Another fuse box question

[Scottpat]

Curious how folks are now reporting fuse protected systems with most if not all insurance companies no longer covering homes with them?

I had one crop up last week on a home I inspected. State Farm, Allstate and Travelers would not cover the home with a fuse box, but Farmers did at a higher rate.

[Chris Bernhardt]

From a recent report I wrote:

Understand that hazard insurance may cost more or not be available to homes with fuse panels.

Chris, Oregon

[Les]

Me thinks the home inspector is becoming other than what they were originally intended to become. They are supposed to know what another will do. Would any insurance company insure a home that was inspected and mold was found?

[Mike Lamb]

I called my State Farm rep less than a year ago and she was not aware of any State Farm documentation that says they will not insure a home with a fuse box. Folklore?

[Scottpat]

Originally posted by Mike Lamb

I called my State Farm rep less than a year ago and she was not aware of any State Farm documentation that says they will not insure a home with a fuse box. Folklore?

The agents for the most part don't know about it. It has been my experience that the problems arise when it goes through underwriting. They end up canceling the policy or not renewing.

It could also be a regional decision.

[Les]

Scott is right, it is regional. I have had several insurance gurus in my office and have participated with several underwriters, from this region, that will reject application.

This is yet another of the "am I my brother's keeper?" arguments within the inspection business. I think most of you know I come down on the side of just reporting facts and feel inspectors should not be commenting on things like "You may not be able to get insurance. . . . . ." Cripe, I'd insure ten fuse panels before I'd cover one Federal Pacific.

I don't know, maybe I'm back in a foul mood about inspectors trying to be heros. It is easy to be the hero if you are the last guy on the job! For instance: Les - "Scott Patterson should have told you about the 3/8" screws that hold your dishwasher in place. A good inspector would have told you that fart fan wouldn't exhaust all the glue fumes when your kid is huffing in the bathroom and lights up that joint!" and so on.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Les

. . . A good inspector would have told you that fart fan wouldn't exhaust all the glue fumes when your kid is huffing in the bathroom and lights up that joint!" . . .

Damn! Now I have to rewrite my boilerplate.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Chris Bernhardt]

This is yet another of the "am I my brother's keeper?" arguments within the inspection business. I think most of you know I come down on the side of just reporting facts and feel inspectors should not be commenting on things like "You may not be able to get insurance. . . . . ." Cripe, I'd insure ten fuse panels before I'd cover one Federal Pacific.

In Oregon we keep heading that direction. Our legislation recently made it law that a builder of a new house has to provide the buyer with a maintenance manual.

IME it has been a big deal when a buyer later finds their house is uninsurable. I agree it's kinda beyond what we are there to do. My reasoning is if this was my mother, what advice would I give her.

Hey mom, the house you want to buy has a fuse panel. That's better than having a FPE or a Zinsco but the problem is having a fuse panel might affect your hazard insurance rates or even getting hazard insurance. You might want to check into that.

Chris, Oregon