Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Broken Refrigerators?

Whether or not your homeowners insurance covers your refrigerator depends on the limitations of your policy and how the fridge was damaged.
Written by Brady Klopfer
Reviewed by Carrie Adkins
Refrigerators are covered by your homeowners insurance if they're damaged by a named peril, but you won't be covered if they're damaged by wear and tear or your own negligence.
It's not uncommon to find out your fridge is broken the hard way—in other words, opening your fridge to discover everything inside is room temperature and your perishables have spoiled.
A broken fridge is an inconvenience, to say the least, but is it claimable on a standard homeowners insurance policy?
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Homeowners insurance for refrigerators

From a general perspective, most questions about insurance coverage cannot be answered with yes's and no's.
Your homeowners insurance might cover a broken refrigerator—and it might not. Whether or not you qualify for coverage depends on your policy and how the fridge was damaged.
Refrigerators are covered is a named peril in your insurance policy causes it to break down, but if it was your own negligence or wear and tear that caused the breakdown, your refrigerator probably won't be covered.

When refrigerators are covered by homeowners insurance

Your fridge is likely covered if it was damaged by a
covered peril
in your homeowners insurance policy.
However, it's important to note that most perils are limited to unexpected and unavoidable occurrences, like
fire
, inclement weather, and criminal activity. For instance, if a wildfire caused extensive damage to your home and destroyed your kitchen, the replacement or repair of your fridge would most likely be covered by your insurance company.
It's also important to remember that appliances do not fall under the dwelling-coverage section of your homeowners insurance because they are not structural elements of your home.
If your fridge qualifies for coverage and you need a replacement, it falls under one of the two primary types of insurance coverage: actual cost value and replacement cost value. The former covers the value of the refrigerator at the time that it was damaged. For example, if your fridge was four years old, your coverage will factor in four years of depreciation. Replacement cost covers the value of replacing the fridge with a brand new model.

When refrigerators aren't covered

If your fridge wasn't broken by a peril listed in your home insurance policy, odds are, it won't be covered.
As mentioned earlier, homeowners insurance usually only applies to the unexpected and avoidable, which means malfunctions and damage caused by normal wear will not be covered.
That means if your fridge is chugging along and nearing the end of its life, the damage that occurs as a result of its old age falls on the homeowner.
You may have coverage if you have paid for additional home repair insurance,
home appliance insurance
, or equipment breakdown coverage.
Some homeowners also opt for a
home warranty
to protect them from a big financial burden if one of their major appliances or home systems, like air conditioning, hot water heaters, or washing machines, were to break suddenly.
Home warranty plans are often purchased by new homeowners that want to protect their investment in their new appliances. These warranties can be extended if you want to opt for even more extensive protection.
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