With boilers being such an important part of your home, there are different ways to have it covered in the event of a breakdown. It could come with a warranty, or you could take out a separate boiler cover or it may be even included as part of your home insurance. Here, we look specifically at whether home insurance cover boiler repair and breakdowns.
Does home insurance cover boilers?
Home insurance policies generally DO NOT cover the cost of repairing broken boilers or replacing them. Complete breakdowns after warranty periods often occur due to lack of servicing by the owner so for repairs you should take out specific cover for your boiler. The scope of fixing and replacing a broken boiler does not come as standard with home insurance policies.
Here, we look at how boilers are covered under a typical home insurance policy.
Even after taking out the optional extra cover, in many cases it will be for emergency assistance and temporary repair only and there is usually a limit to the repair cost they will cover.
As a summary, if you have an emergency such as your heating or hot water fails, then you would get help under home insurance extras. It’s not for routine servicing and maintenance, or for boilers that are under warranty or boilers that are fairly old, usually more than 10-15 years.
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What does home insurance cover for boilers?
For boilers, it includes breakdown of parts that come in the boiler as fitted by the manufacturer and also the timer and temperature controls. If there is a leak or loss of water pressure within the boiler this is also covered. Anything to do with radiators or even a magnetic filter isn’t usually covered.
Even if a part is faulty but the boiler still provides heating and hot water, this won’t normally be covered, but double check with the insurance provider. In many cases, if the fault cannot be fixed or if the repair would cost more than the current value of the boiler, then the cover no longer applies.
Some insurers pay towards the cost of a replacement boiler following an emergency and others don’t.
The other thing to note is that some insurers will only cover Natural Gas boilers but not Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) or oil.
Does home insurance cover damage from boiler breakdown?
Not all home insurance policies have everything covered when it comes to leaks. Most will cover damage caused by a burst pipe or water or oil leak from a broken down boiler, but it depends on the type of insurance you have. Under the ‘home emergency’ option, cover is normally given for boiler failure issues.
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What is a boiler emergency to insurance providers?
Individual policies vary, but a boiler emergency is when a boiler completely breaking down and you have no heating or if you have no hot water. They cover the cost of any emergency work carried out and a temporary repair of the damage so will not cover the cost of a replacement part.
A temporary repair means any work required to immediately stop further damage being caused. It won’t necessarily fix the issue causing the emergency and you will have to arrange any further work at your own cost.
Does home insurance cover boiler servicing?
Boiler servicing and cleaning come under routine maintenance work and so won’t be covered as it is not an emergency situation.
Boilers under manufacturer’s warranty
If your boiler is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, you may not need the boiler add-on part of the home insurance. If you decide to get home emergency cover, be careful to check the boiler warranty policy as any repair done by the insurance company could invalidate the terms of the warranty.
Conclusion
It is important to check what is and what isn’t covered in a home insurance policy that covers boilers. Double checking the policy could highlight things you might not be covered for. For example, in most cases, there is a limit on the cost of repairs every time you claim anywhere from £250 to £1000, and there could be an excess to pay.
Note down what the company classifies as an emergency and it may be different from what you might think.
Always carefully check the wording of home insurance policies to ensure they provide exactly what you require before making any financial decision.
*The information in this article should be used for general guidance only and not taken as financial advice. Full details are on the link in the footer to our disclaimer page. Always discuss your requirements with a competent and suitably qualified professional before undertaking any work.
