OT: Gas line insurance

[thatsbaseball]

I keep getting these letters from CenterPoint suggesting I buy some, what appears to be, gas line repair insurance. Is this just a revenue raising scheme or do I need to take a more serious look at it ? It's only $5.49/month and my house is 30 yrs old. Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

 

[johnson86-1]

I keep getting these letters from CenterPoint suggesting I buy some, what appears to be, gas line repair insurance. Is this just a revenue raising scheme or do I need to take a more serious look at it ? It's only $5.49/month and my house is 30 yrs old. Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

I've known people that have had sewer lines need to be repaired, and it is pretty expensive, especially if the repair is necessary under a slab. I've never heard of anybody needing a gas drop repaired. I would not expect a gas drop put in in 1990 to be in eminent danger of failure either. But I know nothing.

One thing that makes me think it's a scheme is that I was offered the same price, and mine is basically brand new. If they are offering the same price to 30 year old houses and 5 year old houses, I am thinking the risk must be pretty low.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I just got another letter from them today. Those guys are persistent!

 

[57stratdawg]

Doesn’t sound like something I would be interested in purchasing.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

You're homeowners insurance will cover leaks most likely... If they don't, just tell them you will let go until it explodes and then they can cover that.***

 

[Shmuley]

I keep getting these letters from CenterPoint suggesting I buy some, what appears to be, gas line repair insurance. Is this just a revenue raising scheme or do I need to take a more serious look at it ? It's only $5.49/month and my house is 30 yrs old. Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

******** scheme.

 

[CoastTrash]

Dumbest 17 shat in the planet.

 

[WrapItDog]

Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

On a rental property. Heat was the only thing gas in the house. Renters would sometimes only have gas cut on for about 4 months a year. Atmos changed their policy from if no gas service for 1 year you have to have a pressure test to restore service to 6 months. I had to pay $250 to a plumber to do pressure test. He said it failed and I had a leak. Another $300 to tighten a fitting 1/4 of a turn so no more leak and it passed pressure test.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

The no crap answer. Pretty sure homeowners insurance is going to cover anything inside the house. That insurance is likely only going to cover from the meter to your house. If you have a leak in your yard, it would probably be at an elbow.

I cannot imagine that happening very often at all either. If it does, cut off the gas at the meter and call a plumber. Had a guy tell me gas leaks are easy to spot in your yard because it kills all the grass above it. Probably would cost a few hundred bucks to have a plumber dig down and repair it.

The odds of black pipe going bad are slim in this lifetime. 75 years is the life expectancy of gas pipe in most soils.

https://www.justlistedknoxville.com/blog/standard-estimated-life-expectancy-chart-homes/

 

[RocketDawg]

On a rental property. Heat was the only thing gas in the house. Renters would sometimes only have gas cut on for about 4 months a year. Atmos changed their policy from if no gas service for 1 year you have to have a pressure test to restore service to 6 months. I had to pay $250 to a plumber to do pressure test. He said it failed and I had a leak. Another $300 to tighten a fitting 1/4 of a turn so no more leak and it passed pressure test.

Good thing they did the pressure test.

 

[WrapItDog]

Pretty sure homeowners insurance is going to cover anything inside the house. That insurance is likely only going to cover from the meter to your house. If you have a leak in your yard, it would probably be at an elbow.

Pretty sure you are wrong. There needs to be sudden and accidental damage to the gas line to trigger homeowners coverage. A tree falls on your house damaging the gas pipe in the attic - covered. Your old rusty gas pipe starts leaking - no coverage you pay to repair the gas line. However if the house burns down due to the leaky gas pipe the fire damage would be covered.

 

[Mobile Bay]

I am somewhat unfamiliar with gas. I know with water the water company covers everything up to and including the meter. Everything past that is on me. With Sewer everything from my house to the main is on me. After that it's on them. Same with power, sort of.

What is the deal with gas? Where does the gas companies responsibility end and mine begin?

 

[RocketDawg]

Correct.

 

[RocketDawg]

Probably at the meter.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

In the days of landlines, Bellsouth charged people an "insurance fee" for the wiring inside the house, if i remember correctly it was about the same monthly price as you were quoted and that was in the 70s and 80s. I'm sure that was a huge money maker for them.

 

[garddog]

Black pipe will rust out in less than 20 years. I have seen that at my parents house. Had to tear part of their deck out to get to the problem spot. It isn't common for that to happen but it can.

I would read the fine print carefully, look for exceptions, disclaimers, reasons why they won't pay. But on an older home, it could be worth it.

 

[Cooterpoot]

What about car warranties? I got a few calls. Worth it?

 

[garddog]

What about car warranties? I got a few calls. Worth it?

My favorite is the one on the vehicle you traded off or sold 6 years ago.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

What about car warranties? I got a few calls. Worth it?

