It seems every winter I feel like it is worse than the last. Each year, I think this is most snow I’ve seen or this is the coldest it has ever been. Well, this year I might be on to something! In the beginning of January a pipe froze and then burst in the hall. Luckily, we reacted quickly and had the water shut off before serious damage to our belongings occurred. After calling the plumber, I phoned our landlord and the following morning he began the claims process.

Busted Pipe Location

Within a few days our landlord’s agent phoned me to set up a time for the adjuster to come out and assess the damage and see if it was a covered loss. I was confused; I thought surely it is covered. This is where frozen pipes can get tricky. Most policies will cover damage from a burst pipe, but if your pipe froze and burst, you need to prove that you properly maintained heat in your home. Prior to the adjuster arriving, I was told to have proof that I maintained heat and electricity. I thought, this guy must be crazy! It has been so cold how, could we function without the electricity and heat!

Fortunately, I had all receipts of fuel deliveries and could easily access my CMP account to prove I was properly maintaining heat in the house. From what I hear around our community we weren’t the only ones during that time that had frozen pipes. I imagine a lot of folks thought they would be covered too. Having an independent agent to walk us through this process with our landlord was extremely helpful. The entire experience showed us that knowing what your policy covers and what it doesn’t holds just as much value as having the insurance itself.

If you have questions or think you may need more coverage, contact your agent today! Don’t wait until you’re standing in inches of water trying to find the shut off valve.