homeowner safety valve company price

Avoid the headache, hassle and costly repair bills caused by a water or sewer emergency on your property, or an in-home plumbing problem. A single call to Safety Valve takes care of it all.

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1-800-223-7019. Work must be done by a Safety Valve referred contractor to be covered sodo NOT call a contractor directly or your claim will not be covered.

To start a claim you must call Safety Valve directly at 1-800-713-1613. Work must be done by a Safety Valve referred contractor to be covered so do NOT call a contractor directly or your claim will not be covered.

We do not cover the opening or closing of walls to gain access to pipes. Opening of walls to allow access to pipes is Your responsibility. You are responsible for closing the wall after the repair is complete. Check your homeowners insurance policy; it may cover the cost of handling lead paint and/or closing the wall.

All leaking internal clean water pipes (hot or cold), fittings and valves from the point the supply enters the house up to and including the shut-off valve before each fixture

The sewer line on your property is the homeowner"s responsibility. Depending upon your local sewer department"s rules and regulations, you may also be responsible for the sewer line in the street. (To verify what specific and/or other parts of the sewer system you own, contact your local sewer department or public works department for clarification.)

The curb box allows access to the curb valve, and the curb valve is the valve located on your property that can be used to shut off the water in the event of an emergency water line leak.

Regulations require that the water line on your property is the homeowner"s responsibility. Depending upon your local water utility"s rules and regulations, you may also be responsible for the water line in the street. (To verify what specific and/or other parts of the water system you own, we suggest that you contact your local water utility for clarification.)

The Water Line Protection Plan covers from where your water service line connects to your main water valve in your basement to the curb valve located on your property. In some instances, you may also own and be responsible for the water line in the street, which runs from your curb valve on your property to the water main in the street. (We suggest you contact your local water utility for clarification.)

No, the main shut-off valve in your home is not covered under the Water Line Protection Plan. It is the point where the water service line coming into your home ends. We consider the main valve as part of your internal plumbing. If you would like coverage for the main shut-off valve, please review our In-Home Plumbing Protection Plan.

To start a claim you must call Safety Valve directly at 1-800-713-1613. Work must be done by a Safety Valve referred contractor to be covered so do NOT call a contractor directly or your claim will not be covered.

The curb box allows access to the curb valve, and the curb valve is the valve located on your property that can be used to shut off the water in the event of an emergency water line leak.

Regulations require that the water line on your property is the homeowner"s responsibility. Depending upon your local water utility"s rules and regulations, you may also be responsible for the water line in the street. (To verify what specific and/or other parts of the water system you own, we suggest that you contact your local water utility for clarification.)

The Water Line Protection Plan covers from where your water service line connects to your main water valve in your basement to the curb valve located on your property. In some instances, you may also own and be responsible for the water line in the street, which runs from your curb valve on your property to the water main in the street. (We suggest you contact your local water utility for clarification.)

No, the main shut-off valve in your home is not covered under the Water Line Protection Plan. It is the point where the water service line coming into your home ends. We consider the main valve as part of your internal plumbing. If you would like coverage for the main shut-off valve, please review our In-Home Plumbing Protection Plan.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company"s size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm"s responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

“I received a brochure in the mail regarding Connecticut Water’s Linebacker Protection program. There’s scant detail in the information, but I gather it’s a program that insures the water line from the road to your house. Should one of those lines break the cost can run into the thousands of dollars and is borne by the homeowner, not the water company. Can you please tell me whether this is a legitimate program and whether the entire cost of a line breaking would be covered? Thanks.”

As for insurance offers from Connecticut Water and other utilities, Coyle said PURA does not regulate those programs, and terms and prices can vary from company to company. “Individual households should shop around and do their homework,” he said.

• Linebacker, $85/year. Covers the cost of repairing or replacing the service line, curb valve, and first shut-off valve, with a $10,000 limit per year.

• Linebacker Complete, $185/year. Linebacker Plan plus in-home plumbing coverage for internal water pipes, connected fittings, and valves but not leaking or broken water fixtures. Service fee/repair is $50 plus up to $2,000 for remaining plumbing repair.

So, how often do water service line leaks occur on private property? I contacted Kerry Martin, assistant to MDC’s CEO, who gave me the data for two north central Connecticut towns that the utility covers. Of course, the MDC won’t know about leaks if homeowners repair them without reporting them.

“Covered repairs” include “as many service calls as you need … to repair or replace a leaking, frozen, or permanently blocked exterior water-service line from your utility’s responsibility … to the water meter or main shut-off valve inside your home damaged due to normal wear and tear not accident or negligence.”