Rachel, from Dealer Services, hits he up 3-4 times a week.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Pretty sure you are wrong. There needs to be sudden and accidental damage to the gas line to trigger homeowners coverage. A tree falls on your house damaging the gas pipe in the attic - covered. Your old rusty gas pipe starts leaking - no coverage you pay to repair the gas line. However if the house burns down due to the leaky gas pipe the fire damage would be covered.

Wouldn't sudden accidental damage kinda be the trigger for any insurance? If it's just normal wear and tear, that's a warranty. Thought that was pretty common knowledge.

For example, my roof is covered by homeowners insurance in case of a hailstorm. If it just gets old and starts leaking, that's not covered. Because it's insurance, not a warranty.

If my car is hit by another motorist, it's covered by insurance. If the transmission goes out that's a warranty issue.

So back to my point, if the gas lines inside your house are damaged it's covered by your homeowners insurance. If they get old from normal wear and tear, that's where a warranty is handy. If the OP is talking about coverage that is not just insurance, but also warranties the entire system inside the house and out from old age, that's a much more attractive product... So long as it warranties against normal wear and tear.

ETA. Yep its just a warranty. It actually only covers normal wear and tear. From the website:

Coverage provides, up to the benefit amount, for the covered cost to repair or replace a leaking or broken gas line, for which you have sole responsibility, from your utilities responsibility or external propane tank outlet connection up to and including the connectors to each natural gas/propane appliance on your property, whether inside or outside your residence, up to and including the appliance connectors on the extension gas lines that exit your residence, that is damaged due to normal wear and tear, not accident or negligence.

https://www.centerpointenergy.com/e...s/gas-plumbing-repair/gas-line-coverage?sa=ho


I personally hate home warranties. Had one once on my first house. My wife was pregnant in August and the AC went out. The home warranty company wanted 6 days to get somebody out to diagnose it, not even fix it for sure. Well, I got somebody out that night out of pocket and it was the moment I learned you keep a spare capacitor for the AC with your lightbulbs. Would not care to wait a week to get my gas leak repaired.

 

[Motodawg]

I keep getting these letters from CenterPoint suggesting I buy some, what appears to be, gas line repair insurance. Is this just a revenue raising scheme or do I need to take a more serious look at it ? It's only $5.49/month and my house is 30 yrs old. Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

I’ve done countless gas jobs over the last 15 years and the one’s insured where HOI that did damage. Gas repair and replacement is on the low side of plumbing repair costs. I wouldnt sweat it. If you’re in the Jackson area give me a call. If you’re not, your local plumber probably isn’t much higher.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I keep getting these letters from CenterPoint suggesting I buy some, what appears to be, gas line repair insurance. Is this just a revenue raising scheme or do I need to take a more serious look at it ? It's only $5.49/month and my house is 30 yrs old. Anybody had to do gas line repairs on their home ?

I used to get them for the water service line. Never did it, but eventually I did have a break in it during the 2016 drought. Paid a pretty penny, but still better off than paying the insurance.

Most utility lines fail for a reason. They don’t just break.

 

[AgronDawg]

I can attest to the sewer line collapsing under a slab. Happened to us a month or so ago and it was a nightmare. Tear up hardwood, saw cut concrete, jackhammer up said concrete, haul it out in wheelbarrows from inside the house, lay pipe (not the fun kind), fill with dirt hauled in the house in wheelbarrows, pour concrete, let dry then replace cabinets and floors that were torn out by contractors. Then have fun replacing all the other stuff torn up during the process. And then get ready to cut a huge check. No help from insurance because it wasn’t an acute problem such as a tree falling through the house or a fire. Damn it felt good to write all of that. Sorry.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Funny you should post this today. I had a plumbing crew working on our gas line (NG) today. The line is in the attic above the garage and was discovered during a home inspection. They will be back in the morning to finish the job and get the city to inspect their work. The price for the job was $900 plus the cost of a handyman to replace the two foot square section of drywall that was removed from the garage ceiling. Since this was normal wear & tear, homeowners did not cover it and is below my deductible anyway. One failure in 22 years is pretty good considering that it was a minor leak (is that a thing with gas) so $5.49mo x 22 years = $1,449. You choose. Unfortunately, I called Atmos and because it failed the pressure test (very slowly) they shut off our gas last Friday which supplies our hot water and heat. Can't get it back on until the city signs off on the repairs.

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

My favorite is the one on the vehicle you traded off or sold 6 years ago.

Mine has to be that they noticed that my dealer warranty just expired. My car has 409,000 miles on it and is 16 years old. It expired a long time ago.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Just read the "coverage exclusions" (which is the first thing I should have done) and some are vague as hell. Think I gonna pass but I appreciate everyone's feedback.

 

[Digging dog]

Put mine on my HO insurance. Talk you your agent. Same coverage & usually cheaper