Home Insurance & Non UL Approved Equipment

[Lighthouse Beacon]

I'm glad to see you have traditional detectors as well... What happens to the ring when the interwebs go down?

Nothing. It’s traditional detectors but the ring devices are “listeners”. You train the listener the sounds of different alarm devices, smoke, carbon monoxide etc. When the listener detects it still pops local alarms, so a siren I’ve got located outside will scream. Neighbor will wonder what’s wrong etc. If internet modem burnt before smoke detected the push alerts won’t escape to my phone, emergency sms contacts, or emergency monitoring etc. but that would be rare. The system still is operational locally. The main focus of this is for you to get a push that your house has detected smoke while you’re standing in the grocery store, you then connect to your camera in your workshop and see smoke. You then call 911, call your neighbor, and haul ass 90mph back home.

Based on my research early detection, much like any problem, is absolutely crucial for successful mitigation

 

[42OhmsPA]

Nothing. It’s traditional detectors but the ring devices are “listeners”. You train the listener the sounds of different alarm devices, smoke, carbon monoxide etc. When the listener detects it still pops local alarms, so a siren I’ve got located outside will scream. Neighbor will wonder what’s wrong etc. If internet modem burnt before smoke detected the push alerts won’t escape to my phone, emergency sms contacts, or emergency monitoring etc. but that would be rare. The system still is operational locally. The main focus of this is for you to get a push that your house has detected smoke while you’re standing in the grocery store, you then connect to your camera in your workshop and see smoke. You then call 911, call your neighbor, and haul ass 90mph back home.

Understood, the point I was trying to make was none of the additional notifications will work if the internet were to fail.
Agreed a 'perfect storm' is unlikely.

Based on my research early detection, much like any problem, is absolutely crucial for successful mitigation

Absolutely agree. Reminds me of PFMEAs in my work life.

 

[JRH]

Noticing how much of the DIY solar equipment being sold doesn’t have any UL or cUL listing, or approvals of any sort for that matter, I’m wondering how using these items could affect an owner’s home insurance if a claim was to arise?

Well as they say in the old country, you are toast…if you threaten to sue, their attorneys on retainer get a rise…they love to get paid for simply telling the ins co to stonewall you..
the can outlast all but true big whigs and get paid well while waiting for you to go broke..

 

[sunsurfer]

So if you live somewhere with no county inspectors, or codes, does that mean your covered?

My house I'm building is fire, flood, tornado, etc...proof...no insurance needed for the structure.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

So if you live somewhere with no county inspectors, or codes, does that mean your covered?

My house I'm building is fire, flood, tornado, etc...proof...no insurance needed for the structure.

You building a monolithic dome?

 

[Lighthouse Beacon]

So if you live somewhere with no county inspectors, or codes, does that mean your covered?

My house I'm building is fire, flood, tornado, etc...proof...no insurance needed for the structure.

Need more info on this build please share

 

[JS43]

f I was putting solar in a RV or a shed /cabin conversion I would not be to concerned If it burns it burns not much to lose really

Really? What about those who live full time in their RV? That is a pretty sad comment.

 

[Madcodger]

I'm not an attorney. That said, I think one of the core things we must remember is that insurance coverage is basically just a contract between two, private entities: You, and the insurance company. There are some state regulations that protect consumers, but for the most part, it's considered an arms-length transaction between two parties. Because the coverage renews periodically (usually once each year), the insurance company gets to set new terms at each renewal. If you agree to those terms, they'll renew you for whatever price they set. If you don't agree, then you're forced to shop for another carrier, IF YOU CAN FIND ONE, at that future point in time. To me, this is the big risk for those of us who wish to DIY it. We may well get acceptable coverage today, but all it takes is some effective lobbying by an interested (financially motivated) party, or a couple of high profile losses by an insurer, and suddenly we find ourselves in a pickle to get coverage. Anyway, that's my biggest worry with the DIY route. I haven't yet made a decision about the new house we're planning for next year, but this is the thing I'm pondering the most.

 

[sunsurfer]

Need more info on this build please share

Not to derail this thread but it will be a monolithic pill shaped concrete dome with a loft. dimensions 20' x 40' 712 sq ft down stairs and 400 sq ft upstairs. The inner core is a GFRC 2" cement shell with basalt reinforcement, middle layer is an insulative light weight polystyrene foam/papercrete cement (E.P.I.C.) 12" layer and then a thin stucco type outer shell. Light weight, strong and aerodynamic. Partial earth sheltered.

 

[50ShadesOfDirt]

There was a guy (engineer type) on the hurricane coast (florida?, gulf coast?) who built his home entirely out of concrete. Not as a dome, but as straight walls & such. I believe he had been hit, and what happened was some doors/windows blew out, but the structure was not affected in the least.

In my mind, this is what you might need to do in certain areas, to avoid catastrophic destruction from direct hits by hurricane, tornado, etc. ... being an engineer doesn't hurt either.

Of course, being a good idea, this will never happen on the first mile of coast line, where homes routinely get destroyed and then rebuilt, using the same methods that got the home destroyed.

I imagine his insurance premium was fairly low!