Homeowners could face bills up to €10,000 or more if pipes burst during cold snap, an insurance broker has warned.
Met Éireann has warned of an extended cold snap in the coming days, with snow and sleet forecast in some areas.
Peopl Insurance is warning that homeowners could face bills running into the tens of thousands, or more, if a burst pipe causes damage to their home even if they have home insurance.
This could arise if homeowners are underinsured – which is when a home is insured for less than the full cost of rebuilding it – or where the contents in a home are insured for less than it would cost to replace them.
Where a homeowner is underinsured, they are at risk of only getting a fraction of the payout they expect from their insurer if their house is damaged during the extended cold snap, according to Paul Walsh, spokesman for Peopl Insurance.
“Burst pipes are one of the most common problems during icy weather,” Walsh said.
“A burst pipe could cost tens of thousands euro worth of damage if water is left running for a few days.
"The bill for the damage could even be more if a pipe bursts while you’re away as you’ll likely have to replace plasterboard, walls, wardrobes, kitchen units and so on – and you’ll probably have to repair electrical damage too.
"You could have to foot a big chunk of such damage repair bills yourself if you have underinsured your home – because your insurer will usually reduce its payout by the amount you’ve underinsured yourself by.”
Tips to prevent burst pipes
Here are Peopl Insurance's top 10 tips to prevent burst pipes during the cold snap:
- Make sure the water tank and pipes in your attic are properly lagged or insulated. Do not forget any pipes in unheated or draughty places, such as basements or garages – or outdoor pipes. Should your home have a well, make sure you have insulated any outdoor well pipes;
- Insulate or wrap a towel around any outside taps to prevent them from freezing;
- Repair leaking or dripping taps or pipes;
- Find out where the stopcock is – and how to use it to turn off the water supply if your pipes burst;
- Drain the water system if you've a holiday home that will be unoccupied during the winter months;
- Do not ignore signs of excessive mould in a shower or bathroom – particularly if you find mushrooms growing in it. In situations like this, there could be a burst pipe running undetected behind your shower tiles or wall – or inside the bathroom wall;
- Run the heating for short periods to keep the pipes from freezing and to keep the water circulating, if you can. The heating does not need to be set to normal room temperature – even a temperature of 10-12 degrees will work equally well;
- Open your attic trap door to allow heat from the house to circulate through the attic
- Pin the emergency help number for your insurer onto your notice board so that if you have an escape of water from frozen pipes, you can call-out the home emergency team straight away;
- If you do unfortunately encounter issues with burst pipes or tanks, turn the water off, contact your insurer before you pay for repairs and take pictures of the damage to support your claim. You should also let frozen pipes thaw out naturally – do not heat them prematurely as they are likely to crack.
