Need A New Insurance Company

[BulldogAcres]

State Farm just cancelled me for using a wood fired boiler as my main heat source. Even though the boiler is housed in a separate building over 100 feet from the house the underwriters say it is not allowed. There only suggestion was to convert from wood to propane, natural gas, oil or electric. I have 40 acres of forest so I do not want to switch heating fuels.
I would like to know the Insurance Companies that our member use that the Insurance Companies are comfortable with wood Fired Boiler as the main heat source.
Thank you,

 

[brenndatomu]

None.
You can't have the wood heat as "primary"...there has to be something that will kick on and keep the place from freezing up in your extended absence. You have to list something else as "primary" (even if you never actually use it) oil, gas, propane, even electric baseboards would qualify...
They don't have a problem per say with your boiler, just that you apparently don't have another source of "primary heat"...and that is the key...always list your wood boiler as "backup" or "secondary" heat, most companys are OK with that...if not, send 'em packing, because there are plenty out there that are

 

[7acres]

I'm with State Farm. We heat 100% with the wood stove. But when we took out our policy we didn't have the wood stove. So I'm sure our heat pump is the primary heat source. When doing my due diligence pre wood stove install I called State Farm to ask if anything needed to be inspected or changed on the policy. They said no inspection needed and no change to the policy either.

 

[Pat32rf]

We are with State Farm as well. Use the fan in our electric furnace to circulate the heat from the OWB, and to keep SF happy ....

 

[DoubleB]

What the guys above have said.

State Farm just cancelled me

I assume they gave you a time window to resolve it? (Are you sure that they abruptly dropped you?)

 

[maple1]

I am thinking that installing a few electric baseboards around the house (even if they never or hardly ever get used) will solve this issue. I don't think a conversion to something else is needed, just an addition of some conventional heating you can term 'primary'. You would likely be hard pressed to find insurance with ONLY an OWB for heat, I am thinking.

 

[Highbeam]

State Farm just cancelled me for using a wood fired boiler as my main heat source. Even though the boiler is housed in a separate building over 100 feet from the house the underwriters say it is not allowed. There only suggestion was to convert from wood to propane, natural gas, oil or electric. I have 40 acres of forest so I do not want to switch heating fuels.
I would like to know the Insurance Companies that our member use that the Insurance Companies are comfortable with wood Fired Boiler as the main heat source.
Thank you,

I am also in WA and also WAS a long long time State Farm customer. I have a woodstove in my home for full time heat and one in my detached shop for intermittent use. Both permitted and approved by my county. State Farm dropped you for two reasons, one, they will not allow a solid fueled appliance in an outbuilding and two, they will not allow wood fuel as a primary heat source. Even if you take the shop off of the insurance, the whole policy is crap if you have a solid fuel burner in an outbuilding. If your house burns down but the shop with a stove doesn't catch fire, your house won't be covered.

The first one is unique to state farm, I put a wood burner in my detached shop and had to switch to Farmers which was happy to take me. Start with them.

The second one is not unique. In my home I have those cheap electric wall heaters that act as automatic heat in the even that the solid fuel burner is unable to heat my home for any reason.

So now all of my business is with Farmers. They've been fine. I've never made a claim with Farmers but never made one with SF either. I'm a good customer.

 

[BulldogAcres]

State Farm just cancelled me for using a wood fired boiler as my main heat source. Even though the boiler is housed in a separate building over 100 feet from the house the underwriters say it is not allowed. There only suggestion was to convert from wood to propane, natural gas, oil or electric. I have 40 acres of forest so I do not want to switch heating fuels.
I would like to know the Insurance Companies that our member use that the Insurance Companies are comfortable with wood Fired Boiler as the main heat source.
Thank you,

Thanks to all who commented on my post. State Farm has reinstated my insurance after they were informed that I have back up propane heat. Seems they are worried about freezing of the pipes If you do not have an alternate heat source along with your wood fired boiler. I also found out State Farm is one of the very few insurance companies that will insure a home without fire department protection.

 

[7acres]

Awesome. Glad to hear State Farm restored your coverage.