Anyone Here Buy Water/Sewer Line Insurance? (Springfield, Fairfax: credit, how much)

[ChristineVA]

I'm thinking about getting this and was wondering if anyone else does and, if so, who do you purchase it through?

In the last year, two of my neighbors have had their lines go. The first was a neighbor who had her sewer line go which then backed up into her basement. The repair was almost $10,000. As far as we know, she was the only one in our neighborhood of about 50 homes to have this happen. Then, just last week, we saw digging at the house right next door to hers. It was a water line this time. The neighbors *just* moved in so I don't know them well enough to find out what it cost them.

The first house is 21 years old, the second house is about 23 years old.

So, feeling a little nervous here that it might start happening to more homes (faulty pipes) or hopefully just a fluke.

Both my water company and my electric company (go figure) offer insurance at around $12.00 to cover both lines.

Would you get it? Too much money? What do you think?

[Hal Roach]

Don't they offer an annual option that brings it down to 6-8 per month? Yes, I would do it. And that stuff does hit neighborhoods in waves...I recall a bunch of them being redone in Springfield, when the homes were mid 20s yo. Of course, the places where people plant trees/bushes is nonsensical, considering how much damage they can do to siding/roofing/or pipes. I was always amazed at how poorly the CAD programs used by landscape designers accounted/allowed for growth. Considering how cold it gets in Nova; it's amazing how jungle like plant life are. I would also check to see if they could deny your claim for having trees to close to them.

[airjay75]

The insurance for sewer/water repair lines I have looked at before usually had a max payout of $5,000. Maybe there are some better policies out there, but I expect the premiums would increase. And, you may not have the ability to pick your own contractor (which, to me, is important). Given all that, it seemed to me like I'd be better placing those premiums aside in an emergency savings account. Of course, premiums are sort of a forced savings, but I still didn't like it. But, if I saw a lot of homes in my neighborhood facing those repairs, that might scare me into purchasing it too.

[VRE332]

my neighbor's water line got shut off abruptly after the fairfax water suspected a leak, so after the water line was replaced and a few thousand dollar bill to the water company for 9 million gallons of leaked water, it came to be around $6000 loss.

[car54]

Originally Posted by VRE332

my neighbor's water line got shut off abruptly after the fairfax water suspected a leak, so after the water line was replaced and a few thousand dollar bill to the water company for 9 million gallons of leaked water, it came to be around $6000 loss.

Your neighbor must have done something wrong to get charged for 9 million gallons of water!

From Fairfax Water's website:

"Most leak adjustments are calculated by crediting charges for 2/3 of the estimated water loss. Adjustments for a leaking water service lateral (the line running from the meter to the house) are calculated to credit 100% of the estimated water loss."

[Carlingtonian]

Never done it. I guess we just figure that in a house this old (about 80 years), the odds are low that we'll have this problem before we sell it to the next people. I think the prewar houses used cast iron, so I'm not too worried.

But if I had neighbors who had to replace their lines, I'd probably spring for the insurance.

[patriot201]

My neighbors on each side of me have had to replace their water lines, and two doors down had to replace the sewer line, so I got the insurance from Dominion Power.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by patriot201

My neighbors on each side of me have had to replace their water lines, and two doors down had to replace the sewer line, so I got the insurance from Dominion Power.

How old is your community? Our was less than 20 years old. They must have used some uneducated plumbers back then, now their mistakes are bearing(sp) fruit.

[Hal Roach]

Here is a 64 year old cast iron drain pipe...replaced with ABS pipe.

[froglipz]

Old house probably (Orangeburg Pipe), newer house no.
http://sewerologist.com/orangeburg-pipe/