Escape of water – how to help protect your home

Escape of water is a common home insurance claim in the UK and it can cause a lot of damage if it’s not dealt with quickly. In this article we’ll uncover what escape of water means, as well as help you to spot and prevent leaks. We’ll also give you some practical tips on what to do if water does escape in your home.

You might be thinking exactly what is escape of water ? It’s when internal pipes, tanks or fixed appliances like dishwashers leak or burst. It’s different from flooding, which is when water comes into your home from outside – like an overflowing river or a burst water main. In insurance terms, escape of water is always a leak or burst from something inside your home. 

The most common causes are burst pipes, faulty seals, leaking appliance hoses and ageing joints. But there are hidden causes that are more difficult to locate – think plumbing issues behind walls or ceilings. For example, you might find that your latest DIY project goes awry and you drill into pipes that you didn’t know were there. There’s also seasonal risks, like frozen pipes during winter. We’ve got more information about this in our burst and frozen pipes article.

Keep an eye out for damp patches or brown stains on ceilings and walls – these are usually the first signs you’ll see of a leak. You might have lower water pressure, or your water bill is unexpectedly higher than usual. If you can hear running water but you’ve made sure all your taps are turned off, then that could indicate a leak. If there’s a musty smell, or you can see mould growing on ceilings or internal walls, then you may have a hidden pipe leak. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of practical things you can do to help prevent water damage inside your home. 

• Check for cracked tiles, missing grout and damaged or missing bath and shower sealant. Replace them as and when it’s needed.
• Remember to turn taps off after you’ve used them. 
• Wrap pipes (also called pipe lagging or insulation) that are vulnerable to freezing (like those in the loft). You can find the type of material to use online. 
• If you’re taking on a bit of DIY, use a pipe detection device to check where pipes are before drilling into any walls.
• Locate your stopcocks and check they work, so you can turn them off if you find a leak.
• You can even get a professional to fit a ‘leak detection device’, which monitors your water use and can turn off the water if it suspects a leak.

Here’s our four-step process that you can follow if you have an escape of water at home:

1. Turn off the main water supply straight away. 
2. Make sure the area is safe by switching off any electricity nearby. 
3. Keep the area well-ventilated and dry it as much as possible. Take photos as evidence for your insurer. 
4. Contact a plumber and then your insurer. Make sure you’ve got your policy details to hand.

Taking these steps can make it easier for us to assess an escape of water claim, but claim outcomes are subject to the terms and conditions of your policy.

It's important to keep on top of maintenance throughout your home. This stands you in good stead if you need to make a claim. Every insurer works differently when it comes to what is and isn’t covered. Typically, you can cover your home and contents for sudden water damage caused by the things we’ve talked about already in this article. If a leak is caused by wear and tear, it’s more than likely that the repair won’t be covered. But any resulting damage is usually covered by your home insurance policy, depending on the type of cover you have. If you have to make a claim, you might have to pay an excess amount. This usually depends on how your home insurance policy is set up.

With Aviva Signature Home Insurance, we cover the cost of identifying and repairing a leak up to £5,000. Exclusions and limitations apply. Please see your policy documents.

Any leaks caused by wear and tear are not covered. An escape of water caused from broken equipment, like a bucket, usually isn’t covered. But this differs from provider to provider, and you might be covered if you have accidental damage cover. External flooding is a different type of cover that may come with your home insurance. If water escapes because a tap has been left running, causing a sink, bath or shower to overflow, this is usually only covered if your home insurance policy includes accidental damage cover.

Your claim might be declined if you don’t keep up with maintaining your property. As with any type of insurance claim, it’s always recommended to check your own specific policy documents.

If you’re an Aviva Signature home insurance customer and you have a leak, you should call us immediately on 0345 030 6945 ^{Footnote [1]} with your policy number to hand. Please refer to your own home insurance documents to understand what’s covered.

We provide:

• cover for locating and repairing hidden leaks 
• access to an approved list of repair and restoration services
• guidance on prevention tools, like leak sensors and stopcock checks.