HOME INSURANCE TECHNICIANS
Author:: KOBUS LABUSCHAGNE
We are
employed by insurance companies to take care of your home insurance problems.
When you are a proud owner of a home, it brings you much joy but also many
responsibilities. To protect your home and its contents you will have to take
out insurance to protect you against various risks. The contents we take care
of is your geysers, your electrical
faults, garage
doors, garage door motors, gate
motors, water pipes and other
household components of your home. Our technicians are well trained and qualified and are waiting for your call
today.
Having comprehensive homeowner’s insurance will be a condition if you take out finance in the form of a home loan. If your house is fully paid the responsibility to see that your house is sufficiently insured is yours alone. It is suicidal not to have homeowners insurance; you could be financially ruined if your house burns down.
Geyser-related losses are probably the biggest single claim factor insurers have to deal with. The insurance industry replaced more than 30 000 geysers in 2006. Many people mistakenly think that geysers are covered under householder insurance but it is not, you must have homeowner’s insurance to cover your geyser.
It is very important to know what exclusions there are on your homeowner’s policy. Geysers are a particular bug-bear. You may be covered for the replacement of a burst geyser but not the resultant water damage to ceilings, walls and carpets. In some instances you may be covered but have to pay two excess amounts – one for the geyser and another for the resultant damage. There will also, most probably, be a limit to the amount you can claim.
Global warming did not pass South Africa by, our weather patterns have changed. The Cape had one of its wettest winters ever and insurance companies were inundated with claims for leaking roofs. People are very upset when insurance companies fail to pay out against many of these claims. It is the old story—you must read your policy carefully. According to any homeowners policy you have a responsibility to maintain your house in a reasonable state of repair. Gutters and downpipes blocked by leaves, a roof not painted, sealed or maintain for many years will inevitably lead to leaking and resulting damage. The insurance company may refuse to pay out on a claim should it be determined that you did not carry out basic care. They may also cover the damage caused inside your house only after you had the roof fixed at your own expense.
As a responsible homeowner you should maintain your home, something many people don’t do, especially in difficult economic times. Check your home regularly, keep gutters clear, check your roof, remove overhanging branches from nearby trees, they can cause major damage. As far as geysers are concerned your best bet is to be pro-active. You can ask your plumber to implement a preventative maintenance programme such as correct anode replacement and a regular geyser-valve cleanup. When installing a new geyser have a drip-tray installed as well. This is actually a requirement by law and will collect a lot of the water and hopefully you will become aware of the problem before further damage is done.
Be aware of tell-tale signs such as a rumbling geyser or steam coming out when you open the hot water taps. Switch off the geyser immediately and turn off the main water supply.
TIPS ON LOOKING AFTER YOUR GEYSER
Having comprehensive homeowner’s insurance will be a condition if you take out finance in the form of a home loan. If your house is fully paid the responsibility to see that your house is sufficiently insured is yours alone. It is suicidal not to have homeowners insurance; you could be financially ruined if your house burns down.
Geyser-related losses are probably the biggest single claim factor insurers have to deal with. The insurance industry replaced more than 30 000 geysers in 2006. Many people mistakenly think that geysers are covered under householder insurance but it is not, you must have homeowner’s insurance to cover your geyser.
It is very important to know what exclusions there are on your homeowner’s policy. Geysers are a particular bug-bear. You may be covered for the replacement of a burst geyser but not the resultant water damage to ceilings, walls and carpets. In some instances you may be covered but have to pay two excess amounts – one for the geyser and another for the resultant damage. There will also, most probably, be a limit to the amount you can claim.
Global warming did not pass South Africa by, our weather patterns have changed. The Cape had one of its wettest winters ever and insurance companies were inundated with claims for leaking roofs. People are very upset when insurance companies fail to pay out against many of these claims. It is the old story—you must read your policy carefully. According to any homeowners policy you have a responsibility to maintain your house in a reasonable state of repair. Gutters and downpipes blocked by leaves, a roof not painted, sealed or maintain for many years will inevitably lead to leaking and resulting damage. The insurance company may refuse to pay out on a claim should it be determined that you did not carry out basic care. They may also cover the damage caused inside your house only after you had the roof fixed at your own expense.
As a responsible homeowner you should maintain your home, something many people don’t do, especially in difficult economic times. Check your home regularly, keep gutters clear, check your roof, remove overhanging branches from nearby trees, they can cause major damage. As far as geysers are concerned your best bet is to be pro-active. You can ask your plumber to implement a preventative maintenance programme such as correct anode replacement and a regular geyser-valve cleanup. When installing a new geyser have a drip-tray installed as well. This is actually a requirement by law and will collect a lot of the water and hopefully you will become aware of the problem before further damage is done.
Be aware of tell-tale signs such as a rumbling geyser or steam coming out when you open the hot water taps. Switch off the geyser immediately and turn off the main water supply.
TIPS ON LOOKING AFTER YOUR GEYSER
The Geyser and
the geyser valve can be protected by arranging a maintenance
programme with us.. This means timely replacement of the anode in the geyser
and cleaning the valve.If you have insulation in the ceiling, it is advisable
to have the geyser and pipes insulated as well. In the event of a geyser
bursting and water coming through the ceiling, light fittings or down the
walls, a four-point action plan is advisable:
ü Switch off
the geyser electrical isolator switch on the main distribution board.
ü Turn off
the water at the main meter box. Most homes have a stopcock fitted to the inlet
side of the geyser.
ü If
possible, look through the trapdoor to see whether the geyser, the pressure
reducing valve, or the pipes are leaking. This will help the plumber
identify the problem.
ü Contact us
086 111 2928/ 0827722009; you will be directed to an accredited plumbing
contractor.
Should it be necessary to fit a replacement
geyser it may also be advisable at the same time to fit a drip tray beneath the
geyser. They are not costly and the tray's outlet pipe will carry away a lot of
the water in the event of the geyser bursting.
Water damage to walls, carpets and furniture can be more costly than geyser replacement.
The drip-tray precaution can therefore save expense down the line. We have branches KEMPTON PARK, BOKSBURG,
SANDTON, ROSEBANK, RANDBURG, ROODEPORT, CENTURION, PRETORIA
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