legal issues with DIY projects

[Invigor]

what happens if you build you own DIY project that's naturally not "CSA" approved and say your house burns down because you f'ed something up? Are you dead in the water or will house insurance cover that?

not that I burned my house down, I'm just preparing for a "what if" scenario...and no I'm not planning on burning my house down either...I would just like to know where someone sits if this sort of catastrophe were to occur.

Would it be covered if all the pieces you used were CSA approved or do you need to get it professionally certified?

[Aquattro]

I'm not sure, but tha tmight be province specific. Best bet is to ask your carrier.

[Majestic_Aquariums]

I don't really know. But, I would assume if there is a way af getting out of paying, they will find it!!
On the other hand, My Mother's insurance co. covered her when her tank crashed down through the floor. (Even though it was sitting on a garage sale type phone desk-piece of crap)
Smashed a hole in the floor-she got $3000!!!
(I got nothing for fixing her house... )
But you are talking of a much larger claim

[StirCrazy]

as long as all the chunks are CSA and you are using them in the mannor intended you are fine from what I understand.

Steve

[KrazyKuch]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

as long as all the chunks are CSA and you are using them in the mannor intended you are fine from what I understand.

Steve

I agree with StirCrazy but I think if insurance ever asked if such a thing happened Then you say it was installed by a qualified technician!!!

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by KrazyKuch

I agree with StirCrazy but I think if insurance ever asked if such a thing happened Then you say it was installed by a qualified technician!!!

If the insurer did ask who installed it, I'm sure you would have to provide installation documentation. And, dang, if it was lost in the flood, the installer would still have records of your job. I don't think you want to get dinged for insurance fraud

[BMW Rider]

You are pretty much safe from your own errors when it comes to insurance as long as you were not deliberate in causing the damage. If insurance did not cover in cases of ignorance, stupidity or carelessness, there would be very few payouts ever made. They may however increase you rates afterwards (you could probably count on that) or even drop your coverage since you may represent an increased risk.

If you pay someone to do work and it turns out to be the fault, then they can be held liable by the insurer, but your still safe.

I guess the thing to keep in mind is, does it seem safe and sound? If there is some question or concern with the saftey of what you are attempting, do you want to risk your tank and your home to save a buck or two?

[Scales]

Do not underestimate the lengths an insurance company will go to in its effort to avoid making a large payment if there is any evidence of a breach of the relevant terms. There is little financial incentive for investigations for smaller claims of a few thousand dollars, but should there be a larger claim resulting from something like a fire, the investigation will be "turned up a notch" if they catch wind of any possible issue which justifies the company in refusing payment.

You must analyze the specific terms of your contract, including the master version, and ensure you are in strict compliance with same, failing which, you are at risk for problems in the event of a "disaster"...once a denial is made, you will be forced into litigation, and even if you are eventually successful at trial, the time and financial investment of litigation will take its toll...

[Rikko]

I think any electrical work (or structural, or whatever) doesn't necessarily have to be performed by a licensed electrician so much as it just has to be installed completely up to code. If it's up to code and something fails, it's because a component was defective. If you're a moron and ran a few 30amp lines from the breaker box using a whole lot of speaker wire and duct tape, you deserve no payout. If you used CSA 50A cable and made proper connections to your breaker box and outlets and something ignites, that would end up being component failure and would have happened regardless of who did it.

[danny zubot]

Are you talking about home reno's like wiring and plumbing or are you talking about general coverage for your tank. I think as a rule a person should have any project inspected for your own safety concerns. As far as insuring a tank again issues like flooding your carrier should offer some kind of plan to cover it.

I just put contents insurance on my new condo and I made sure they knew I had a tank. The tank and any damage caused by it will be covered up to $4000.00 in the event of a leak or theft. (I know, who could steel an aquarium) They made no mension about whether or not a qualified technician would be installing the tank, lighting and plumbing.