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Message
Help! Insurance Question-Leaking Attic AC
Posted on 8/4/24 at 9:21 am
Posted on 8/4/24 at 9:21 am
It’s been a rough morning! Recently had some AC work done in my attic. Had to replace a rusty overflow pan, replaced the plenum, and resized the return duct to keep from air handler leaking in the pan. My wife noticed yesterday evening that there was some discoloration on the ceiling right below where our AC is. I went up in the attic and discovered that a 90 on the condensate line was slowly leaking. It wasn’t glued, but rather dry fitted. I pushed the 90 back together as tight as I could get it. Woke up this morning with more discoloration on the ceiling and bubbled up paint down the stairwell! Went back up in the attic and put a towel and bowl under the 90. The insulation is a little wet, but seems to be isolated to a small area even though I can’t be completely sure because I have 2 ducts right above this area. Text the AC guy that did the work recently and he is supposed to be coming out 1st thing in the morning. My wife is HIGHLY allergic to mold and is freaking out because our upstairs will get to 60-70% humidity routinely during the summer and she believes everything will have to be ripped out and replaced to keep from mold growing. I’ve never filed an insurance claim before so I have some questions. I do believe this will be a costly repair due to it going down the stairwell. Basically 20+ feet from bottom of stairwell to ceiling of upstairs where visible damage is.
1. If I file a claim with the insurance are they going to try to fight with the AC guy for faulty work and leave me stuck waiting for repair money while mold grows?
2. Should I contact the insurance BEFORE the guy comes out in the morning and makes any repairs?
3. Would this work fall under the back up of sewer or drains section or under the dwelling section of my policy? Nothing was backed up or clogged in the drain line, just a loose fitting but it’s been about a month since the original AC work was done. I have a 5% limit on back up/drains, but even that may not be enough to cover everything if it has to be ripped out and replaced.
1. If I file a claim with the insurance are they going to try to fight with the AC guy for faulty work and leave me stuck waiting for repair money while mold grows?
2. Should I contact the insurance BEFORE the guy comes out in the morning and makes any repairs?
3. Would this work fall under the back up of sewer or drains section or under the dwelling section of my policy? Nothing was backed up or clogged in the drain line, just a loose fitting but it’s been about a month since the original AC work was done. I have a 5% limit on back up/drains, but even that may not be enough to cover everything if it has to be ripped out and replaced.
5
Posted on 8/4/24 at 9:32 am to damonster
1. I would not expect them to fight with the contractor. I would do this long before filing an insurance claim.
2. Be very hesitant to contact your insurance, be damn sure you want to go this route before contacting them. As soon as you do, the claim has started. Even if you decide to not use insurance and they don't pay out it will show as a homeowners claim and impact your rates in the future.
3. I do not believe it would fall under drain backup but not 100%
I had essentially the same thing happen to my house when we were selling, it was 6 days before closing. Pan overflowed in the attic, 30 ft ceiling, ruined all drywall, dropped on hardwood.
If I were you, I would get the AC guy out immediately, see if it was an installation issue. If it was, he needs to be responsible.
At the same time get servepro out to start rectifying the moisture issue. Keep track of all receipts and expenses. Servepro will tell you what needs to be ripped out and replaced.
2. Be very hesitant to contact your insurance, be damn sure you want to go this route before contacting them. As soon as you do, the claim has started. Even if you decide to not use insurance and they don't pay out it will show as a homeowners claim and impact your rates in the future.
3. I do not believe it would fall under drain backup but not 100%
I had essentially the same thing happen to my house when we were selling, it was 6 days before closing. Pan overflowed in the attic, 30 ft ceiling, ruined all drywall, dropped on hardwood.
If I were you, I would get the AC guy out immediately, see if it was an installation issue. If it was, he needs to be responsible.
At the same time get servepro out to start rectifying the moisture issue. Keep track of all receipts and expenses. Servepro will tell you what needs to be ripped out and replaced.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 9:48 am to damonster
I don' t know about the insurance deal but I'd get up there and remove any wet insulation and get a fan on the area. Then burst any blisters on the paint with a scraper or something and get a fan blowing up at the sheetrock.
