As Lockdown kicked in, our geyser decided to give up on life.
Getting to grips with the restrictions to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic is one thing, but having to deal with an emergency during this time is another.
While the restrictions were only lifted a few weeks later for plumbers and electricians – I needed to get things sorted. And fast.
It meant I didn’t follow the usual procedure of contacting my insurer first. Our home insurance, included with our bond, covers loss due to a burst geyser up until a specific limit. It does however carry a hefty excess levy. It's still worth noting, as many are not aware of the geyser cover as an included benefit.
Under the exceptional circumstances I found myself in, there was no way to call for an approved provider or to confirm the claim limit. However, I’ve learnt a few things during the process worth sharing, should you find yourself needing to replace your geyser in a hurry.
SEE: Home loans and insurance cover
- It’s expensive, so being insured helps
While we had the rands on hand to cover the unexpected emergency, I’m grateful we also had the sense to have the necessary insurance in place.
The current, estimated cost to replace and install a geyser is about R7 500 – so budget towards this amount of savings, at the very least, if you are not insured.
The average household uses a 150L geyser. A steel 150l geyser cost about R5 500. Our emergency included labour charges of about R2 500 – charged at a flat rate, which works in your favour should there be installation complications.
We also had to replace the pressure valve, which cost an added R1 500.
The estimated R477 per month we pay for home insurance is nominal when compared to the full amount that had to laid out in one go. It certainly is much less than if we had to cover the expenses of a fallen tree or any other structural issue covered in our policy. But don’t forget, you’ll be liable for an excess value when you do claim too.
SEE: 7 tips to ensure your geyser is ‘good to go’ this winter
- Know the T&Cs of your policy
Although we are insured, the full maintenance amount was not covered. This meant we could not claim for pressure valve that needed to be replaced too.
Our insurance only replaces like for like, so check these details of your policy. There are many variations from steel to copper geysers. Our policy stipulates the need for solar compatibility of the replacement geyser – which we are planning to do anyway and therefore opted to buy a geyser with this specification. But at the time I did not know it was a requirement for our claim.
Check your policy thoroughly to know what the core requirements are, to ensure your claim won’t be rejected. Ultimately – if you are unsure of what you need, it is best to register your claim beforehand and use a recommended provider to avoid any delays.
READ: Who is responsible for home maintenance, tenant or landlord?
- Make sure your invoice has all the correct info
The details of the old geyser are vital, so ask your plumber to include all of this on your invoice - including the code and serial number of both the old and new geyser. You will also need to have the original invoice with itemised billing submitted along with your claim. If not, expect delays. Because our insurance was part of our bond, it meant we needed to have the signatories of the bond - both my husband and I - to sign for the claim of loss.
If an alternative bank account for the claim payment is used, you will need to provide bank verified proof of details for the account the claim will be paid into.
Nobody wants to be left out of pocket unexpectedly, so be sure you dot those Is and cross all the Ts, when it comes to your home maintenance savings or insurance policies.
*Compiled by Selene Brophy
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