Personal property coverage in your homeowners insurance may help to protect you if a power surge damages or destroys your electronics and appliances, up to the limits of your policy. For example, if a power surge causes an item to overheat and perish, your homeowners insurance may be able to help cover the cost.
Can you claim damage from a power surge?
If a power surge causes damage to your property, you can file a claim with your insurance carrier to recoup your losses. Make a list of the electronics (and other personal property) in your home ahead of time in case you need to file a claim. This will not only assist you in determining the appropriate level of coverage, but it will also make filing a claim easier.
Here’s what to do when filing a power surge claim:
1. As soon as it is safe to do so, assess the damage that has occurred.
The insurance claims adjuster will want to know what harm was done, so be thorough and write down everything that happened, including the date and time.
2. Submit a claim to your insurance company.
You can file a claim with American Family Insurance online, by contacting your agent, or by calling 1-800-MYAMFAM (1-800-692-6326). You can also use My Account or the MyAmFam app to file.
3. Think about your deductible.
Before your insurance pays the cost, you’ll almost certainly have to pay a deductible. If the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged property exceeds your deductible, you can choose to proceed with the claim, and your adjuster will work with the insurance carrier to determine a repair settlement.
4. Obtain payment
You’ll get a check or checks to repair or replace your damaged item if your claim is approved.
Does insurance cover lightning surge?
The way your insurance provider assesses lightning damage is determined on your insurer and the type of damage that occurred. We’ll show you how it works in most cases.
Lightning strikes can start fires inside or outside your home, destroy expensive appliances and gadgets, damage wiring in the walls, and even shock and harm you or a family member. The good news is that almost all homeowner’s insurance policies cover lightning damage. Coverage for the following items is included in your policy:
Personal property has been damaged. If your personal property, such as appliances or electronics, is destroyed by lightning, you’ll usually get reimbursed for the real cash worth the price you’d pay today for a comparable item after depreciation. Replacement cost coverage, which pays what it would cost to replace your personal property at its current worth, should be available.
Other structures, such as a garage or shed, may be harmed. Your homeowners policy should cover any damage to your covered outbuilding caused by lightning.
Costs of living increase. If your home was destroyed by lightning and is being repaired or rebuilt, your homeowner’s insurance will cover the cost of living somewhere else, such as a hotel, as well as other additional costs while your home is uninhabitable.
What is power surge insurance?
As a result of load shedding, power surge damage insurance claims are on the rise. Voltage fluctuations can frequently cause household appliances to be damaged beyond repair.
Can a refrigerator be repaired after a power surge?
Refrigerators are frequently taken for granted. They are perhaps the most crucial appliance in the house because they are always on. We frequently do not consider what causes refrigerator damage until it is too late. A damaged refrigerator, as many adjusters know, may rapidly turn into a headache, as damage to this ubiquitous item might necessitate a lot of technical investigation. You must determine whether the refrigerator is repairable, as well as establish food-stuffs coverage and estimate overall claim costs.
The refrigerator’s control board is the most delicate component. As a result, it is readily damaged when an electrical current surge produces extreme heat. Refrigerators with a damaged control board are frequently fixed because the board is affordable and simple to replace.
A significant high voltage surge can also destroy the compressor, though not as frequently as the control board. A powerful electrical incident can destroy the windings that control the compressor’s start and run functions, resulting in premature compressor failure. The refrigerator is frequently need to be replaced if the compressor is broken due to the high expense of replacing the compressor.
The ice maker in the refrigerator can potentially be damaged by a voltage surge. A short in the ice maker’s electrical connections can occur when the inrush of current generates more heat within the component. The ice maker assembly is generally inexpensive to replace, and a refrigerator with this type of damage may typically be repaired if the components are available.
Refrigerators can survive up to 17 years or longer with minimal maintenance. However, if regular upkeep is not performed, the longevity of the plant may be significantly reduced. A mechanically locked compressor, failure of the fan motor, and filthy condenser coils are the three most typical reasons for wear and tear failures.
The compressor of a refrigerator is the heart of the cooling system; without it, the refrigerator will not work. The compressor’s functionality deteriorates over age, just like any other mechanical component. The compressor may eventually stop turning and become mechanically locked. When this happens, the compressor will make a continual buzzing sound as it tries to start, and it will be extremely hot to the touch. This condition may emerge prematurely if the compressor is frequently beginning because the refrigerator is full or the coils are unclean (see section on dirty coils below). If the compressor fails, replacing it is usually prohibitively expensive. For high-end refrigerators, however, compressor replacement may be the more cost-effective alternative.
After years of use, the compressor part of a refrigerator has gotten blocked with dust and debris.
Another mechanical component that can fail is the fan motor. The fan motor bearings might become clogged with debris as they age, stopping the motor from functioning. If the part is available, it is often possible to repair the refrigerator by replacing the fan motor.
Another common wear-and-tear failure is dirty condenser coils. The coils might become blocked with dirt and dust if they are not cleaned on a regular basis. This limits effective heat transfer from the refrigerant to the air, leading the compressor to work harder and fail sooner. This problem can be readily avoided by cleaning the condenser coils on a regular basis.
As this blog has demonstrated, adjusters must properly examine claims involving refrigerator damage in order to calculate accurate claim settlements and avoid claims leakage. The difference between the average cost to repair and the average cost to replace is roughly $1,000, emphasizing the necessity of determining repair scope appropriately.
We expect these gaps to widen much more with the addition of several additional “smart technology” refrigerator capabilities. Adjusters can prevent overpaying or underpaying on refrigerator damage claims by having an independent expert analyze the refrigerator and offer an established cause of loss, suitable repair scope, and exact suggested settlement price. You can file a new claim here if you require an expert to evaluate a refrigerator.
Is surge shield worth the money?
“Is surge protection worth it?” you might wonder. Surge protection, on the other hand, has numerous advantages.
Surge prevention guards against voltage spikes in your equipment and electronics. Surge protection is more critical than ever before, given the amount of electricity that today’s appliances and devices consume. Too much voltage flowing through an outlet might result in electrical problems or possibly a fire. Surge protectors are used to assist prevent this situation.
It Helps Prevent Electrical Problems
It’s critical to understand what a power surge is before deciding whether or not a surge protector is worthwhile. When a large amount of energy is passed through to an appliance or device that is greater than the amount of energy designated for that electrical system, a power surge occurs.
Surge prevention protects your appliances and electronics by preventing power surges.
It Protects Your Equipment
Surge protectors are also useful since they safeguard your equipment from failure. Surge protectors do their best to keep your home and electronics safe from lightning strikes, which are one of the most deadly causes of electrical surges in the United States.
It Prevents Electrical Fires
Electricity flows in much the same way that water does through a hose. One end of an electrical system provides high pressure, which flows to the other end. When high power is carried from one end of the wire to the other end with low power, an electrical fire can occur if the power exceeds the maximum threshold.
Surge protection is a useful tool for preventing electrical fires and tragedies. Would you like to learn more about our Minneapolis surge protection services? Randy’s Electric can be reached online or by phone at 612-470-0914.
It Provides Peace of Mind
The peace of mind that surge protectors provide is one of the most essential reasons to get them for your house. If you’re often worried about electrical fires or power surges, investing in surge protectors will help you to rest easy, knowing that your home and family are safe.