Insurance Coverage for Heat Pump Damage Due to Storms and Rain

A heat pump in front of the house can be damaged by storms and rain. If you don’t want to take any risks, you should contact your insurance company.

Heavy rain and storms quickly cause damage to the house. For such damage, elementary damage insurance usually applies as an addition to residential building insurance. However, if the heat pump connected to the house was affected, an insured event does not necessarily exist. Insured persons should check their insurance cover in good time.

Homeowners insurance usually protects your home against fire, lightning, water damage, and storms. Natural hazard insurance insures adjacent extensions and side buildings against natural hazards such as flooding. If you have installed a heat pump in your garden, you can also insure it against extreme weather events.

The General Association of Insurers (GDV) advises policyholders to inform their insurance company so that elementary damage insurance can also apply to heat pumps. Because a new heat pump means an increase in the value of the house, which also increases the insurance amount. If such information is not available, the insurance company could refuse to cover the costs in the event of a claim.

If the heat pump has been damaged by a flood or a storm, insurance companies differentiate between two cases: partial damage or total damage. The insurer speaks of a partial loss if the restoration costs of the system plus the value of the old material are lower than the new value, explains the GDV on its website. If this happens, the insurance company will cover the cost of repairing the heat pump.

If the costs for the restoration are higher than the new value, there is a total loss and the insurer compensates the new value of the heat pump. However, all this only happens if the policyholder observes a few points.

In addition to insurance cover, policyholders must also take care of the maintenance of the systems. As the GDV explains, homeowners should have the heat pump and other heating systems checked by a qualified specialist company at regular intervals.