Are you responsible for damaged drains? Will it be covered by your insurance? 

When your toilets are blocked, pipes are leaking or there’s a bad smell coming from your drainage system you should always call Metro Rod Glasgow for a reliable solution. But you’ll probably be wondering who is responsible for the drain repairs and whether it will be covered by insurance. We have put together a rough guide which will hopefully help answer any questions you may have.

What are you actually responsible for?

In 2011, the law changed making water companies responsible for the maintenance of shared ‘private’ drains as well as those which are outside your property boundary. This means you are only responsible for your own drains, which includes the drains that may take wastewater away from the property. If you need any drain repairs or help unblocking these drains then call Metro Rod who will be able to sort the problem out for you.

If an inspection is carried out to locate the problem and we find that the problem is located in the sewer system, then this falls under the water companies responsibility as they are publicly owned. If the blockage or problem is found in the sewer system then don’t worry as it wont be your responsibility.

Drain repair covered by insurance 

Now onto drain repair and insurance, essentially whether or not your drain repair is covered by your home insurance will depend on the insurance company and your coverage. Most companies will cover ‘accidental damage’, but often the wording is confusing and sometimes deceptive which can lead to insurance companies refusing to pay out over a technicality. 

For example, corrosion to your drains is seen as natural activity and therefore not accidental so is unlikely to be covered by the insurance. 

Similarly, any drain repair that is a result of misuse or neglect wont be covered. This includes repairs needed due to the flushing of wet wipes, or washing fat, grease and oil down the sink. So as always, it’s important to remember the 3 Ps when flushing things down the toilet - Poo, Pee, Paper - to prevent paying out for avoidable repairs. 

Drain maintenance 

To help protect yourself from the nasty shock of a serious drainage problem that may have escalated from a smaller one over time, it is your responsibility to conduct the necessary drain maintenance. This could be having one of our engineers conduct a CCTV Drain Survey or Pre-planned maintenance of your property. It is always better to find and correct a small problem early on than wait until it becomes a real nuisance. 

Metro Rod Glasgow offer services from dealing with blocked drains, drain repair, CCTV surveys and septic tank maintenance. We believe in simple things and make sure we follow them through; available 24/7, professional, value for money service during and after the job and peace of mind in the fact that all our engineers are highly trained, DBS checked and fully insured.

Make sure you get in touch with us through any of the following:

Enquire through our website: https://www.metrorod.co.uk/local/glasgow/

Get in touch with us via email: glasgow@metrorod.co.uk 

Call us on 0808 208 2627

We any drainage needs, we are the drainage experts. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Talk to your local Metro Rod specialist

We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00

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