HAMPTON — Several hundred customers of Aquarion Water Company have signed up with Aquarion Services Company, a water company subsidiary, in an insurance program that would pay for repairs to individual water lines on homeowners? property.

The brochure encouraged people to contact their own insurance company, and McNerney noted that his homeowner"s insurance policy covers only part of any such repair work that might need to be addressed.

Michael McNerney"s wife, Lisa, said the issue is about education. "A lot of people don"t realize that the water company"s responsibility goes only to the property line. We didn"t know that," Mrs. McNerney said.

Under the program, all work done must be completed by a company referred contractor. Roberts said that is because the company wants to monitor the work carefully in order to keep insurance premiums down, and so the company has some control over the process.

Roberts said the insurance program "fills the gap between the curb valve where the water company"s responsibility ends and the property owner"s responsibility begins."

Brian Goetz, operations manager at Aquarion Water Company of New Hampshire, based in North Hampton, said he is aware of the program, but it is not run by the local company. "It provides some coverage over pipes that might be cracked by a deep freeze, settling, age, wear and tear ... it"s voluntary insurance," Goetz said.

A spokesperson at the state Public Utilities Commission said she was not aware of any complaints received at the PUC about the water company. PUC Executive Director Deborah Howland said that Aquarion Services Company does not fall under the PUC"s authority.

Aquarion Services Company is a division of Aquarion Water Company of Bridgeport, Conn. , which owns the local water distributor. ASC is based in Bridgeport, Conn.

One of the fastest-growing insurers and a company with a 50-year history of protecting families, Mercury Insurance. They offer service line protection as an add-on to its home insurance policies. $10,000 of coverage is paired with an affordable $500 deductible to provide coverage for a broad range of service lines, including sewer lines.

This all depends on your provider, but sewer line coverage is often not built into a standard homeowners policy. Some providers do include it, though, and others offer it as an add-on or standalone policy. Some insurers may offer home warranties that include sewer line damage. Check out some of our favorite homeowners insurance policies below to see if they offer sewer line coverage as part of their available products.

A backwater valve (sometimes called a backflow or sewer backup valve) is a valve you can install on your sewer line and is designed to allow water or sewage to flow only one way—out of your house. Sudden heavy rainfall can overwhelm city sewer lines, causing water or sewage to flow back towards your home. A backwater valve prevents sewage from flowing backwards into your house during such events.

They can be installed in the initial new construction or retrofitted into existing homes. Installing during the initial construction is naturally much cheaper, costing around $500. To retrofit a backwater valve, a section of the home’s foundation needs to be removed to access the main sewer line. The cost to retrofit a backwater valve ranges from $2,000 to $5,000.

Backwater valves are required by some municipalities and recommended by others. Some municipalities offer subsidies to assist with the installation of backwater valves—check out the links at the end of this article.

The risk of water backup increases if there is a basement in your home, or if the ground floor is less than 30 cm above street level. If a new home has any fixtures located below street level, The National Plumbing Code requires a backwater valve.

Your home’s sewer system allows water and sewage to flow out of the house. A backwater valve stops water or sewage from flowing into your house should the main sewer line become overloaded.

Inside the valve is a small flap that is normally open, allowing water to exit your home and any sewer gases to vent. There is a small floatation device on each side of the flap. If water or sewage starts to flow backwards into the house, the floaters cause the flap to lift up and close, thus preventing anything from entering your home.

When you retrofit a backwater valve onto your existing home (as opposed to installing it during construction), you’ll need a plumbing permit from your municipality. During installation, a plumber will have to cut a hole in the concrete floor, usually near the floor drain. Then, they’ll dig down to the main sewer line, cut out a portion, and replace it with the new valve.

The valves often have a clear top so you can see if it is operating properly. There’s also a lid that you can remove for cleaning. Without a properly functioning backwater valve, sewage could come into the basement through a floor drain, sinks, tubs, and toilets.

Before you install a backwater valve in your home, talk to your municipal government to find out if any local permits are required, as well as to find out what sort of equipment they recommend.

When it comes time for installation, hire a licensed plumber. They can install the backwater valve and can also obtain any necessary building permits. Municipal governments sometimes maintain lists of pre-approved plumbers.

“People often forget this and cover them with flooring. This stops the ability for inspection and maintenance as well as losing access to the drains for clearing blockages if they occur. Drains can still block and cause a backup even with a backwater valve installed. Underground piping in the basement may require the expected installation location to change.”

Things can get stuck inside the valve, preventing it from closing. Sharp items moving through can also damage the valve. Proper, regular maintenance can catch these issues before there is a serious problem.

