Same day help with burst or leaking pipes is on the way, says Standard Insurance Limited:

Johannesburg, 2 August 2017 – It is no exaggeration to say that water pipes are one of the most important parts of any home. Mostly unseen by the householder, pipes work constantly to make sure that household routines involve simply turning a tap. When they fail, however, the consequences can be dire – something that Standard Insurance Limited hopes to make a thing of the past.

Waiting for a plumber in a waterless house is often the worst part of experiencing a water pipe problem, says Natasha Pershad, Head of Claims: Homeowners Comprehensive Insurance at Standard Insurance Limited. Even if the issue is a leak rather than a pipe burst, the least that can be expected is a water bill that can upset the household budget. Now, says Ms Pershad, there is relief on the way.

Standard Insurance Limited is enabling policyholders in the major metropolitan areas of Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal to fast-track their claims for burst and leaking pipes by using the Standard Bank’s mobile banking app to lodge homeowner’s insurance claims online. Within the very same day of the claim being lodged, the problem will have been attended to, although this offer excludes after-hours claims for now. In such cases, problems will be attended to first thing the very next day.

“We have committed ourselves to an accelerated response time to assist policyholders because pipe bursts and leaks can create major complications for the entire family. Having to wait many hours or even days for service can be very stressful and hinder customer’s ability to go about their day. We all have that next thing to do, so having to take time out to deal with pipe issues or leaks, can be very frustrating. Hence, our move to partner with our registered service suppliers to streamline the claims process and vastly speed up responses,” says Ms Pershad.

“We need to, however, recognise that there may be times when a responding plumber may find that a problem is caused by a fault that will require additional work or involve a repair that cannot be completed within the specified time. In these or similar cases, the plumber will liaise with the homeowner and take the short-term action necessary to restore the water supply as soon as possible.”

“Clients wishing to make appointments with plumbers because they cannot be at home during the fast response period, will be able to make suitable arrangements with the service supplier as they choose.”

There are various causes for pipe failure and leaks. Some of the most common are:

• Changes in temperature. During winter, the temperature of the cold water running through the pipes will change during the day. In extreme cases, water in pipes can freeze; as the water freezes it expands and can fracture a pipe. If the pipe is in the home’s ceiling feeding water to a geyser the damage can be substantial. Solving this problem where pipes are visible and accessible, involves wrapping specially manufactured pipe bandages around the pipes to protect them from the cold and help maintain temperatures within the pipe. Some ingenious householders use ‘pool noodles’ to achieve the same effect. Cutting and opening a pool noodle along its length makes it easy to slide over a pipe to effectively insulate it.
• Age. Pipes are subject to wear and tear and corrosion. In older homes, where iron or galvanised pipes are part of the system, corrosion and lime scale building up in pipes can cause problems. This is generally not an issue in newer buildings where pipe materials used do not corrode.
• Tree Roots. Water pipes can become blocked with debris and roots can grow into the pipes and fracture them.

Steps that can be taken to minimise the chances of a pipe bursting or leaking include:

• Checking to see if the water in your area is ‘hard’ or ‘soft’. Hard water, which can be responsible for causing lime build up in pipes, can be identified by looking for while lime deposits on shower heads, taps and in sinks and basins. A plumber will be able to advise on the installation of a filter that will catch the minerals responsible for causing the build up by softening the water.
• Clearing minor blockages by using commercial liquid pipe cleaners. The downside is that these are often made of chemicals, although environment-friendly options are available.

“If the worst does happen and a leaking or burst pipe results in water pouring into the house, or unexplained pools of water suddenly appear in the garden, the water should be switched off at the mains. In most South African homes this is attached to the water meter situated near the boundary of properties,” says Ms Pershad.

“It is also important to note that the homeowner is responsible for repairing all leaks on the property or in the house. Leaks from pipes on the pavement are the responsibility of the municipality.”
“The best way of avoiding pipe problems is to regularly have pipes inspected. Most plumbers are able to do so by physically inspecting pipe joints and using detectors to check for leaks in underground pipes.”

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Author: Business News