The AC guy probably has little idea your wife is that concerned about mold or he'd be there now. Ripping out a whole ceiling because of a wet spot is extreme. The ceiling will need a repaint at a minimum obviously.
The AC guy probably has little idea your wife is that concerned about mold or he'd be there now. Ripping out a whole ceiling because of a wet spot is extreme. The ceiling will need a repaint at a minimum obviously.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 9:49 am to damonster
Get A/C company to pay for all damages, if its from his work, he has ins for this if he is rebuttal
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:00 am to BoogaBear
quote:
2. Be very hesitant to contact your insurance, be damn sure you want to go this route before contacting them. As soon as you do, the claim has started. Even if you decide to not use insurance and they don't pay out it will show as a homeowners claim and impact your rates in the future.
I’ve always been hesitant about this and honestly scared to file a claim these days. Damn shame because I’ve always thought this was the purpose of having insurance.
quote:
If I were you, I would get the AC guy out immediately, see if it was an installation issue. If it was, he needs to be responsible.
AC guy responded quick this morning and said he’d be out at 6:45 in the morning. From what I can tell it’s gonna be an installation issue because the fitting apparently wasn’t snug enough and it wasn’t over the pan to catch any possible leaks. My concern is that they’ll just say it’s not that bad and it’ll dry out. This was my first time using this AC guy, but he came highly recommended by my BIL who is a contractor and a good friend who is a retired HVAC contractor. Hopefully, he’ll stand behind his work. My wife is HIGHLY allergic to mold and ironically when the AC guy did the work a month ago we had him install UV lighting in the system to prevent mold growth. Now this!
quote:
At the same time get servepro out to start rectifying the moisture issue. Keep track of all receipts and expenses. Servepro will tell you what needs to be ripped out and replaced.
Should I go ahead and try to contact Servepro today or 1st thing in the morning since it’s a Sunday? If we go this route I would think this would almost decide for me that this would have to be an insurance claim since we would begin incurring expenses.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:04 am to damonster
quote:
begin incurring expenses.
That's all going to depend on your deductible, and personal preference.
I had 4 sheets of drywall pulled down from a 30 foot ceiling, replaced, painted. 1 week of servepro running 3 of the largest heaters and dehumidifiers they have. Then I had to reinsulate the attic. We payed it out of pocket since total that was still only about 3k.
ETA: I won't try to tell you what to do but if I had a family member who is allergic to mold with a potential mold source I would have already called servepro. It may be overkill but with allergies to it, can't be too careful.
This post was edited on 8/4/24 at 10:07 am
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:12 am to BoogaBear
quote:
I had 4 sheets of drywall pulled down from a 30 foot ceiling, replaced, painted. 1 week of servepro running 3 of the largest heaters and dehumidifiers they have. Then I had to reinsulate the attic. We payed it out of pocket since total that was still only about 3k. ETA: I won't try to tell you what to do but if I had a family member who is allergic to mold with a potential mold source I would have already called servepro. It may be overkill but with allergies to it, can't be too careful.
I appreciate all this information. I would hope that the AC guy would fit the bill since this appears to just be a dumb mistake on his part. Never can tell these days though. I’m going to have to call a remediation company. We’re in a very rural area so I’m not sure that Servepro would even come this far out. Wife is already talking about going stay at her parents house until this is fixed. Don’t blame her either.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:17 am to damonster
We unfortunately have experience, this was our ceiling 3 days before closing.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 10:44 am to BoogaBear
Pics of damage
This is what we are dealing with if anyone else has any ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Guess I’m going to start pulling insulation up today and run a box fan up the until the AC guy shows up in the morning. I’m just hoping that he doesn’t give any problems and will fix the damage.
This is what we are dealing with if anyone else has any ideas. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Guess I’m going to start pulling insulation up today and run a box fan up the until the AC guy shows up in the morning. I’m just hoping that he doesn’t give any problems and will fix the damage.
This post was edited on 8/4/24 at 10:47 am
Posted on 8/4/24 at 11:18 am to damonster
I see now the water has made its way well down the wall. And this has possibly been going on for a month? Not great. If you're really worried about mold then that wall of sheetrock should just be ripped out and replaced. Not much drying is going to be happening if the wall is closed up.
