Helpful Tips from IPSSA

By Ray Arouesty/ IPSSA Aug 2010 Newsletter
Ray Arouesty is an attorney at law and president of Arrow Insurance Service, IPSSA’s insurance provider since 1988.

My client had been servicing commercial pools for more than ten years. On a day much like any other, he received a phone call informing him that water from the pool filter was spraying into one of the apartments. The problem was clear: the filter O-ring had split, allowing a stream of water to be directed toward the building. My client was shocked when the client’s homeowner’s insurance company demanded reimbursement for more than $100,000 in water damage. After all, he was only the service technician. As it turns out, my client never changed the filter O-ring and stated that he never even checked the O-ring for wear or deterioration. Had he done so, the damages probably would have been avoided. A pool service tech will be held responsible for damages caused by his failure to exercise ordinary care. We routinely change the brake pads on our cars before they fail because we know that they will eventually fail if we don’t. The same logic applies to swimming pool equipment. Service techs should have a practice of routinely checking wear on parts and advising their customers before these items break. This includes not only Orings, but plastic hoses and seals as well. It takes little effort and you may be responsible for the resulting damage if you fail to do so.

Page 10 The IPSSAN August 2010
Coverage Corner
Fix things before they’re broken?

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