What is plumbing and drainage cover?

04th July 2022

Worried about blocked drains? Have you been asking yourself ‘do I need plumbing and drainage cover?’ If so, it might be worth considering taking out a policy to give yourself some added reassurance should things go wrong.
We’ll explain how to avoid blocked drains, what to do if you are experiencing issues, and why home drainage cover may be exactly what you need for your peace of mind.

Common drainage problems and how to solve them

If your drains become blocked regularly, there are a few common reasons as to why that might be happening. Arming yourself with this information can be useful when considering taking out home plumbing and drainage insurance cover. Here’s an overview of what these issues are and how they can be fixed:

Leftover fat, oil, or food
Fat, oil or leftover food that turns into a solid as it cools is one of the most common reasons for a blockage. This is often caused by homeowners and tenants pouring away oil or discarding food into their sink while washing up.

The worst time for this to happen is in the middle of winter where temperatures dramatically decrease and drains are more at risk of developing blockages. If you have a lot of leftover food or washing up pots and pans with a lot of excess oil and fat, you should scrape this off into a bin.

Baby wipes
Another common reason for drains to become blocked is baby wipes. This can often be an issue, even if they are described as “flushable”. It’s important to note that while these products may not cause issues for your home’s drains, they can cause wider problems for public sewers as they can mass together and create “bergs”.

Bergs are large masses of debris, fat, and discarded items typically found in public sewers. To avoid causing more extensive damage, you should discard of all wipes and hygiene products into a general waste bin.

Tree roots
Drainage problems can also be caused by tree roots growing through fractured drains. Roots grow out once they sense a source of moisture and nutrients.

In the case of damaged or fractured drains, it’s common for tree roots to grow out towards the drain. If the growth of tree roots has damaged a drain, they will generally need to be replaced to restore integrity to the pipework, as well as a liner to prevent any future damage from root growth.
If any of this applies to you, it’s worth looking into the different levels of water and drainage cover that are available to help protect you if blockages become a regular issue.

What is boiler plumbing and drainage cover?

Typically, water and drainage cover is insurance that covers your drains should they become blocked or damaged. This insurance also usually includes cover for toilets and sinks as well as leaking pipes and blockages affecting your water supply. It’s sometimes referred to as boiler plumbing and drainage cover or drain plumbing cover, but it all provides the same basic level of insurance in the event of an issue arising with your drains.

Drain insurance cover includes clearing blocked drains where they have become physically damaged. It should also include some cover for emergency repairs should damage occur in underground drains. However, it’s worth double checking what limits and exclusions there are, as well as how many call-outs are included in a year.

Important Information

Some providers offer insured plans to look after your Boiler and Heating and other home services like plumbing, drains and electrics, whereas other providers offer non-insured plans. An insured plan will be underwritten by an insurer and also regulated by the [Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)](https://www.fca.org.uk/). Non-insured plans are not backed by an insurer and are not regulated by the FCA. Often non-insured or maintenance plans include an annual service of the equipment covered, whereas these may or may not be included in insured plans.

04th July 2022

Do I need plumbing and drainage cover?

So, does drain plumbing cover apply to you? If you’re a homeowner or landlord with a detached, semi-detached, or terraced house, you’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of your drains.

In the case where the drain is a lateral drain (commonly found in flats), you won’t be accountable as it’s the building manager’s duty to maintain the drain as this is shared among multiple homes. This is only a relatively recent change in responsibility, however. Until October 2011, it was the joint responsibility of multiple flats or houses to maintain lateral drains.

As mentioned above, if you are a homeowner or landlord, it’s your responsibility to maintain the drains. Therefore, taking out a form of water and drainage cover is a no-brainer to keep yourself protected, especially if your drain were to become blocked or damaged suddenly.

If you do not have protection in place, you could find that you have unexpected expenses to account for. It’s likely that you’ll have to pay a large sum of money to cover the cost of an engineer or plumber to fix the issue, along with the repairs and any replacement parts.

Home plumbing insurance is your go-to for added reassurance, especially if you want your boiler and central heating system covered while also protecting yourself against any drain blockages.

What is the difference between a drain and a sewer?

It’s quite common for people to confuse the two, especially when researching plumbing and drainage insurance cover. A drain is a pipe that takes sewage (also known as grey water) away from a building. The sewage is then fed from the drain into the sewer. A sewer, however, is a pipe that takes sewage or water away from more than one property at a time.

Knowing the difference between the two can be crucial when taking out a policy as this will help to make sure you know what’s covered.

If you’re searching for the best plumbing and drainage cover designed to suit your needs, get in touch with the Hometree team. We’ll talk you through the levels of cover available.