If it were my own home and own mistake I'd probably just try popping the blisters and getting some sort of crud airflow in the wall moving and see if that would work instead of the mess of drywall replacement. But I'm not terribly concerned about the mold issue.
Have you tried poking the wall with your finger in wet areas? if its thoroughly soaked then you should be able to easily make a dent or even poke through.
If it were my own home and own mistake I'd probably just try popping the blisters and getting some sort of crud airflow in the wall moving and see if that would work instead of the mess of drywall replacement. But I'm not terribly concerned about the mold issue.
Have you tried poking the wall with your finger in wet areas? if its thoroughly soaked then you should be able to easily make a dent or even poke through.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 11:24 am to damonster
The damage does not sound like it would be more than your deductible, stay away from insurance
Posted on 8/4/24 at 11:45 am to Turnblad85
quote:
I see now the water has made its way well down the wall. And this has possibly been going on for a month? Not great.
Yes, I really don’t see how it hasn’t been going on since the original work was done a month ago. I felt that drain line where the 90 is and it was wet and barely connected. It actually popped out as I was running my hand down the drain line feeling for water.
quote:
If it were my own home and own mistake I'd probably just try popping the blisters and getting some sort of crud airflow in the wall moving and see if that would work instead of the mess of drywall replacement. But I'm not terribly concerned about the mold issue.
This was the AC guy’s mistake not mine. We originally had him come out to address mold issues with the HVAC system and to prevent them. That’s why we had portions of the system replaced and the UV lightning installed. It worries my wife because our upstairs has high humidity levels which inhibit mold growth. She works from home and has been tested and she is the only one that has mycotoxins in her system. That’s why I need to be extremely careful and have this fixed the right way and not just “patched.”
quote:
Have you tried poking the wall with your finger in wet areas?
Yes, I’m the areas where I can actually reach. We have steep stairs and there are areas where I can’t reach. Most of what I can feel is damp but not to the point where my finger would go through it. There is a spot at the top of my stairs that does feel
Like I could poke my finger through. I can’t reach the spots on the upstairs ceiling because they’re over the stairs. That’s what we noticed first yesterday which is probably what has been wet the longest given that this is the area where the HVAC unit is in the attic.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 11:47 am to wickowick
quote:
The damage does not sound like it would be more than your deductible, stay away from insurance
I’m really hoping to stay away from insurance at all costs. Honestly, this should be on the AC guy and his insurance cover this. I just want to make sure it’s taken care of the right way for my wife’s health and our home.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 12:00 pm to damonster
Just relax.
Try to get any wet insulation away from the drywall. With the heat of the attic it will dry quickly.
The issue you have is pretty common. May want to glue that 90 joint.
Every house has some mold. I think a little bleach, drywall mud and paint and you'll be good to go.
Try to get any wet insulation away from the drywall. With the heat of the attic it will dry quickly.
The issue you have is pretty common. May want to glue that 90 joint.
Every house has some mold. I think a little bleach, drywall mud and paint and you'll be good to go.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 12:12 pm to damonster
Though this is not associated with your immediate problem of water damage from the HVAC, you’ve made a few references to high humidity upstairs and of course your wife’s sensitivity to mold.
Do you know what the humidity level is upstairs at its worst? A properly sized and operating HVAC should maintain a comfortable desirable humidity levels - particularly in summer with long HVAC run times. Is this was the HVAC tech was out there to address? Two story house - do you have 2 HVAC’s, one for each floor, or single HVAC, zoned or not zoned?
Anyway, I know this is not your main concern at the moment, but there are things that can be done to mitigate higher than normal-desirable humidity levels, which does foster mold development, but hopefully this was the HVAC tech was trying to address.
Do you know what the humidity level is upstairs at its worst? A properly sized and operating HVAC should maintain a comfortable desirable humidity levels - particularly in summer with long HVAC run times. Is this was the HVAC tech was out there to address? Two story house - do you have 2 HVAC’s, one for each floor, or single HVAC, zoned or not zoned?
