Insurance and Tanks
Contents:
- Insurance: What about it?
by CCCATHY-at-mizzou1.missouri.edu (Cathy Byland) (Sun, 09 Apr 95)
by CCCATHY-at-mizzou1.missouri.edu (Cathy Byland)
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 95 (corrected June 96)
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria
In article <3m78e0$pne-at-usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
dbwhite-at-nickel.ucs.indiana.edu (david bruce white) writes:
>it occurs to me that, living
>as I do in a rented apt, I need some sort of insurance. (Actually,
>my managers kinda told me to get some...). Now then: how does this work?
>Is there a policy designed specifically for aquarium owners, a la
>waterbed insurance? Or must I get some generic renters insurance
>and get some sort of rider attached? What kind of premiums are we
>talking here?
I had to buy renters insurance before I could fill my 110 gallon
aquarium. I live on the first floor, but there's a basement
apartment underneath mine. However, I bought a stand that
I felt would best spread the weight out (Oceanic pine cabinet stand
instead of a wrought iron stand) AND it's on an outside wall.
Generally, the floors are designed to hold 300 lbs/square foot,
and the aquarium weighs in the vicinity of 1200 lbs. The stand is
four feet long by 1.5 feet wide which equals 6 square feet. However
the weight is distributed around the perimeter of the stand, on a 4 inch
wide strip of wood, not on the total area covered by the stand.
(4'X .33') * 2 (front and back)= 2.64 square feet + another approximately
.55 square feet for the sides = 3.19 square feet total. That means
The weight of my aquarium is around 376 lbs per square foot. Not too
bad. Since the aquarium is on a load bearing wall, which could probably
hold double the amount of weight that the center of the room could safely
hold, I'm not too worried. I checked out the basement, and the floor
joists rest directly on the concrete foundations. However, before
my apartment owners would allow me to fill the aquarium, I had to buy
Renters insurance, which costs around 100 dollars per year. I'm
covered for 100,000 dollars worth of liability, and if the aquarium
were to leak or actually break through the floor, then it could
easily cost that much to fix the building AND replace all my stuff
and all the stuff belonging to the people living below my apartment.
The insurance also covers me in case I have a break-in and all my stuff
is stolen and also if the building burns down or if there is "an act of
God" etc. I really don't mind paying the money for it.
Cathy
ccCathy-at-mizzou1.missouri.edu
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