What homeowners insurance covers on an appliance — and the wear-and-tear line it won’t cross

People assume homeowners insurance is a backstop for any broken appliance. The Insurance Information Institute makes the real rule clear.

The most common policy, the HO-3, covers your home and belongings against 16 named perils — including fire, lightning, theft, sudden and accidental damage from electrical current (a power surge), and accidental water discharge or overflow from an appliance or plumbing. If one of those perils damages an appliance, you are covered.

There is a subtle trap, though. Some perils cover damage caused by an appliance without covering the appliance itself. If your washing machine overflows, the policy typically pays to fix the floor it ruined — but not the washing machine. And nothing in a standard policy covers an appliance that failed from normal wear and tear or a mechanical breakdown.

That is the line that decides where to file. OwnWise helps you work out what actually caused the failure — a covered event or ordinary aging — so you know whether insurance is even the right place to look before you call your carrier.