Backwater valves are usually easily accessible. They have a clear top, so you should be able to see if water is flowing freely or if anything is stuck. You’ll find plenty instructional videos to help you DIY the maintenance. Or, you can call an expert if the thought of sticking your hand in a sewage pipe is not particularly appealing. If you do attempt to clear a block on your own, be sure to follow all the instructions carefully—especially wearing gloves.

If everything is clear, and the city sewer backs up during a major rainstorm, your backwater valve will close, which is exactly what you want to happen.

When the valve is closed, water can’t flow out of your house either. There is a certain amount of storage space in your plumbing system to account for this. But, you may not want to shower and run your washing machine or dishwasher all at once during a major rainstorm or snowmelt event. Since none of your wastewater will be able to escape with the backwater valve closed, you could wind up flooding your own house.

Until we’re jolted to take notice, most of us forget that the water that flows through our homes and the wastewater that flows out spends time in the area between the street and the front of the house. If something goes wrong with those subterranean pipe systems, the homeowner, not the utility, is responsible. And unlike with leaks inside your home, your homeowners insurance won’t cover the expensive – on average, $2,500 per incident – repairs to water or sewer lines, plus the ensuing landscaping refresh, according to Myles Meehan, senior vice president of public relations at HomeServe USA, a service plan provider.

Every homeowner’s nightmare? You bet, and utility companies have come up with their own solution: They’ll sell you a service plan at a low monthly rate that will cover repairs to and damages from water and sewer lines. (Your utility might also offer plans for power surges, kitchen or laundry appliance failures, water heater replacement, heating and cooling system replacement and more.)

Dominion, the Richmond, Va.-based energy company that services a large part of the East Coast as well as two western states, sells a potpourri of home “warranty” programs, starting at a $1.99 per month. (Prices vary by state. In Virginia, where I live, Dominion charges homeowners $4.99 to $5.99 per month for water line replacement and $5.99 for sewer line repair). Why should homeowners bite?

Many other utilities in the U.S. outsource their insurance-warranty programs to large service providers. One is HomeServe USA, based in Norwalk, Conn., which is partnered with 400 cities, municipalities and utilities serving 2.8 million homeowners, says Meehan. Its service plans are on average $5 per month for water service line coverage and $8 to $10 a month for sewer line coverage.

Alas, sewer line policies may not take effect immediately. James Pecot of Chantilly, Va., noticed a neighbor’s lawn being dug up earlier this spring. The sewer line at that house was clogged and couldn’t be cleared. That’s when Pecot heard about the sewer line insurance being sold by Dominion. He called the company the next day and bought the sewer line warranty, which wouldn’t be effective for 30 days, he was told up front. A week later, the sewer line at the Pecot home failed.

“I called Dominion, and they indicated my coverage was not yet active and we were not covered,” says Pecot. A recommended sewer and plumbing company came out and fixed what turned out to be a cracked pipe that had tree roots growing through it (the plumber said the line could have been cracked 30 years ago, when it was installed). The cost for repairs: $4,700.

But some say homeowners are better off putting that $72 or so per year into a rainy-day fund to cover future unknowns – like when my water heater bit the dust this spring (and I didn’t have a water heater service plan from my utility).

You should also check your homeowners insurance. Most policies don’t automatically cover sewage and drain backups, which can cause expensive damage if water and sewage backs up into your house. It may cost just $50 to add about $10,000 in sewage backup coverage. But that’s for internal work – not for water or sewer line repair outside the home.

Ask about a service-line rider for your policy. Unlike with a service plan from your utility company, you will be able to use your own plumber for the repairs. Then again, you’ll be responsible for dealing with the plumber.

While it"s possible to manually shut off your natural gas, the following specialized valves are available that can automatically shut off your service in case of an emergency:

Earthquake natural gas shut-off valve (also known as a seismic natural gas shut-off valve) automatically shuts off your natural gas service when an earthquake of a sufficient magnitude occurs at your home.

An excess-flow valve (EFV) automatically closes and restricts the flow of natural gas in the event an underground pipe is damaged or if there is a significant increase in the flow of natural gas to the meter.

If you want to have an earthquake natural gas shut-off installed, or are required to have one by your insurance company or the local Department of Building and Safety, the valve must be installed on your house line.

Under the regulations of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), General Order 112-E, only SoCalGas® or its certified contractors are authorized to operate the natural gas service shut-off valve.

When you hire a qualified professional to install your earthquake valve, you"ll need to make sure that the valve is installed on your house line, not on SoCalGas" facilities. SoCalGas" facilities include all of the pipe fittings installed and maintained by SoCalGas, up to and including the last elbow or tee connecting to your house line. See the diagram below for to see where your house line starts.

All unauthorized valve installations found on SoCalGas" facilities will be removed. In addition, earthquake valves are not permitted in utility curb meter vaults.

