caledonianstill wrote:

We have an external soil pipe which goes through the polycarbonate roof
of a conservatory and is boxed in below that down to ground level.

The soil pipe has cracked and a chunk broken away above the level of the
polycarbonate roof. The soil pipe is made from some kind of asbestos.

When the upstairs bog is flushed, a trickle of water runs down the roof
and into the guttering.

None of this seemed to be causing a major problem however I now think
this water is also coming down the outside of the soil pipe and down
inside the boxed in section.

Will an insurer cover fixing something like this? It does not seem to be
storm damage just the general age and wear on the pipe (50 years old).

As you say, fair wear and tear - not covered by insurance.
Even if your policy had accidental damage cover and it got
broken completely - say by falling against it whilst
cleaning the conservatory roof, you would have to admit its
previous state and the insurance company would pay little or
nothing. A loss adjuster would quickly spot that the crack
was long-standing and/or would be very suspicious if you had
aready disposed of the bits, should your memory get a little
vague about its previous condition.

You do have to fix it as it is a health hazard. IIRC, it is
actually a legal requirement.
If it is asbestos, then expect it to cost something silly.



If the work is to be done I would like to combine the soil pipe with a
second bath waste pipe which runs to a separate drain, to enable the
drains to be combined and the bath waste drain to be got rid of. Would
the insurers be willing to pay for just "their" bit but allow this extra
work to be done as part of the same job?


Depends on the insurer - many will simply take your three
quotations and give you a cheque. Others will appoint a
contractor - with whom you will have to negotiate for any
extra work. But your insurer is unlikely to pay anything at all.

--

Sue