Does a home warranty cover your home’s plumbing?
Your home’s plumbing is one of many things a home warranty from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10 HBW) can cover. Your home’s plumbing system and its components can be expensive and disruptive when they break down. A home warranty from 2-10 HBW can reduce both the cost and the time you spend to address plumbing problems. But which parts of your plumbing fall under warranty coverage, and how does a home warranty plan from 2-10 HBW help you?
Today, we’ll look at four important topics about how a home warranty from a trustworthy home warranty company can help you.
- Plumbing issues a home warranty should cover
- Plumbing elements a home warranty may not cover
- How to determine what your home warranty covers related to the plumbing in your home
- How to file a home warranty claim for plumbing repairs
Before we dive in, let’s start with the basics—what is a home warranty?
What is a home warranty and what does it typically cover?
A home warranty is an annual Service Agreement that can cover the costs of repairing or replacing a major home system or appliance when they break down from normal wear and tear. Every system and appliance breaks down eventually. Without a home warranty, you may find yourself spending too much time and money to address expensive and inconvenient breakdowns.
A standard 2-10 HBW warranty plan will generally cover the following home systems and home appliances:
- Your home’s plumbing system, including qualified pipe leaks and breaks, toilet tank issues, and most water heaters (oil hot water tanks excluded)
- Your home’s HVAC system
- Electrical system
- Major appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven
A great part of having a home warranty protection plan from 2-10 HBW is that our Service Agreements spell out what’s included in your coverage. It also spells out any exclusions and dollar limits you may need to consider. Let’s now look at some specifics about what a home warranty from 2-10 HBW can cover in terms of your plumbing system.
Plumbing issues that a home warranty can cover
Here’s a list of many of the most common plumbing issues a home warranty plan can cover. This list is not all inclusive, but it can give you an idea for what to expect from your warranty coverage.
- Breaks and leaks in your water line, drain line, gas line, waste line, and vent line
- Gas and electric water heaters—which may include tankless, power, and direct-vent units—and interior water heater gas lines
- Toilet tanks, bowls, tank assembly parts, flanges, and wax ring seals
- Faucets, shower heads, and shower arms
- Interior and exterior hose bibbs
- Drain line stoppages (clogged drains) that can be cleared with a standard sewer cable
You can purchase additional coverage for plumbing systems if the components are vital to making your home functional. For example, if your home uses a primary, permanently installed sump pump for ground water, it may be covered under standard home warranty coverage.
You can also purchase additional warranty plan coverage for your warranty plans that cover other plumbing systems, such as the plumbing systems of your spa and pool, or for water softeners. As you consider the warranty coverage that’s best for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to a 2-10 HBW representative with any questions you may have.
Plumbing elements that a home warranty may not cover
There are several aspects of your home’s plumbing that a home warranty will not cover. Here are some common problems that a home warranty from 2-10 HBW may not cover.
- Stoppages in your plumbing system that occur outside of the home’s foundation
- Stoppages caused by a collapsed, damaged, or broken drain/sewer line not within your home’s foundation
- Lines that are broken, infiltrated, or blocked due to foreign object obstructions or root growth
- The cost of photo or video equipment required to locate an inaccessible cleanout
- Replacement or repair of entire bathtubs, sinks, showers, shower enclosures, or base pans
- Replacement or repair of any of the following:
- Toilet lids and seats
- Caulking or grouting
- Lawn sprinkler systems
These are just some of the problems that don’t fall under home warranty coverage. But again, 2-10 HBW clearly states exclusions and dollar limits within the Home Warranty Service Agreement.
A home warranty from 2-10 HBW can be a great tool to protect your home and budget. However, it isn’t an all-inclusive solution to every single plumbing breakdown your home may have. It’s extremely important to know that you must take care of your plumbing system for home warranty coverage to be useful to you.
If you neglect to take care of your plumbing system, you’ll likely find that home warranty coverage will not apply. For example, if you constantly pour grease, coffee grounds, or eggshells down your sink and it then stops working, it could be a red flag to a Service Contractor that you aren’t properly caring for your system.
Another common mistake a homeowner can make is thinking that a home warranty covers breakdowns caused by natural disasters. For instance, if an earthquake were to damage your home’s water heater and piping, a home warranty wouldn’t apply. Instead, you’d need to contact your homeowners insurance provider. A home warranty provides coverage against routine wear and tear. That’s why it’s a great idea to have both homeowners insurance and a home warranty to protect your home.
How to determine what your home warranty covers on the plumbing in your home
Different warranty companies offer different coverages. When you have a home warranty from 2-10 HBW, there are a few ways to determine whether your home warranty covers your plumbing breakdowns.
The most effective way of knowing whether you have coverage for a plumbing problem through 2-10 HBW is by reviewing your Home Warranty Service Agreement. When you become a 2-10 HBW customer, you have access to your Service Agreement 24/7 through Homeowner Portal. This makes it easy to confirm your coverage in clear, easy-to-understand terms.
Another way to determine coverage is to call or email and ask! 2-10 HBW’s expert customer service representatives can walk you through the nuances of your coverage. And if you don’t have coverage but are thinking about it, they can answer your questions and help you find warranty coverage that fits your needs.
How to file a home warranty claim for plumbing repairs
If you determine that you have a plumbing issue that’s covered by your 2-10 HBW home warranty, the process of filing a claim is straightforward.
- File your claim online through Homeowner Portal or by calling 2-10 HBW
- Schedule an assessment with an approved, local, independent Service Contractor though 2-10 HBW’s contractor network
- Pay the Service Fee outlined in your Service Agreement
- Sit back and let the Service Contractor assess and address the problem
That’s it. No spending all day searching for trustworthy Service Contractors, and fewer worries about it could cost to address plumbing breakdowns.
It bears repeating—a home warranty covers plumbing breakdowns caused by routine wear and tear. If you were to have a weather-related plumbing breakdown, your homeowners insurance may be able to help you. If you don’t properly maintain your plumbing system, your home warranty may not apply. That’s why it’s so important to commit to maintenance for your plumbing system.
Performing regular maintenance on your plumbing
You don’t need to be a plumber to perform regular maintenance on your plumbing system. Regular maintenance is crucial to keeping your home safe and functional. It’s also required so that your home warranty applies when something breaks down. Not to sound like a broken record, but poor or improper maintenance can make it impossible for your home warranty to apply.
Here are some ways you can maintain your plumbing system properly.
- Flush your water heater. This is a fairly easy and obvious sign of maintenance. We wrote a guide for how you can flush your water heater.
- Check for leaks, even small ones, in hard-to-see spaces, especially in the basement.
- Reduce obstructions in your drains by placing a screen at the drain opening.
- Don’t flush wipes down the toilet, even if they say they’re flushable. For more tips from Service Contractors, check out this article.
- Clean the disposal systems in the kitchen regularly, and only put liquids down the drains.
- Don’t put grease, coffee grounds, or eggshells down the drain, even if you have a garbage disposal.
Having a well-maintained plumbing system will make your life a lot easier. It will also ensure that your warranty coverage through 2-10 HBW will protect you when you need it.
2-10 HBW offers the most comprehensive home warranty coverage for homeowners. Let us help you protect your home.
