Wood stove and insurance question

[rigandig]

The Wife just told me this morning that she was working with the Insurance Company on some pricing and told them we had started using our insert.
OOPS.
Right away a $20.00 increase per something. And now they are set to come here Monday and take pictures and what ever it is they think they need to do to stick it to us if we file a claim. Could be Monday they will be told to leave if they get under my skin to much. I could go on about what i think of Ins Co's ,,, but I won't.

 

[Vibes]

Well my neighbor gave me a small stove yesterday, not sure if they'll like it but I'm going to give it a shot. It's an airtight newer one but the tag is missing. He changed the rear heat shield, and that's where the tag was. The new shield is better than the old one and looks factory, shouldn't be a problem. Not sure what they'll say about not having build info though. It's a small one from tractor supply, just a cheapo. I guess if they don't like it ill just hold off on one with the tag and go from there. Or if I can figure out what model this is try and order a new tag for it.

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If money is tight I understand that, but trust me when I tell you, Nationwide will not be on your side should something go wrong.

They require me to have that stupid spark arrestor on my Chimney cap. That stupid thing clogged on me 2 times. I filed a claim on my insurance for smoke damage the 2nd time it happened. I now have a mark on my insurance portfolio and if I get one more I'll lose my discounted rate.

I'm in the heating AC business. I have people call me to look at there woodburners on occasion. I've seen some of the biggest cobbled up messes you can imagine. I try telling people if they burn down there house with that or even for some other reason, that they'll have some explaining to do. They seem to think they have an edge over the claims process because their nephew sold them the policy. I just tell them goodluck and pay me with cash. I'm not putting my name on anything if they burn down the house.

If you need a good stove for cheap. Watch Lowes in the late winter. They clear out all their heating stuff at like 50% off to make room for grills. I forget what woodstoves they sell but I hear they are good ones. I installed a pellet stove for someone who bought it at lowes and they got it for a song.

 

[Vibes]

The Wife just told me this morning that she was working with the Insurance Company on some pricing and told them we had started using our insert.
OOPS.
Right away a $20.00 increase per something. And now they are set to come here Monday and take pictures and what ever it is they think they need to do to stick it to us if we file a claim. Could be Monday they will be told to leave if they get under my skin to much. I could go on about what i think of Ins Co's ,,, but I won't.

My insurance didn't go up at all when I put in my woodburner. I called the insurance company before I did the work. I had them send me the binder with their regs and clearances. Their requirements weren't any more stringent than common sense building code stuff. They did come and look at it and take pics but that was it. The inspector wanted to see the rest of the house though and I drew the line there.

Like I said above, the bricklayers insurance is defineately affected if he builds chimneys for woodburning. But not as much should he install hand rails on a set of steps. Go figure that one out.

 

[rmount]

Maybe just don't mention it, then throw it in later?

I can never figure out why people want to try to fool their insurance company. You don't have to buy insurance, if you choose to it is because you want it to pay for your loss if something happens. Why pay those monthly premiums if you are going to do something which will invalidate your insurance?

 

[Iron Head]

You don't want to install it yourself.
Have a certified, licensed installer install it for you.
Get the receipt and file it.
Your home owner insurance have no choice but cover you lost if anything happens.
And let them go deal with the installer.
Not all insurance co are the same. Some are buttholes like Progressive.
State Farm is great to deal with.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

For those who hate the insurance companies, take your money, put it in a jar and bury it in the back yard. When your house burns down, go dig up your jar, take out your money and go buy a nice tent to live in. Some companies are good, some are not so good. They are run by people just like you and me. Read your contract (the policy is a contract) which can be enforced by law. Any stove whether it is UL/EPA or whatever certification specifies the clearances to combustibles. If you have an old one that is not certified you should be able to install it in accordance with the current NFPA (National Fire Protection) regs and your insurance company will most likely insure it. If your company surcharges you for having a wood stove either pay it or get another company that does not. Whether you like it or not, homes with wood burners burn down at a higher rate than homes that do not. Imagine that. So Insurance companies want to charge "you" a little higher rate and not every other policy holder for the increased hazard of "your" risk. That is fair to everyone. I sure as heck would not want my company to charge me higher rates simply based on the next guys increased risk at his house.

 

[russhd1997]

I can never figure out why people want to try to fool their insurance company. You don't have to buy insurance, if you choose to it is because you want it to pay for your loss if something happens. Why pay those monthly premiums if you are going to do something which will invalidate your insurance?

