For an answer, you first must address questions of facts—was there a slow leak or did the pipe burst? Is there evidence of a ruptured pipe beyond the volume of water? Were there any visual signs of a slow leak apparent to the insured? The standard homeowners policy provides coverage for accidental discharge or overflow from a plumbing or heating appliance; the intent of the policy is to provide coverage for sudden leaks or discharges, and not for things that occur over time, such as wear and tear to a pipe that results in a slow leak. If your policy has an exclusion for leaks existing over weeks, months or years, the true cause of loss must be determined. It is possible there was a slow leak and then the pipe burst, at which point if the leak was hidden there may be coverage for both depending on the policy language, or there may be coverage just for the damage caused directly by a ruptured pipe.