Flooding Vs. Escape of Water - What's The Difference?

If there's a large amount of water somewhere there shouldn’t be, most people will say there has been a 'flood'.

However, insurers will put claims for water damage into two separate categories - flooding and escape of water.

• Insurers consider 'flood damage' to be caused by events outside of the home. Examples include a river bursting its banks or seawater coming over coastal defences.
• If the water has come from a burst pipe or a leaking appliance, your insurer calls that an 'escape of water'. The source of the leak could be in your house or next door. 

Escapes of water are a common type of home insurance claim in the UK. Most buildings and contents insurance policies provide cover for damage caused that way. 

Most contents insurance policies also offer cover for 'flood damage' as standard. However, if you live in a flood-risk area, you may have specialist terms and conditions. Make sure to check what terms apply to your insurance policy.

“Take a quick glance at virtually any home contents or building insurance policy and, chances are, it will list cover for escape of water, which means people sometimes think they are covered for all flooding eventualities. It's important to understand the differences between a flood and an escape of water incident, and exactly what is covered by your insurance policy.”

Escape of water: In detail

Most houses now have central heating systems and washing machines. As such, it's easy to understand why escape of water claims are so common.

The most frequent causes are:

• Burst or leaking pipes
• Leaking appliances (such as washing machines) 

Remember that your policy may potentially cover the resulting damage, but not the cause. Always check your policy wording for details of your cover. If a leak occurs, your insurance company won't pay for a new washing machine.

Damage isn’t always limited to the property where the water leak took place. In blocks of flats, leaks on upper floors sometimes result in damage to the properties below, and their contents. This could potentially lead to large claims.

Contents Insurance policies will cover you for damage to your belongings. Most buildings insurance policies will cover you if a leak in your home causes damage in a neighbour’s flat or house. However, you should check your policy for any liability cover.

So, what are floods?

Flooding poses a huge risk to homeowners across the country, and when floods strike, the impact can be vast.

Floods can happen for various reasons and affect homes in many different locations. Some of the most common examples are:

• River flooding: where a river bursts its banks and water floods the surrounding area. Generally caused by heavy rain or melting snow, river floods can also happen as a result of blockages in streams. An example of a blockage could be a fallen tree.
  
• Coastal flooding: heavy storms and high sea levels can allow seawater to flood land, which affects homes in coastal areas.
  
• Sewer flooding: this often affects people living in more urban areas. Sewers that can’t drain rainwater from an area fast enough allow excess water to build into a flood. The two biggest causes of this are high rainfall or blockages.
• Groundwater flooding: where water levels under the ground rise above normal levels and approach the surface. Continuous heavy rain (called pluvial flooding) can have lasting effects which carry on for weeks, or even months. It affects houses in many parts of the country, especially those located close to sea level.

Find out more about Home Insurance through Swinton

• Flood Risk Insurance - Flexible policies to suit a wide range of circumstances
• Combined Home Insurance - Protect your home and its contents
• Buildings Insurance - Flexible buildings cover to suit your needs
• Contents Insurance - Protect your possessions from loss or damage

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