blackdogon57
Addicted to ArboristSite
To make matters worse they won't even look at my out building which is a commercial kennel or any of the liability associated with kennel or firewood business. That's a separate policy.
If they give you any grief don't be shy to price out different companies. It really varies between providers how they view any type of wood burner. Find a good agent who wants to work for you and not the snob who sits behind a desk collecting renewals. Be upfront with what you have and are looking for. Someone will meet your needs.
My hunting cabin would have quite an annual surcharge to add a wood stove (due to distance to nearest FD) so I went with propane and the difference in rate pays for a year of heating. If I start to use it more in the winter as the kids get bigger that will change and I will be putting in a wood stove.
IMHO that is incredibly bad advice. If you have a claim and with fire it is going to be major. Fraud on an application is a perfect reason not to pay. If you claim you heated with propane and have not a single dollar spent in 4 years, you have a perfect verifiable justification for a fraudulent application and denial of claim.
How do these rates change if there is a sprinkler or other fire suppression system installed, like a halon system or something else?
Anyway, just unreal this hassle with a simple woodstove. My POV, natgas or propane is way more dangerous.
All depends on the insurance company. Each one's bean counters view this a little difference.
The problem with wood that costs all of us is that some yahoos use unapproved, unmaintained, or poorly made devices that fail at the wrong time and burn the place down. That's why they have so many rules. The problem is that some rules are so draconian and/or made by someone who doesn't understand wood burners and what is safe and what isn't.
Regarding the post about not claiming the wood burner. Bad idea as that's a good way to get $0 if your house burns down and they determine or suspect the wood burner did it.
I'd say its one thing to claim its not your primary source, but another to claim you don't use it at all ( no one said to do that on here, just saying).
Then my agent gave me incredibly bad advice cause he is the one that told me to do it this way. (I'll go with what he says)
I actually do use my propane in the early fall and spring when temps are in the 40-50's during the daytime. The wood burner just isn't efficient when temps really warm up and its more hassle trying to keep it going than it is just to run the propane. We generally spend 3-500 a year on propane. Plus it keeps them off my back from threatening to come take my tank.
Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I can completely remove my OWB system and still use the propane furnace. The reverse cannot be said of removing the propane furnace as the OWB system would then be disabled. So does that make propane the primary? It would seem so.You bring up a good point. For those of us with hybrid heating systems, what fuel is "primary"?
Reading this has made my blood pressure rise.
8 years ago I called my Pioneer agent and asked what they thought about OWB's,he told me they loved them and to put it at least 20' from any structure.
On 1-24-14 they will no longer insure me because my OWB is not rated for a manufactured or mobile home....
sometimes its all corporate, lets say claims in your zip code are way up for whatever reason, flood, tornada, fraud. Corp tells them they can only write limited # of new policy or cant write anymore new policy. They have to cut potential losses for that region, so they are required to audit their policies. "thinning the herd" As an agent you get rid of your least profitable and or most liable policies. They will find a way to make their bottom line good.
State Farm is the worst when it comes to actual payout. Our area insurance rates have almost quadrupled in 13 years. No wood burning allowed indoors, unless its grandfathered , original pre-1954'. Yet in the next county, literally quarter mile, its burn all you want and have a good day.
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