February, 1999

Have your house checked while you're away on winter vacation, SGI CANADA advises

Airline seat sales and cold winter weather have a lot of people thinking about heading south for a few weeks. But if you’re leaving town for a vacation, don’t forget to have someone check the heating in your house daily while you’re away. Failing to do so could affect certain coverages under your home insurance.

"Most insurance companies have policy exclusions for situations where a homeowner is away for a specified length of time during the winter," says Lorne Whippler, SGI CANADA’s Assistant Vice President, Personal Lines. "These exclusions can affect coverage for plumbing ruptures and the accompanying escape of water."

For example, if you’re away from your premises for more than 10 days in a row during the normal heating season, SGI CANADA requires that you: (1) shut off the water supply and drain all pipes, attached fixtures, and appliances; or (2) have a reliable person come in daily to check the heating.

If you do not make either of these arrangements, you may not be covered for losses due to freezing and rupturing of pipes and resulting water damage while you are away. Other insurance companies have similar exclusions, but some require that the heating be checked daily if you’re away from your home for as little as four days in a row.

"These exclusions for plumbing rupture and water escape only apply during the normal heating season," says Whippler. "The exclusions are part of most home insurance policies in Canada, regardless of which insurance company you deal with."

Whippler adds, "The important thing is that policyholders be made aware of the exclusions so they can take appropriate measures to keep their coverages in place."

For more information, contact:
Lorne Whippler
Assistant Vice President, Personal Lines
SGI
Regina
(306) 751-1898

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