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PSNC (natural gas company) sends out these offers for insurance from water line related repair protection for $4 a month.
It says the water line is my responsibility and not that of the water provider and that repairs can cost thousands.
Normally I would just say "scam" and toss it, but coming from a utility company I thought it would be a good idea to ask around -- so is this really a thing?
Is it common to have a water line repair needed in this area? If so, what does the cost of a situation like this typically look like?
Is it something that becomes a greater risk once a home is of a certain age (and if so, what age?)
I got one too and am curious what everyone thought about it. I am usually not tempted by these types of offers. My house and neighborhood is only a couple of years old but the cost over a ten year period is only $500. Dunno.
It makes sense for PSNC because they have the capabilities to fix it if there is a problem. But it's just some idea a bean counter at corporate dreamed up to make a few extra bux and bring "value" to an existing customer.
I would say the biggest threat to your water line would be the fiber companies busting it while they are laying cables. I would in that case it would be their bill to fix it.
I think the waterlines from the connector in your front box to the house to your house are your responsibility and from the box to the street/main lines are the cities. I had a leak in mine and they determined it was on their side (I detected the leak/knew where it was/called them). Honestly if you put 4 bucks a month away there is probably a 99% chance you'd never encounter the issue and could pocket the cash.
I have it, even though they will probably find a way not to pay should I ever need it (cynical much?) but I had a couple neighbors in NY that needed their water line replaced and it is $$$ and of course, how long can you live without water? I work in insurance so I'm hoping I can throw around enough important terminology to make them pay
Of course the houses on my block in NY were 50-80 years old so I probably won't ever need it here but .... it's cheap peace of mind for me.
it definitely depends on the age of your home. Offhand, I'd say mid-80's, just because I can only think of older homes where the line's been replaced.
The other thing is, where does your water line come from, and what trees lie between it and where it enters the house?
As noted, I'd be much more interested in sewer line coverage. If you don't think you can last without water, how long do you think that you want to be WITH sewage?
Are most water supply lines copper or pvc/pex these days? What is risk of damage outside of someone digging?
Tree roots. Even from small little trees planted in front of new construction homes.
More related to sewer line, but in my old neighborhood, we had an issue in the townhomes with the landscapers using riding lawn mowers, which would hit the sewer cleanout access, and caused tiny cracks for a couple of the homes. Then the tree roots were able to infiltrate the sewer line. One homeowner had her downstairs bathroom back up into her home. They had to dig up the sewer line and pull out a massive root ball. It cost her thousands of dollars, IIRC.
I'm not sure how much of an issue tree roots would be for the supply line (less danger of damage than sewer line), but all it takes is a small crack or weak spot for roots to take hold.
Tree roots. Even from small little trees planted in front of new construction homes.
More related to sewer line, but in my old neighborhood, we had an issue in the townhomes with the landscapers using riding lawn mowers, which would hit the sewer cleanout access, and caused tiny cracks for a couple of the homes. Then the tree roots were able to infiltrate the sewer line. One homeowner had her downstairs bathroom back up into her home. They had to dig up the sewer line and pull out a massive root ball. It cost her thousands of dollars, IIRC.
I'm not sure how much of an issue tree roots would be for the supply line (less danger of damage than sewer line), but all it takes is a small crack or weak spot for roots to take hold.
But with a sewer line, you can have a rotor rooter type service come and clean it out and you will be good for awhile. I know, it happened a couple of months after I moved into current house. We had these supposedly flush able paper towels which didn't disintegrate fast enough. Everything was backing up. Cost was $110 and they spent an hour with their giant electric snake, cleaned all the roots and paper out and we have been normal for the last 4 years. Luckily there was easy access to clean outs. But that seems a lot cheaper than fixing an under pressure water supply leak.
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