supply or shut downcentralheating systems. nEnsure allleaseholders knowwherethe stop


cocksare located. Theseshouldbeaccessible andeasilyturned. Stop cockscan seizedue to


minimal use. nOnly useapproved contractorswhen maintenance, repairsorreplacement worksare


carried out. Inyourkitchenandbathroom nCheck appliance inlet and outlet fittings


annually. nCleandoorcollarseals on washingmachines anddishwashers,replacing anythatare


damagedorworn. nMake an annual checktoensurethatthe seal


around your bath and/or shower is watertight. nDon’t allowyour bath to overflow! nEnsure plugs are not in the drain holeswhen


not in use. nReplace washers in leaking taps and


overflowing cisterns as soon as possible. nEnsure overflowpipes canrelease water


effectively. Foryourcentralheating


nCarryout an annual checkoncentral


heatingtanks andsystems. nEnsure shut off valves arelocatedineasily accessible places andthatyou know howtouse


them. nCheckradiatorvalvesregularly forleaks. nPrior to unoccupancy for more than a few


days during thewinterperiodleave central heatingswitchedonand at alow setting to


prevent the pipes fromfreezing. Outsideyourblock nCheckdrainsannuallyand clearthemas


necessary. nLook out for dripping pipe outlets, as these


may be due to an overflowing cistern. nClear gutters regularly. In ablock of flats,awater leak or burst pipe


cancause devastatingdamagetothe structure of thebuilding,electricalwiringand fixtures andfittings as well as damage to contents. Unfortunately,most waterleaks do not


inconvenience the leaseholder with the leak, butusuallythe blamelessoccupierbelow. Watermanagementdevices such as Sure Stop (gotowww.surestop.co.uk)havebecome popularwithflat andapartment owners. With themere flick of a switch, water flowis restrictedwhile you are out or away.


What todoif


youspot a leak If youare unfortunateenoughtodiscovera


DEaling with your insurEr


Thepolicyholder’sactions right fromthestart can affect theoutcomeof your wholeclaim,saysVictoria Jewell, fromloss adjusterand claimmanagerCunningham Lyndsey. In theevent ofalargeloss,


timeis of theessenceand mitigationofthelossmust commenceimmediately. Shouldyourblock suffera


Flat Living Winter 2011


majorleakyourinsurer will expect you, thepolicyholder, tohave theleakrepaired as quicklyaspossibleandnotify insurers of thelossassoon as youcan. Policyholders oftenneed


to go further andappoint arestorationcompany or installdryingequipment.This speeds upthe reinstatement process andhelps the loss


adjuster identify the extent of thedamage. Wheretheproperty is


rendereduninhabitableby the lossandtheoccupantsrequire alternativeaccommodation, insurers willpayany reasonablecostsincurred by theclaimant.Thismeans policyholdersmustensure that anyalternativeaccommodation ischosenonalikefor likebasis.


leak in your block, this iswhat you should do. nTurn off the water supply stop cock.Make


sure you knowwhere it is. nIf there is no shut off stop cock located


inside the flat then itmay have a shared watersupply, somake sure youcan gettothe stop valve-thisisnormallylocatedwhere thewater enters thebuilding -thentellyour neighbours,astheir watersupplymay have beenaffected.


thekey to reducing insuranceclaims


nIf appropriate, turn off centralheating and


anyother waterheating systems. nDrain waterpipes andtanks.Oncethe waterheating systemshavebeenshutdown, turn on thetapstohelpdrain thesystemfully


of the remaining water to minimise damage. nTurn off theelectrics if theescapeofwater is near your electrical wiring or appliances. If anyliveelectricalequipment is wet, do not


touch it – send for a qualified electrician nWarn theoccupiers of theflatsdirectly


management is Effectiverisk Waterdamage cancause tens of thousands of pounds belowsothatstepsmaybetaken to reduce the


likelihood of any damage to their properties. nIf waterstartstoseepthrough theceiling in theflat belowtry andcollect it in asuitable container. Should the ceiling begin to bulge consider piercing theplasterwithawooden broomhandleorsuitablepointed object to releasethe waterand prevent theceiling from collapsing.Caremay need to be takenagainst disturbing anyasbestos contained in artex


coveredceilings. nNotify your Insurer, Residents’ Management Companyandmaintenance company, as appropriate, as soon as possible andfind areputable plumber to effectrepairs. Your insurance companyorResidents’ Management Companymay be able to provide youwithdetails of preferred andcompetent contractors. Afterwards,alwaysrememberto


make sure that your hotwater systemis completely refilledagain withoutairlocks before switching on boilers, or switching on immersion heaters in tanks etc. Waterdamagecan cost tens of thousands


of pounds.Bytakingsimplemeasuressuch as these, youwillhelpcontrol your insurance costs.●


BelindaThorpe Commercial director CHUResidentsline


in the event of a large loss, time is of the essence


63


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