As autumn leaves start to fall in Palo Alto, CA, it’s an inevitable reminder that winter is fast approaching. While the area doesn’t experience the most severe winters, ensuring your home is ready for the colder temperatures is still crucial. At Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. in the Palo Alto, CA area, we want to help you prevent the bother and cost of frozen pipes this winter.

The Importance of Prevention

Frozen pipes can create significant damage, leading to expensive repairs and possible insurance claims. You can avoid this inconvenience by making a few simple preparations in the fall. Protecting your pipes provides peace of mind when the temperatures plummet.

Valuable Fall Preparations

Begin by insulating the exposed pipes. Foam pipe insulation is effortless to install and forms a protective barrier against the cold. Remember to disconnect and drain garden hoses, as leftover water can freeze and harm your plumbing system. If your home has exterior water valves, closing them will further reduce the risk of freezing.

Identifying Vulnerabilities

Inspect your home for drafts near pipes. Cold air can infiltrate through cracks or gaps around windows and doors, increasing the chance of freezing. Sealing these gaps protects your pipes and enhances your home’s energy efficiency.

Embrace a Worry-Free Winter

By taking these precautions, you can enjoy a worry-free winter, secure in the knowledge that your home is protected against the cold. For more advice on safeguarding your home this winter or reviewing your insurance policy, contact Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc., proudly serving throughout the greater Palo Alto, CA area. We’re here to ensure your home’s safety and comfort all year round.

Every insurance policy offers different types of coverage to protect your home and car. Each type of coverage is vital for your protection, but many policies don’t come with substantial liability coverage. While liability coverage is included with both home and auto insurance, you might not have enough should a serious accident occur. For additional protection, there’s umbrella insurance. To learn more about these policies, feel free to contact us at Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. in Palo Alto, CA.

Why You Need More Liability Coverage

An accident with your vehicle or inside your home can lead to serious injuries. However, medical care costs in the U.S. are so high that even minor injuries can be extremely expensive. If you’re left with these costs, it can cause severe financial difficulties. Your home and auto insurance might have minimal coverage, leaving you vulnerable to any additional medical bills. An umbrella insurance policy comes with large maximum payouts, ensuring a serious accident will be covered by your policy.

Enhancing Your Insurance Policies

An umbrella insurance policy provides an additional layer of liability protection to both your home and auto insurance. It provides a thick layer of protection that can save you from having to cover excess costs after an accident. An umbrella insurance policy gives you peace of mind, knowing you’re well-protected against severe financial hardships that can occur after an accident.

Secure Your California Umbrella Insurance Policy

It is important to ensure you have adequate liability insurance. To find out more and discuss your specific needs, call Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. in Palo Alto, CA.

New residential windows and doors will keep your residence secure. These materials will also increase the overall value of your home. Use the tips that follow to acquire insurance coverage for the new additions.

Upgrades

You need to consider whether the changes require more insurance coverage whenever upgrades are made in your home or on your property. Upgrades that are made may keep your residence and property secure. The upgrades may minimize the risk of theft occurring. The new materials may also protect against the weather.

Products

First, consider the overall value of the windows and doors you purchase. The value of these items may greatly affect the amount of insurance coverage you seek.

Some products come with a warranty. If you purchase windows and doors with coverage, review the warranty included with your purchases. Pay attention to the expiration date of the warranty.

In addition, review the warranty terms. Use the information you have read to help you determine how much insurance coverage you need.

Security Features

Assess the security features that came with the windows and doors you purchased. You should report these features when you attempt to upgrade your existing home insurance policy.

The security features may directly affect what type of premium you are responsible for. If the products you purchased did not come with adequate security, consider purchasing security products separately. Have the security products professionally installed?

Reach out to Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc.

Contact an Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. representative. One of our agents serving Palo Alto, CA, will add the new windows and doors to your current home insurance policy.

When you have home insurance, you may feel that you are covered against anything that might happen to your home. But you are wrong; like most insurance policies, home insurance has exclusions.  At Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. in Palo Alto, CA, we encourage our customers to read their home insurance policy so that they are informed about the exclusions that are included with their policy. 

Home Insurance Exclusions

Earth movement

Earth movement covers several different natural disasters, it can be an earthquake, a sinkhole, a landslide, or a mudslide. None of these are covered by a home insurance policy. You can however add the coverage with an additional policy. 

Floods

Floods are one of the most damaging of all natural disasters and only an inch of water in your home can cause thousands of dollars in damage. They also are not covered by traditional home insurance. If you live in a flood plain, your lender will require that you have flood insurance, and if there is any danger you could flood it is worth having this essential coverage. 

Sewer backup

A sewer backup is quite disgusting and can cause a terrible mess, and if that all wasn’t enough, it isn’t covered by your home insurance. A rider can be added to your policy to cover it. 

Owner neglect

Your home insurance carrier expects you to maintain your home. That means getting a termite bond if you suspect there are termites in your neighborhood. It means replacing your roof before it leaks and damages the interior of your home. Wear and tear is not something that is covered by your home insurance policy. If you don’t maintain your home, the damage that results is considered your problem no the insurance company. 

We Are Here To Help

When you are ready to discuss your home insurance, call our office at Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc. in Palo Alto, CA. 

When the temperature drops, it can trouble homeowners in Palo Alto, CA. One of the most common winter problems is frozen pipes, which can cause costly damage to your home. So, if you’re a homeowner in Palo Alto, Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc wants you to understand what your home insurance coverage covers.

What Your Home Insurance Policy Covers 

Your home insurance policy covers losses caused by frozen pipes as long as they are considered “sudden and accidental” by your insurer. This means that if a pipe freezes and bursts due to an unexpected event—such as an unusually cold weather front—your policy will cover the cost of any repairs resulting from the water damage. But if freezing temperatures were forecasted for days or weeks in advance and you failed to take proper precautions, you may not be covered. 

It’s also important to regularly check these areas of your home throughout the wintertime for signs of frozen pipes—including reduced water pressure or discolored water coming out of faucets—and contact a plumber immediately if something doesn’t seem right. Taking these precautions now can prevent busted water pipes later on.

Protecting your home from potential damage caused by frozen pipes should be one of your primary concerns during cold weather months in Palo Alto, CA. Fortunately, Allied Brokers Insurance Agency Inc provides comprehensive coverage for any sudden and accidental damage resulting from this issue! Plus, taking simple measures such as keeping cabinets open and insulating exposed pipes is an easy way to further prevent unnecessary repair costs due to frozen piping. With these tips in mind, you can rest assured knowing that both you and your home are well-prepared for whatever winter may bring!