Does use of a hot water heater blanket affect insurance coverage?

Question

I went to Home Depot to buy an insulating blanket for my hot water heater. My local store doesn't carry them. The sales person told me that if there's a water heater fire, and you're using a water heater blanket, most insurance companies won't provide coverage for the damage. I would have thought that manufacturers would be smart enough to make them out of fire-resistant materials. I couldn't find anything in my HO policy about this issue, but I may have missed something in the fine print.

Answer 1

I'm a plumber in CA and from what I understand, all it does is void the manufacturers warranty for the WH.

Answer 2

I'm an insurance professional in CA and I have never heard that the use of a hot water heater blanket will exclude coverage or diminish the claim amount. In fact, most insurance companies encourage properly strapping and protecting your hot water heater to prevent/reduce damage and/or injury to the homeowner.

I don't know what state you are in, perhaps there was some off-the-wall lawsuit and a judicial decision was made that forced insurers use stricter underwriting guidelines regarding hot water heaters. I would call your agent/insurer and ask if there are any restrictions or guidelines regarding the use of a hot water heater blanket. Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes they do and so does insulating the hot water pipes. That keeps the water in the lines hot longer so you're not running the tap to get hot water so much. We haven't insulated our hot water tank because it's a new one and has extra insulation built right in. It's so well insulated that it only looses 1/2 a degree F an hour. But we have done all the hot water pipes we can get to. That wasn't a big expense; probably less than $25. Watch for sales on insulation products. I bought our supplies at Home Depot when they had them on sale for about 50% off.

Answer 4

Here are some tips to help you save some energy, as well as prepare your home for the winter weather:

-Use foam pipe wrap on your hot water supply lines, to hold in heat during the cold weather.
-Use foam pipe wrap on both hot and cold supply lines that are near the perimeter of your home, to help prevent those pipes from freezing and bursting, during the severely cold days and nights coming soon.
-Consider purchasing a hot water heater blanket wrap and installing it, to hold the temperature of water in your water heater.
-Use 6 mill(or heavier) clear plastic on basement windows, or other windows in your home, that may not get used. This will help reduce the draft at those locations, but will allow sunlight to radiate through.
-Disconnect exterior garden hoses, and close shut-off valves to the spigots. Many pipe freezes occur at exterior hose spigots.
-If you will be traveling during the colder time of winter, consider having your water systems winterized for the duration of your trip, especially if you will be gone for an extended time. Alternatively, have someone check-in on your home twice a day, to insure that your heating system is functioning properly. Many of the water damage service calls we receive, occurred while a client was out of town for an extended period of time.
-Consider installing new insulation in your attic. Often times, you can recover what you spend on insulating your attic in as little as 5 years.
-Don’t forget about your sump pump. Fast snow melts can increase the amount of water headed towards your sump pump. Make sure it is running properly all year round, to avoid costly water damage insurance claims, or possibly out-of-pocket water damage claims, if you’re not covered - http://insripoffs.blogspot.se/

Answer 5

I don't think the fiberglass is considered combustable, so it sounds like the guy was giving you a line of $hit. Check at other hardware stores.

Answer 6

call your fire insurance co. I do not believe this is true but better safe than sorry