Are you wondering if your HVAC equipment is covered by a warranty? If so, you're not alone. Many homeowners are unsure of what their home warranty covers and what it doesn't. In this article, we'll discuss the basics of HVAC warranties and how they can help protect your home and your wallet. If your HVAC equipment is less than two years old and not working, it may be covered both by the manufacturer's limited warranty and by your homebuilder's HVAC contractors, who, by law, offer a two-year labor warranty.
Home warranties are designed to cover maintenance and repair of normal wear and tear and age-related faults on covered systems and appliances. In other words, they cover what homeowners insurance policies don't cover, since homeowners insurance focuses on repairing damage caused by accidents, weather conditions, fires, or other external forces. The systems your warranty will cover depend on the type of warranty you choose; most warranty companies offer policies that cover only appliances (including kitchen and laundry appliances), only systems (including whole-home systems, such as electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning), or combined policies that cover both. If you anticipate the need to cover the air conditioning system, be sure to select a warranty package that includes it.
Your policy will specify which components are covered. Typically, HVAC warranties include central air conditioning units, heating systems, some wall heaters, and water heaters. The best residential warranty for HVAC will also cover ducts and pipes, along with the components that make the systems work, such as thermostats. Home warranties don't usually cover portable appliances, so if you're looking for air conditioning insurance for your window units, the warranty won't include them. Usually, the manufacturer's warranty covers any part of the machine in the name of the HVAC brand.
A labor warranty will cover service charges, labor costs, and associated fees to install that part. Look at it this way: the manufacturer's warranty covers only the parts and the labor warranty fills in the gaps. In summer and winter months when demand for repair and replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems is high, the home warranty may take longer than usual to locate a contractor willing to make a diagnosis and perform the repair. In cases like yours, a home warranty is an excellent and relatively inexpensive way to ensure that you can cover repairs and replacement of appliances and systems during the policy period - as long as you read the warranty documents carefully and know what it covers. In fact, regular maintenance is the best way to extend the life of your air conditioning system - whether that means maintenance that homeowners can perform (such as changing filters regularly and keeping thermostats dust-free) or annual cleaning and checkups to make sure everything is running smoothly. If you're discussing the advantages of a home warranty for repairing or replacing an air conditioning system, discuss the pros and cons to better understand what a home warranty actually covers.
If you have a problem or your air conditioning system stops working properly, you'll contact the warranty company by phone or through their online portal to file a claim. Often when you have a malfunction in an HVAC equipment and you need professional help, a home warranty company will dictate which contractors can repair it. If your home is new, your builder can provide coverage if your air conditioning system has problems due to an installation problem discovered soon after you've moved in. If the technician arrives and determines that the entire system has broken down because the filter has never been changed or the ducts have never been cleaned - the fault may not be covered as it is the result of negligence rather than normal wear and tear. The best HVAC warranty contract will tell you what you need to know to avoid this disappointment - so read it carefully - and if something important isn't covered - you can compare prices before you commit. Generally speaking, HVAC parts have a multi-year warranty from the manufacturer that manufactured them - while labor warranties (when available) are offered by HVAC service companies or third-party insurers associated with them. In addition - if you need to replace a covered system or appliance - you'll save considerably since the cost of replacement is covered by that service call fee.
A small print section should explain what services are covered - as well as what parts the manufacturer will replace. These policies are designed to cover age-related wear and tear - but they assume that basic maintenance has been carried out - and that the appliance or system has not been neglected. In conclusion, understanding what is covered under an HVAC warranty is essential for protecting your home from costly repairs or replacements due to normal wear and tear or age-related faults. Home warranties provide peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong with your air conditioning system or other appliances in your home during their policy period they will be taken care of quickly without breaking your budget.
