Cast Iron Pipe Insurance Claims: Are you covered?
Who’s Affected?
Florida homes built before 1975 commonly used cast iron pipe for sewer systems. If your property was built in the early 1970’s or before, you may have an issue. When cast iron pipes fail, they can cause serious water damage to your home. In Florida, nearly two and a half million homes suffer from this problem. Although cast iron pipes have been used in many different water systems throughout the United States in the last hundred-plus years, they do deteriorate over time, especially with Florida’s humid climate. In South Florida, many cast iron pipes fail in as little as 25 years.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Replacement of Leaky Pipes?
Most insurance policies include special coverage that requires the company to pay to tear out and replace any part of the home necessary to remove failed cast iron pipes. This usually requires cutting into walls or concrete foundations. And plumbers often recommend replacing showers and bathtubs at the same time their drain pipes fail. Given the complexity of these types of claims, it is important to present your cast iron pipe claim correctly.
Property insurance companies have developed a number of complicated rules over the years to deal with plumbing losses. Therefore, even if an insurance company denies coverage, its possible you are entitled to more coverage than they acknowledge. The insurance company may send an inspector to your home to assess the damage. Remember that you can also call in your own experts for estimates, which may help if you need to take legal action.
You want to be mindful that you are getting fully compensated. One reason you might receive less than you deserve is because the insurance company may only want to pay what is obviously damaged. But replacing only the cracked or burst pipe is like putting a finger in the dam. Other pipes will fail sooner or later, more than likely sooner if you’ve already seen major issues. Before you accept the claim amount from the insurance company, you need to make sure it includes the full scope of your damages.
What happens to the Cast Iron Pipes Anyway?
As sewage and waste flows through the cast iron pipe, a chemical interaction causes the creation of hydrogen sulfide gas. This hydrogen sulfide gas will then oxidize and produce sulfuric acid, which is highly corrosive to the interior walls of the iron pipe. Many drain cleaners also contain sulfuric acid, and the use of these products can greatly accelerate the reduction in the lifespan of iron pipes.
The thickness of the cast iron pipe walls may also vary widely due to the manufacturing process. The sulfuric acid will cause damage most quickly on the portions of the pipe with the thinnest walls. The introduction of PVC rendered cast iron obsolete, but the material remains in place in many Florida buildings.