Motor burnout cover
Be prepared for appliance breakdowns by adding motor burnout cover to your home and contents insurance
A guide to motor burnout cover
Updated March 21, 2024
Expert tips for adding motor burnout cover to your home and contents policy
Our home and contents insurance expert, Adrian Taylor, has some helpful tips for providing cover for your home appliances.
Adrian Taylor
Executive General Manager – General Insurance
Check the conditions of your coverage
Check your PDS to find out what the criteria is for an appliance to be covered under motor burnout.
Take care of your appliances
Ensure that appliance motors are adequately ventilated to prevent overheating. Clean any dust or debris that may accumulate around the motor’s cooling fans or vents.
Consider using overheating devices
You may like to install thermal overload protection devices that can automatically shut off the motor if it begins to overheat. These devices act as a safety net to prevent burnout.
About motor burnout cover
What is motor burnout cover?
Motor burnout cover (also known as fusion damage) is designed to cover you if the wiring of a motor burns out in an electrical appliance at your home. It’s typically offered as an optional cover with home and contents insurance policies.
What appliances are covered for motor burnout?
The specifics of what’s covered for motor burnout may differ between policies and insurance providers, so you should always read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for the full details of your cover options before you buy a policy.
However, these are some common inclusions and exclusions of motor burnout cover.
| What’s covered | What’s not covered |
|---|---|
|
> Fridges and freezers > Microwaves > Washing machines > Air conditioners > Vacuums > Fans > Pool pumps > Motorised garage doors |
> Appliances over a certain age (usually over 5-10 years) > Appliances under warranty > Appliances used for business purposes > Televisions > Computers and laptops > Cost to remove and refit a submersible pump |
| N.B: Some items may be covered if you have motor burnout cover added to a home insurance policy, and others if it’s added to contents cover. | |
Some motor burnout policies may also include a benefit for food spoilage. Should your fridge or freezer experience motor burnout, you may be able to make an insurance claim for perishable food that’s spoiled as a result, provided your policy covers this.
What are the exclusions on motor burnout cover?
Like any insurance policy, there are exclusions to your motor burnout cover. Some instances in which you wouldn’t be able to claim for motor burnout include:
- General wear and tear
- Physical breakage to appliance
- Damaged switches, fuses and lighting or heating elements
- Damage caused by spoiled food
- Malicious damage or vandalism that may cause an electrical fault
- Underground or submerged motors.
Exclusions may vary between policies and insurance providers, so it’s always important to read the PDS of any insurance product before purchase.
Important to know
Why is motor burnout cover important?
If your fridge suddenly stops working, or if your washing machine unexpectedly breaks down in the middle of a cycle, it may be due to the wiring of its motor having burnt out. Covering the loss and repairs of these kinds of appliances yourself would be a hassle, let alone expensive.
As such, cover for electric motor burnouts can be a beneficial add-on to a home insurance cover or contents or combined home and contents policy.
Should I add motor burnout cover to my home and contents insurance?
Motor burnout is a more common problem than you might think. It can affect a variety of often-used household appliances, such as washing machines, refrigerators and dishwashers – anything that has an electrical motor and wiring.
Could you afford to fix or replace any of these abovementioned appliances out of your own pocket if the wiring was to fuse?
With motor burnout cover, you may not need to ask yourself that question.
Be sure to read the policy’s Target Market Determination (TMD) first to determine whether this cover is right for you.
How much does cover for motor burnout cost?
Since motor burnout cover can be an optional extra, adding it to your home and contents insurance policy may, in turn, add to your premiums. How much it increases will vary between policies and providers.
Meet our home and contents expert, Adrian Taylor
As the Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, Adrian Taylor works to make it easier for homeowners, renters and landlords to protect their home and contents. He believes it’s important for all residents (whether they rent, own or lease) to have adequate financial cover for their property and belongings in case the worse should happen.