Our insured has his irrigation equipment covered by irrigation equipment floater form IM-36. Recently, he left the system operating during cold weather. The sprinkling water began to freeze upon contact with the exterior parts of the sprinkler. Ice continued to build up until the added weight of the ice caused the system to collapse. Is this loss reached by the freezing exclusion, or is it possibly covered under the collapse peril?

Nebraska Subscriber

A

If the irrigation system was meant to be in operation and the weather turned colder than expected, then we believe that the exclusion relating to extremes of temperature and freezing would apply. On the other hand, if there was an accident that caused the system to operate when it should not have, it could be argued that the loss was caused by the accident. Thus, the result of the accidental, improper operation (freezing) would not be excluded.