocked drains and insurance in Sydney. Rest assured, we’ll do our best to ensure that you don’t have to waste time going through the nitty-gritty of the insurance policy and take the necessary actions instead.
Now, without further ado, let’s jump right in.
3 Signs of A Blocked Drain
Before we come to our main topic, let’s take a look at the top three signs of a blocked drain so that you can easily identify and deal with it accordingly:
1. Gurgling Sound
When your drain is blocked, you will likely hear an unusual gurgling when flushing the toilet or turning on the tap. The trapped air causes this in the pipes.
2. Slow Drainage
Another tell-tale sign of a blocked drain is slow drainage in your toilet, sink and shower. In severe cases, the water might not drain at all.
3. Unpleasant Smells
Moving on, when drains are blocked, food particles and other substances build up and decompose in the pipes, giving rise to an unpleasant smell from your drains. So, if you smell a stench when running the water, it’s probably because of a blocked drain.
Types Of Clogged Drains Covered By Insurance In Sydney
Before you call the professionals, you must know what home insurance covers. Insurance policies are often different; however, specific points are common regardless of your home insurance.
Here, we have mentioned a couple of essential points that you need to know about the coverage of drains in a home insurance policy:
1. Liabilities And Responsibilities
Keep in mind that only the drains within your property are insured.
If connecting drains exist, the sections inside your property will be insured. It’s worth noting that your neighbours are liable for areas of drains that fall within their property or damages exceeding property lines, even if you share their usage.
Often, the repair and maintenance of such shared drains are not covered under home insurance. However, the final decision is up to the insurance providers, and you may need to take out a different policy to get insurance coverage for these.
That said, if the problem is traced to a drain in your neighbour’s area, they’ll have to ensure that they get it cleared.
2. Accidental Damage
Most home insurance policies cover accidental damages when it comes to blocked drains. However, the problem is that defining “accidental damage” often gets tricky, so an insurance company can avoid paying out by mentioning some technicality.
Usually, drain corrosion does not fall under the umbrella of accidental damage. However, sewer line damages caused by tree roots or excavation nearby are unintentional.
Understanding Your Insurance Policy
So, you may be asking, what does my insurance cover? Well, there is no direct answer to whether your clogged drains are covered, as many factors come into play.
But if your home and contents insurance policy explicitly mentions the same, you are most likely on safe grounds. Also, the policy will cover all structural damage caused by water leakage from the drains.
However, remember that an insurance policy will not cover the expenses incurred in repairing the blocked drains. You may have to bear the costs of clearing the blockage, repairing plumbing leaks or replacing pipes to prevent further blockages.
Blocked Drains And Your Insurance Provider
We have reached the end of our guide. We hope this has answered your questions regarding Sydney’s blocked drains and insurance coverage.
Lastly, it is worth noting that home insurance policies are not always rigid. Also, home insurance coverage and policies differ depending on the insurance companies. Hence, it’s a good idea to compare the available insurance policies and choose the one that provides the ideal coverage for most plumbing issues in Sydney, as most insurance companies often do. A professional plumber recommends regular maintenance of your drains to prevent clogs and any other water damage.
For fantastic service and assistance with blocked drain services, please speak to our team at Fixed Today; our plumbing company has Sydney plumbers to provide 24/7 urgent assistance and professional service for any plumbing emergencies and quality plumbing services, including your hot water system (e.g. we can check your roof-mounted solar hot water systems and pool heating systems, water heater unit repairs and replacement, etc.) burst pipes, water leaks and leaking pipe, tree roots invasion causing obstruction and more.) We’ll complete the job efficiently, so you won’t have to worry.
On that note, it’s time for us to sign off. Until next time, stay safe!
