Most freezer failures result from mechanical causes, such as worn or defective parts. Homeowners policies provide no coverage for mechanical breakdowns. However, if a covered peril caused the failure, such as a power surge or damage from a fire, then your homeowners insurance policy covers it.
What Are Covered Perils?
Covered perils are specific events that your homeowners insurance policy protects you against financially. If a covered peril strikes and damages or destroys any part of your home or insured contents, your homeowners policy pays to repair or replace all the impacted property.
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Covered perils include many types of damages that can cause freezer failure:
Power Surges
A power surge can zap your freezer and leave it nonoperational. While a broken freezer presents a big inconvenience, when caused by a power surge, your homeowners policy pays to fix it.
Fires
Accidental fires are one of the most common homeowners insurance claims. When they result in a destroyed freezer, your insurance policy pays to replace it.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes can cause all types of damage, including destroying your freezer, which your home insurance covers.
Wind Damage
Should a straight-line wind wreck your freezer, your home insurance will repair or replace it.
Other covered perils include theft, vandalism, and any catastrophe outside the homeowners control not excluded by the terms of the policy.
What About the Freezer Contents?
Should a covered peril result in lost foodstuffs because of a covered event, your homeowners policy probably has a provision providing coverage. Most home insurance pays for $500 to $1,000 worth of ruined food. However, if the spoiled frozen items are not part of a larger claim, it may not be worth the cost because of your deductible.
Non-Covered Events
In addition to mechanical failures, homeowners policies also exclude certain catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and floods. If your freezer suffers impacts because of a non-covered event, you are on your own to pay for the damage unless you carry a supplemental policy.
For example, the federal government guarantees homeowners the right to purchase flood insurance. This supplemental option is in addition to your homeowners policy. It covers flooding from nearby bodies of water, torrential rain, and disastrous storms. Should your freezer fail because of floodwaters, your supplemental flood insurance policy pays.
Earthquakes also require a separate policy. If an earthquake strikes your domicile, it’s likely your freezer may fail or be crushed altogether. Supplemental earthquake insurance covers the damage.
Home Warranties
If you want to insure against the risk of mechanical freezer problems, consider a home warranty. Warranty companies design these products to cover what homeowners insurance does not. Most home warranties will cover the costs of freezer repair due to a breakdown.
In addition, you can purchase a home warranty that financially protects you against many types of home repairs, including appliances like washing machines and HVAC equipment. Home warranties can be especially helpful when you purchase a pre-owned home. It’s difficult to know the condition of the home’s mechanical and structural elements. Should you have the bad luck to run into a serious maintenance problem, a home warranty can be a lifesavings saver.
Freezers can be expensive to repair or replace. Though the costs may be eye-popping, unless your freezer failed due to a covered peril, your homeowners insurance won’t cover it. However, a home warranty can fill the gap by protecting you against the costs of mechanical breakdowns, including freezer failure.
Homeowners policies can be helpful when your freezer fails because of a power surge, fire, or other disaster included in your policy provisions. They even cover the cost of spoiled food.
