No one wants to imagine the horror of a rainstorm so severe that the waste water can’t be treated, but it can happen. If it does, there is only one way for the water to get back into the house.
Raw sewage is never pleasant, and it can overflow from the toilet and end up in the bathtub, sink, or basement, or worse, contaminate every surface in the house. You don’t want to be left alone with the financial consequences and cleanup work, even if you don’t want to be there for anything.
Unfortunately, such damage is not usually covered by normal home insurance. They are even specifically excluded from most home insurance policies. Nor are they included in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood protection. So it’s important to invest in backflow insurance.
What is water backflow insurance?
Backflow insurance is sometimes referred to as pipe insurance and should be purchased as a specific supplement to standard insurance. It covers damage caused by untreated sewage entering the home, for varying amounts.
The policy also covers damage to the home caused by overflowing sump pumps and drains, which are excluded from standard home insurance.
Insurance coverage also varies from state to state. In some states, you pay a certain amount each year to cover damage caused by sewage entering your home. In other states, purchasing an additional premium will provide additional coverage equal to the amount insured for your home.
What home insurance covers
Home insurance can help you in many areas. A clogged pipe may not be on this list, but in these cases, unusable items insurance provides protection and allows you to live in a safe, clean home again while your home is repaired.
There’s more to it than that, but when you’re living through the nightmare of water damage, having a safe place to sleep is more important than you can imagine.
Do you need flood insurance?
This type of insurance is not required by law or by mortgage lenders. However, emergencies can affect almost anyone, so without insurance, you are still at risk. Between 2009 and 2013, frost and water damage even accounted for more than a quarter of homeowners’ insurance claims.
If you live in a watertight home (and we haven’t encountered one yet), you should have water backup insurance on your radar.
Things to consider for backflow insurance
Just as insurance doesn’t cover damage caused by lack of maintenance on your home, water backflow insurance doesn’t cover disasters caused by lack of maintenance on your sewer system. This means that it is your responsibility to maintain these pipes and keep them in good condition, or you will be responsible for cleaning and any repairs.
However, this is not the only thing that is not covered by backflow insurance.
It does not cover flooding or sewer overflows that occur elsewhere. Nor does it cover damage caused by groundwater (water that appears below the surface of the ground and seeps into the foundation).
Due to the complexity of water reinsurance, it is advisable to contact your insurance agent to learn more about coverage and coverage.
Read also: Do You Really Need Flood Insurance in New York City?
How much does backflow insurance cost?
Fortunately, this type of insurance is affordable for most people. Depending on your individual risk factors and the features you choose in your policy, you pay between $50 and $250 per year for coverage.
If this seems too expensive for insurance you may not need, you should consider alternatives. If an emergency occurs in your bathroom or basement, you may have to pay several times that amount.
First, you need to call a plumber to clean out the damaged pipes. Then, a water damage restoration company must come and assess the damage. They will clean, disinfect and dry the area. You can do this yourself, but it’s best to hire professionals to avoid future problems and mold growth under the floor and behind the walls.
In some cases, you will also need to hire a construction company to replace or repair surfaces damaged in an accident. Taking all of these costs into account, drain cleaning experts estimate the average cost of cleaning at $7 per square foot of affected surface. This means that cleaning and repairing a 1,000-square-meter basement would cost about $7,000. Do you think that a few hundred dollars per year (about $0.68 per day) is still too high?
Preventing Backflow into Sewers and Water
Whether or not you have adequate insurance coverage for sewer emergencies. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation. Where you don’t even realize you’ve opened the door to your home. Let alone experience heartache.
Nevertheless, prevention is the best remedy. While these steps can’t rule out danger, they can certainly reduce it.
- Don’t pour cooking grease or oil down the sink.
- Don’t throw things down the sink that can’t be poured down, such as hygiene items, paper towels, and disposable diapers.
- Replace old metal pipes and drains with plastic ones to avoid damage from tree roots.
- Regularly cut tree roots to keep them away from sewer pipes.
- When spring cleaning, ensure that landscaping and irrigation systems ensure that water drains away from the foundation and does not flow into it. Also, ensure that gutters and downspouts are properly maintained.
- Check booster pumps regularly for any problems with the drainage system. In addition, the pump should be turned on each season and cleaned each year. Regardless of whether it is normally needed at that time.
- In older homes (which are automatically installed in most new construction), install check valves to prevent backflow into the sewer.
- Have a battery backup to keep the pump running in case of a power outage.
- Take the time to consider whether your basement is susceptible to flooding. Raise washing machines and dryers above the general discharge level. If possible, raise appliances such as ovens and water heaters. Install electrical wiring above the expected discharge level.
Despite best efforts to avoid backflow, backflow sometimes occurs. In such cases, it is advisable to take out adequate protection in the form of water damage insurance.
About Author
Lily Poole is a Property and Home Insurance officer by profession. She is pretty well experienced in the best renter insurance nyc and accounting field and has an impressive profile in the training and development industry.
