Nationwide, water-loss claims continue to climb. In Californiaalone, such claims have risen dramatically, with the percentage ofhomeowner claims growing from 24 percent in 1997 to 32 percent in2001, costing insurers $1.7 billion. In a single year inCalifornia, between 2000 and 2001, claims rose $47 million. Forsome insurers, this meant that 40 percent of claim payments werefor water losses.

The rise in water-related losses has been attributed to manycauses. Some studies point out that modern homes have much moreplumbing in them than older homes. In general, older homes do nothave as many bathrooms, while newer homes often have extras such aswet bars, icemakers, water filter systems, soft water systems, andresidential automatic fire sprinklers. Modern homes also are builtto be more airtight, thus tending to trap moisture more readily.Much of the increase in water-related losses can be blamed onmodern materials used in the manufacture of plumbing fixtures, aswell as poor construction methods.

Plastic vs. Metal