sewingpup

also check out how much they depreciate the value over time. That may have been why I didn't take the coverable as we all know how fast our computerized machines go down in value when the next newest and bestest model comes out.

Peckish

When we first got the waverunners, yes they were on the policy. But as the years went by, I shredded the original documents, so I couldn’t prove that we had told them. It was my word against theirs. Never thought I’d be gaslit by my insurance company!

Stitchnripper

All good advice. I will add to make sure you are going with a company that actually pays claims (hoping you never need to make one). Lots of companies write policies and offer good rates but when it comes to paying a claim it is a nightmare

GingerK

One more thing--and this is for the protection of our machines themselves--even though we have a whole home surge protector, I have my machines plugged into their own surge protectors. When we bought a new TV, the sales person recommended this and it just made sense to carry the same thinking over to my sewing machines.

cashs_mom

So true! I go with a company that has a history of paying their claims without problems. We have an umbrella policy with the house and 3 of the cars. I don't worry as much about saving a few dollars as I do about getting paid. We have had a home loss (Hurricane Ike) and car loss (uninsured motorist). Our insurance has been worth paying a few dollars more when we had a loss.

Something else to check is the actual amount you're insured for. I changed agents a few years ago when our agent raised the amount that they were insuring us for. They had us insured for $50,000 for the driveway and fences (I don't remember what they called that but when I contacted the agent that's what she said it was for. They also had some other things that I was paying for but didn't need that much insurance for. Now I read my policy at every renewal just so I'm not paying for a bunch of things I don't need.

Peckish

Yes, exactly. This is what I meant when I said check your limits. On our old auto policies, our medical limits were still at $50K, which is waaaaay too low.

mkc

Just be aware that a surge protector is

a) a sacrificial device - its internal circuits will usually be destroyed by a significant power surge (that's how many work, actually), or at least rendered useless after a hit

b) inadequate in the event of lightning strike. The power and speed of a strike are far greater than the clamping voltage and reaction time of a surge protector's circuits

c) don't necessarily protect against voltage coming in on the "ground" wire

I there's an impending storm, it's always best to unplug as well and not rely on a surge protector.

Our greatest damage due to a power surge was lightning strike traveling up our phone landline.

Peckish

1000% this!!!

QuiltE

Taking the surge protector discussion a bit further .....
There are different ratings as to how much surge they will protect you from.
A little zap? or a whole lot? Depends on what you have.
It's important to remember, that once zapped, they are no good for protection, but still good as a power bar.

An UPS (Uninterruptable Power Source) is another alternative to consider, especially if you are subject to "brown outs". How you can tell this, is if your lights dim periodically, or at certain times of the day (when there is a high usage), the lights stay dimmer for an extended time. Essentially, the UPS works with the power going into the UPS, is stored in a battery, then released to your machine from the battery, so that you get consistent power and no brown outs to damage your machine.

Years ago we had a computer problem, with the end conclusion being the brown out issue had caused a lot of damage. We found out the hard way!!

So many of our sewing machines are now computers ... so yes, I have UPS on mine.
(The UPS has surge protection too.)

sewingpup

mine is on a surge protector only, but, I do not sew during stormy weather, and I always unplug my machine when not using it. If it is unplugged, I don't have to worry about the protection it is plugged into. I do leave my TV's and computer plugged in though. They are way cheaper than my sewing machines