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Home Insurance Requirements During The Heating Season

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All insurance companies have different rules that must be followed when traveling during the winter months. Below is a summary of the requirements of each of the companies that we deal with:

Aviva

After being away for 8 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

a. you used reasonable care to maintain heat in the building; or

b. shut off and drained the water system and domestic water containers;

These reasonable measures include, but are not limited to:

• Arranging for a competent person to regularly check your dwelling.
• Regularly monitoring the heat in your dwelling by way of a remote system.
• Ensuring the heating system is operational and functioning prior to departure.
• Ensuring all windows and doors are closed and secured.
• Ensuring the thermostat has been set to a temperature that is sufficient to prevent freezing of pipes.

Intact

Water damage is excluded during the usual heating season if:

• within a normally heated portion of your dwelling, the heat has been intentionally turned off by you or at your direction; or
• Within a normally unheated portion of your dwelling

Optimum

After being away for 4 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

• Make arrangements to ensure heating is being maintained.
• Shut off the water supply and drain all pipes and domestic water containers.
• Have the heating system connected by a monitored heating alarm to a station providing twenty-four (24) hour service.

Peace Hills

After being away for 30 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you have:

• taken responsible care to maintain heat in the building, "unit," or structure.
• Shut off the water supply to “your” “dwelling,” “unit,” and
• detached private structures and drain all the pipes and “domestic water containers.

Portage Mutual

After being away for 4 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

• Had arranged for a competent person to enter your dwelling daily to ensure that heating was being maintained; or
• Had shut off the water supply and had drained all the pipes and appliances; or
• Have a 24-hour-a-day monitored building temperature alarm installed and maintained. (Any disconnection of the alarm or cancellation of the monitoring service will void this provision.)

Red River Mutual

After being away for 14 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

• You had arranged for a competent person to enter your dwelling daily after the initial 14 days to ensure that heating was being maintained; or
• You have a 24-hour-a-day monitored building temperature alarm installed and maintained. (Any disconnection of the alarm or cancellation of the monitoring service will void this provision.)
• You had shut off the water supply and had drained all the pipes and appliances.

SGI Canada

After being away for 10 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you

• shut off the water supply and drain all pipes, attached fixtures, and appliances, or Arrange for a reliable person to come in daily to check the heating; or
• Have the dwelling electronically monitored 24 hours per day by a company that monitors and responds to a low-temperature signal.

Sandbox Insurance

After being away for 10 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

• Arrangements had been made for a reliable person to enter your dwelling or unit daily to ensure that heating was being maintained. The water supply had been shut off, and all the pipes and appliances had been drained.
• Your dwelling or unit was equipped with a 24-hour monitored low-temperature alarm system.

Wawanesa Insurance

After being away for 4 consecutive days, water damage is excluded unless you:

• Arranged for a competent person to enter "your" "dwelling" and/or private structures once every 3 days "you" were away to ensure that heating was being maintained.
• Shut off the water supply to "your" "dwelling" and/or private structures and had drained all of the pipes and "domestic water containers." Connected "your" heating system to an alarm that is monitored 24 hours a day by a central monitoring service.