If an earthquake or other significant event causes your earthquake shut-off or excess-flow valve to close, you can follow the manufacturer"s instructions for resetting the valve so that natural gas flows again. However, we recommend that you contact a qualified professional or SoCalGas to reset the valve, and to perform a safety check of your natural gas appliances before they are placed back in operation to verify that no natural gas leaks exist, and to re-light your pilot lights.

Remember that following a major emergency it may take many days or even weeks before someone can come to your location. (SoCalGas charges a fee to reset valves and re-light pilot lights when your earthquake shut-off valve has closed due to a non-earthquake occurrence.)

Price: The cost of the valve is going to vary based on the type and size of the valve, as well as the installation requirements and the company installing it.

Choosing a valve: In order to choose the right valve size and manufacturer, contact your local Department of Building and Safety to find out their earthquake valve requirements.

Where to buy a valve: You can purchase an earthquake valve at supply retailers, licensed plumbing contractors, or directly from the valve manufacturer.

Using a contractor: You can hire a qualified professional to install the earthquake or excess-flow valve on your house line. SoCalGas will not install a valve for you.

Effective February 10, 2002, California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) Decision 01-11-068 prohibits installation of an earthquake valve on SoCalGas" facilities. In addition, SoCalGas no longer installs earthquake shut-off valves for its customers, and does not allow any customer owned equipment, including excess-flow valves, be installed on SoCalGas" facilities.

If you have an earthquake valve that was installed by SoCalGas or one of its authorized contractors on or before the February 10, 2002 cutoff date, that is located on SoCalGas" facilities, with proper documentation your installation may be allowed to remain in place. Authorized contractors are those who participated in SoCalGas" earthquake program and were trained by SoCalGas to work on their facilities.

Additional information regarding earthquake valves and natural gas service restoration after a valve activates can be found in Tariff Book, Rule 10, Section G, "Earthquake Valve Service."

An Excess Flow Valve, or EFV, is a safety device installed on natural gas distribution pipelines to automatically close and restrict the flow of natural gas in the event an underground pipe is damaged or if there is a significant increase in the flow of natural gas to the meter. These conditions are typically caused by digging or construction but can also be caused by damage to your natural gas meter by a vehicle impact.

Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA), a HomeServe USA company operating out of Pennsylvania, offers protection plans for your home’s heating, cooling, water, sewer, gas, and electrical lines. This company is separate from local utilities, and the service contracts it provides will cover damage to utility lines that home insurance and local municipalities won’t. Keep reading this review to learn more about plans, coverage, and pricing.

Although this company doesn’t offer coverage for individual electrical appliances like refrigerators or freezers, it will cover the main electrical system inside your home.

There does not appear to be any add-on or customizable options with this home warranty company—you may only choose from the warranty plans that the company offers in your location. However, you can purchase packages that combine the company’s heating and cooling plans in some locations.

Note: Service Line Warranties offers discounts in some locations. For example, in this zip code, the company offers the first year of its Exterior Septic/Sewer Line plan for 50% off—it would normally be $12.48 a month. Purchasing a combo plan, if one is available in your area, may also save you money over purchasing both plans separately.

The company will dispatch one of its contractors to repair or replace the faulty part, as long as it’s covered by your plan. There’s no need to pay the technician—you will only need to sign off on the service line repairs, and Service Line Warranties will pay the contractor.

Service Line Warranties of America has been an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for 14 years, and it maintains an A+ rating based on its handling of customer complaints. Despite its rating, Service Line Warranties of America has a mix of positive and negative reviews, as any good home warranty company will have. Here is what some of the company’s customers had to say.

Service Line Warranties of America is the official provider for the National League of Cities Service Line Warranty Program, and the NLC Service Line Warranty Program is administered by SLWA parent, Utility Service Partners, Inc. Service Line Warranties of America and Utility Service Partners are part of HomeServe USA Corp, a company providing home repair solutions in the United States and Canada.

The This Old House Reviews Team gives Service Line Warranties of America a 6.97/10. Service Line Warranties provides coverage for plumbing, sewer, gas, and electric systems and charges low premiums and no service call fees. The maximum caps on repair payouts are high and the claims process is simple. However, the company only covers some of your home’s systems and is available in only a few states.

Our team rated more than 50 home warranty companies and found that American Home Shield is the best on the market. Its extensive plan options, nationwide availability, and five decades of experience make it a worthwhile investment for homeowners.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our home warranty ratings and recommendations with adetailed rating methodologyto objectively score each provider. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts from each company, and conducting focus groups and consumer surveys. We then score each provider against our review standards for coverage, value, trustworthiness and transparency, availability, and customer service to arrive at a final score out of 100.