If you have a mortgage on your house and more people do than don't, you have to have insurance. The binder has to be with the paperwork before you even start to sign the papers to close the loan.

 

[rmount]

If you have a mortgage on your house and more people do than don't, you have to have insurance. The binder has to be with the paperwork before you even start to sign the papers to close the loan.

Yep, another decision one has to make in life. If you want to use someone else's money to buy something you have to follow their rules. If you are using your money you can do what you want. Remember. if you have a mortgage it isn't "your" house. It belongs to someone else and they get to decide whether there should be insurance on it or not.

 

[Jules083]

Well as of right now my insurance isn't very concerned with the my small wood stove, so no worries yet.


What they are concerned about is the fact that, according to them, I don't have a furnace. They don't consider wood to be a viable source of heat, and as such aren't able to insure me. They are doing some digging today to see if coal can be considered, and if so I'll just keep a 5 gallon bucket of coal around.

I do have an oil furnace that needs hooked up, I may need to get on that sooner than I thought. At least hook it up for looks even if it's not actually able to put out heat yet.

I should just make a steel box and hook it up to the ductwork, then run some 'show wires' into it. Call it a discombobulater fired nuclear flux capicater primary gastin furnace.

 

[rmount]

Well as of right now my insurance isn't very concerned with the my small wood stove, so no worries yet.


What they are concerned about is the fact that, according to them, I don't have a furnace. They don't consider wood to be a viable source of heat, and as such aren't able to insure me. They are doing some digging today to see if coal can be considered, and if so I'll just keep a 5 gallon bucket of coal around.

I do have an oil furnace that needs hooked up, I may need to get on that sooner than I thought. At least hook it up for looks even if it's not actually able to put out heat yet.

I should just make a steel box and hook it up to the ductwork, then run some 'show wires' into it. Call it a discombobulater fired nuclear flux capicater primary gastin furnace.

They should be OK with electric baseboard heaters, just wire in the minimum number they require but don't use them.

 

[Vibes]

Well as of right now my insurance isn't very concerned with the my small wood stove, so no worries yet.


What they are concerned about is the fact that, according to them, I don't have a furnace. They don't consider wood to be a viable source of heat, and as such aren't able to insure me. They are doing some digging today to see if coal can be considered, and if so I'll just keep a 5 gallon bucket of coal around.

I do have an oil furnace that needs hooked up, I may need to get on that sooner than I thought. At least hook it up for looks even if it's not actually able to put out heat yet.

I should just make a steel box and hook it up to the ductwork, then run some 'show wires' into it. Call it a discombobulater fired nuclear flux capicater primary gastin furnace.

WOW!!! Thats a new one to me but I can see there point. We just had a story on the news in Pittsburgh last nite about some brain surgeon who just about killed a household of kids trying to heat the house with an oven. I guess they figure the morgage will get payed easier if your not dead.

Sounds like your fighting with the windmills now. Better just get a furnace or tell them you want the entire folder on heating and air conditioning and just figure it out from there. Like someone else said, they have regs that are clearly listed. Get themin there entirety and see what they are. You do have options.

 

[Jules083]

They should be OK with electric baseboard heaters, just wire in the minimum number they require but don't use them.

WOW!!! Thats a new one to me but I can see there point. We just had a story on the news in Pittsburgh last nite about some brain surgeon who just about killed a household of kids trying to heat the house with an oven. I guess they figure the morgage will get payed easier if your not dead.

Sounds like your fighting with the windmills now. Better just get a furnace or tell them you want the entire folder on heating and air conditioning and just figure it out from there. Like someone else said, they have regs that are clearly listed. Get themin there entirety and see what they are. You do have options.

Good call, both of you. I'll take a ride over there monday and see what they say. Thanks.

 

[Streblerm]

The issue with wood as your soul source of heat isn't as much an issue of being dangerous as it is an issue of reliability.

If for some reason you can't or don't feed the stove then your pipes could freeze and cause water damage, an insurance company's worst nightmare. As long as you have something that will kick in should the stove go out, the insurance man is usually satisfied.

 

[woodfarmer]

Jules your just about to the point that an insurance company won't insure because they just can't be bothered with you. A person that tries to circumvent the rules will be a pita to deal with when they have a claim not if.:bang: