Frozen Pipes Could Damage The Home

1
Frozen Pipes Could Damage The Home
As the weather cools down and we look towards
winter, it is time to re?ect on our homes and
the potential of a freeze, which could damage
the home. One of the largest homeowner claims we
have worked was for a movie producers luxurious
home in Sante Fe, New Mexico. His loss was caused
by a frozen pipe that broke while he was out of
town. When the weather warmed up, water from the
broken pipe ran and ran for days destroying his
home. The question was was it insured?
Typically water from broken pipes is only insured
when the water has been turned o or the
utilities (heat) have been left on. In the case
just mentioned, the heat had been left on but the
weather was so severe the pipe broke anyway.
2
Most of us wont have original movie scripts and
movie paraphernalia of the value he had in his
home but regardless of what you have in your
home, you have to prove value. As a public
adjuster, that is Brown OHavers task and we
will do our best to get there, no matter the
size of the loss. In his case, we obtained a
valuation from Robert Ebert, the movie
expert. Avoiding insurance claims in the ?rst
place will often prevent the stress of the
insurance claim. Even though we can remove much
of that stress for you, taking a few steps to
prevent losses, such as a broken pipe water
loss, is a good idea. If you have to leave your
home, or if your home is a secondary or seasonal
home, take these steps bring in your outdoor
furniture, unplug your hot water heater and turn
o the breaker. Make certain that inside doors
are not closed so warm air can easily circulate
in the house. This includes leaving kitchen and
bathroom cabinets open as well. You will also
?nd it productive to disconnect exterior hoses
and install frost-free faucets for hose bibs or
protect them from freezing with faucet
insulators. And, if you do experience a loss,
please know that Brown OHaver has decades of
experience handling such losses as we have
discussed here. We are here to help you.