Anyway, I know this is not your main concern at the moment, but there are things that can be done to mitigate higher than normal-desirable humidity levels, which does foster mold development, but hopefully this was the HVAC tech was trying to address.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 12:34 pm to CrawDude
quote:
Do you know what the humidity level is upstairs at its worst? A properly sized and operating HVAC should maintain a comfortable desirable humidity levels - particularly in summer with long HVAC run times. Is this was the HVAC tech was out there to address? Two story house - do you have 2 HVAC’s, one for each floor, or single HVAC, zoned or not zoned?
At its worst 75%. This was partially what the HVAC guy was out to address. The situation was that our pan was discovered to be rusting so we needed to have it replaced. Mold in the HVAC unit due to my wife’s sensitivity was the other. We do have 2 units. One upstairs and one downstairs. 1900ish square foot house. The upstairs unit was replaced 7 years ago with a larger unit. The HVAC guy said that the return duct going into the air handler wasn’t big enough and that was making the air handler work too hard this causing the unit to leak into the pan causing it to rust. On the supply side, it was determined that the plenum had to be replaced and all insulation inside the unit due to it being rusted out soaking wet. We installed a Reme Halo unit on that side to help with the mold issues. Of course, everything was cleaned prior to installation. This was supposed to keep our unit running as efficiently as it possibly could. Still not exactly sure why the high humidity though. Most days it’ll stay in the 50-65% range during the summer.
This post was edited on 8/4/24 at 4:18 pm
Posted on 8/4/24 at 6:08 pm to damonster
1. Insurance pays for sudden and accidental damage. This doesn’t sound like it’s sudden. A slow leak doesn’t fit the bill.
2. Your a/c guy doing work within the last month seems to be the proximate cause. He’s on the hook for resulting damage.
3. Mold needs a prolonged source of the water to grow. If you solve the water source issue, the mold will dry and dissipate.
4. Like others have said, the damage may be below your “all other perils” deductible.
2. Your a/c guy doing work within the last month seems to be the proximate cause. He’s on the hook for resulting damage.
3. Mold needs a prolonged source of the water to grow. If you solve the water source issue, the mold will dry and dissipate.
4. Like others have said, the damage may be below your “all other perils” deductible.
Posted on 8/4/24 at 6:56 pm to Knucklehead
Discovery is part of the sudden and accidental part, this imo would be S&A.
Try not to file a water damage claim, you’ll be on a no coverage list per “CLUE” for a min of three years.
That rock will dry if you get some air moving and the wet insulation removed. Be careful with Servpro they are in the sales business first, they did a great job with hen our house flooded and weren’t cheap.
24 yr agent
Try not to file a water damage claim, you’ll be on a no coverage list per “CLUE” for a min of three years.
That rock will dry if you get some air moving and the wet insulation removed. Be careful with Servpro they are in the sales business first, they did a great job with hen our house flooded and weren’t cheap.
24 yr agent
Posted on 8/4/24 at 7:21 pm to KemoSabe65
quote:
Discovery is part of the sudden and accidental part, this imo would be S&A. Try not to file a water damage claim, you’ll be on a no coverage list per “CLUE” for a min of three years. That rock will dry if you get some air moving and the wet insulation removed. Be careful with Servpro they are in the sales business first, they did a great job with hen our house flooded and weren’t cheap. 24 yr agent
This was definitely a surprise to us and had no clue that water was leaking in the attic until we noticed the spots on the ceiling and walls. That would be sudden and accidental imo also. However, I do believe this should be on my AC guy to repair. What exactly is “CLUE?” I’m not exactly sure how to get air moving behind the walls of a stairwell from the 2nd floor down to the 1st floor without removing a lot of the walls. This situation is harder because of the area of the house that this is in. Stairwell is hard to access the damaged areas. Would Servpro or any other remediation company be covered under insurance if the AC guy gives me problems with having this fixed?
Posted on 8/4/24 at 7:39 pm to damonster
If the AC guy is coming out there tomorrow, I would wait until then to see his course of action. Give the man a chance to fix what he wronged. If he's a licensed contractor he will have insurance that will cover all of this. It will not get fixed tonight and the only thing you're going to do is wear yourself to death. Everything can be fixed, it just cost money. Hopefully his. Good luck with all this I know it's stressful.
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