Do I have to drain the water system with Insuristic’s Probate Property Insurance?

We provide protection against the sudden escape of water on both our Silver and Gold cover options, but how you comply with the policy conditions depends on how you assess the risk and your intentions at the property.

We know that sometimes draining water systems isn’t an option.

Maybe you need to keep the heating on during the winter so the property is inviting to potential buyers.

Perhaps you have employed a gardener to maintain the gardens, keeping the property looking smart and as if it is occupied, thereby reducing the risk of break-ins.  We know draining water wouldn’t be practical.

The challenge for insurers and policyholders is that burst pipes are the biggest cause of loss.  So you will see many insurance providers not offering the cover at all, or where they do, with restrictions to minimise the loss.

From a personal representative's perspective, the last thing you need is an undetected burst pipe that can go undetected for weeks, as this can cause significant damage and seriously set back your plans for the property whilst the damage is rectified.

Standard Unoccupied Home Insurance policies often provide no cover for escape of water, leaving this cost to the personal representatives to fund in the event of an issue.  It is unlikely the beneficiaries will be happy for the estate to fund this loss, as it could have been insured on a more specialist policy.

So burst pipe events are a big risk for the personal representatives, and, as our most common cause of claim, they are reasonably frequent, with high reinstatement costs.

1. Draining the Water System: Is the safest option, as it eliminates the risk of burst pipes immediately, since there should be no water in the system or its tanks.
2. Not draining the water system: Our insurers will provide some cover if draining the system isn’t an option, which is £3,500 for any one claim on Silver and £5,000 on Gold. But to maintain this cover in the winter, you must:
   1. Comply with Winter Escape of Water Condition: which means that during the period of 1^st October to the 31^st March, you must:
      1. Keep the central heating system operational and set to maintain a minimum constant temperature of 15°C 24 hours a day; and
      2. Keep the loft hatch open to allow warm air to circulate around the loft space, which may contain pipes and tanks prone to freezing.

Please note: The Bronze cover does not include cover for Escape of Water claims.

If you plan not to drain the water system, consider the following risk management tips:

• Ensure the system is in a good state of repair. Maintenance issues, like a gradual leak, are not covered by insurance policies.  If the property isn’t visited for a while, the damage can build up, causing issues like collapsed ceilings and damage to walls and fixtures.
• Ensure pipes are lagged, which can reduce the risk of burst pipes, particularly in exposed areas like the loft.
• Maybe consider inspecting the property more frequently. Whilst you are only required to inspect the property once every 30 days, water damage can be significant, so more frequent inspections can increase the detection of issues and reduce the risk of setbacks to your plans for the property.

I hope this helps you.

To find out more about our cover or get a quote, visit our Probate House Insurance page.  If you have further questions, visit our Probate Insurance FAQs page.