2008-04-11 23:12:40 -
www.firemansfund.com/ - It may have happened to you or to someone you know. A burst water pipe pours hundreds of gallons of water into a home while the homeowner is at work or on vacation, destroying valuable personal belongings and causing major property damage.
To protect against this occurrence, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company has expanded its
water loss protection program to include a premium discount to policyholders who install a water leak defense system.
"Fireman's Fund is interested in protecting homeowners from water losses and in water conservation. Offering a premium discount will give homeowners the additional incentive to install a new device that may prevent such occurrences," said Mark McCormick, Director of Service Innovation for Personal Insurance. Fireman's Fund has teamed with Sentinel Hydrosolutions LLC to offer the Leak Defense System that stops water flow from plumbing leaks before major damage occurs. "This further enhances our overall strategy to prevent water losses and promote water conservation," said McCormick.
"Our Leak Defense System is installed on the incoming water line to a home, apartment, or commercial building and constantly monitors water flow," said Jeff Traczewski, president of Sentinel Hydrosolutions. "The owner sets the target water flow and the amount of time before the system determines an alarm condition. At that time, the audible alarm sounds and the water is shut-off."
Mike Broach, Vice President of Sales With Sentinel Hydrosolutions claims the leak defense system also provides eco-friendly or 'Green' benefits to the homeowner. "Not only will the system prevent potential losses from a plumbing leak, it can pay for itself in the short-term by alerting homeowners to leaky appliances such as toilets and slab leaks that often go undetected for years." A study in Portland, OR revealed that silent toilet leaks could account for up to 300 gallons of water a day costing upwards of $500 a year.
Fireman's Fund offers a comprehensive strategy from water loss prevention solutions to surface water/flood insurance. Statistically, a home is three times more likely to incur damage from flood water than from fire.
More comprehensive coverage and limits than the National Flood Insurance Program offers are available to Prestige(R) Home Premier policyholders. Surface water or flood damage doesn't only result from natural disasters; substantial damage can also result from construction site runoff, melting snow, inadequate drainage systems and leaky dams or levees.
About Fireman's Fund
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company is a premier property and casualty insurance company providing personal, commercial and specialty insurance products nationwide. It is rated 'A+' by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. Fireman's Fund is a member of the Allianz Group (NYSE:AZ), one of the world's largest providers of insurance and financial services. For additional information, visit www.firemansfund.com.
(C) 2008 Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Novato, CA 94998
Fireman's Fund
Janet Ruiz, 415-899-5381
janet.ruiz@ffic.com 
