Gas leaks are among the scariest problems that a homeowner can face. Not only can a minor gas leak be toxic to you and your family, but the idea that it might lead to explosions and cause serious harm to yourself and those around you is the stuff of nightmares. Your homeowner’s insurance can cover gas leaks, but only if the cause of the leak is itself covered. Your homeowner’s insurance likely won’t say much about specifically gas leaks, which means that coverage will be based on whether or not the cause of the leak is itself covered.
Only Certain Scenarios Will Be Covered By Your Insurance
Your insurance will only cover gas leaks if the leak is caused by a covered peril. A peril is any event that can cause damage to your property. Your policy will split perils into two categories, covered and uncovered perils. In modern insurance policies, you can expect all perils to be covered, except for a select list of perils that will not be covered. Commonly covered perils include situations such as theft, hailstorms, damage sustained by heavy objects (such as a tree that collapses onto your house after being blown over during a wind storm), or damage from a house fire. Uncovered perils tend to be things like infestations, earthquakes, or floods. The specifics can vary between different policies, however, so it’s good to check your policy and get up to speed on what is or isn’t covered.
Several Common Causes of Gas Leaks Will Be Uncovered
One of the biggest causes of gas leaks simply comes from gas lines or equipment that are old or faulty. Insurance policies will not cover problems related to maintenance, such as checking and replacing old lines and equipment, checking for proper installation of appliances that use gas, or for faulty appliances that break down and cause gas leaks. The homeowner is expected to bear the cost of making sure that their home is maintained. Earth movements, things such as earthquakes, mudslides, or sinkholes, are also unlikely to be covered by insurance, and if any of these events damage your gas lines, then your insurance will not cover repairing or replacing them.
Plenty of Other Scenarios Will Be Covered
There are many scenarios where your insurance will cover costs associated with gas leaks. If a tree falls into your house, and manages to burst the gas line connected to your stove, then that is likely to be covered by your insurance. If your gas lines also get damaged during a home invasion, such as during a burglary or vandalism, your insurance is also likely to cover that. Your insurance will also likely cover some of the problems associated with gas leaks, regardless of whether the cause of the leak is itself covered. For example, if your gas line starts releasing gas due to wear and tear, and the gas gets ignited resulting in a house fire, even though the cause of the gas leak was uncovered, your insurance is still likely to cover the costs of the house fire, including repairing the damaged structures and replacing personal property damaged by the fire.
Always Be on the Lookout for Gas Leaks
Your best bet to save costs is to make sure that you can find gas leaks and prevent them before they become a major problem. You should always check your gas piping after any kind of major event to make sure that there are no leaks, especially any events that impact the physical integrity of your house. Some common signs of gas leaks include smelling rotten eggs, hearing hissing sounds, finding air bubbles in puddles or mud outside the home, or areas of dead or dying plants. It is imperative to also regularly inspect all appliances that utilize gas, including stoves, water heaters, and boilers. If you see anything questionable or you’re unsure, it might be a good idea to have a third party perform an inspection and rule out potential gas leaks. Documentation of this process can also help claims made to your insurance in the event that a covered gas leak does occur. The further ahead you can get on these problems, the better things are going to go with making insurance claims.
