HVAC Warranty: Does Your Home Warranty Cover HVAC?
The time has come — your house needs a new heating and cooling system. With such a large investment, you want to be sure you’re paying attention to the HVAC warranty just as much as you are to the cost of the systems and their different features.
You know nothing lasts forever, and that includes your HVAC.
If something goes wrong within a few weeks, months, or even years after installation, what does a typical HVAC warranty cover to help lower your out-of-pocket expenses and minimize your frustrations during your heating and cooling crisis?
Learn if home warranties cover HVAC systems, what to look for in an HVAC warranty, and what might void your HVAC warranty.
Table of Contents
- Does a Home Warranty Cover Your HVAC?
- Should You Purchase a Separate HVAC Warranty?
- 5 Things To Look For in an HVAC Warranty
- What Voids an HVAC Warranty?
- AAA Heating & Cooling: Offering HVAC Services in the Portland Metro Area
Does a Home Warranty Cover Your HVAC?
In many instances, a home warranty does cover your HVAC system, but not always.
Many home warranties cover the replacement of an air conditioner unit, but completely replacing your HVAC isn’t often the first step when something goes wrong. All machines and systems will eventually degrade in performance over time, but each component of a commercial HVAC unit has its unique level of longevity.
How long should you expect an HVAC unit to last?
- Air conditioner – 15 to 20 years
- Furnace – 20 years
- Heat pump – 15 years
Instead of a total replacement, companies look to repair what’s broken first. Are repairs usually covered under a typical HVAC warranty? Maybe. Sometimes. It depends.
Regarding HVAC, What Might Not Be Covered Under a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is not completely inclusive — it depends on the type of home warranty plan you have. In most cases, what might not be covered for your HVAC under your home warranty?
- Unit breakdowns due to poor HVAC maintenance. Check with your installer about their maintenance plans.
- Issues outside of normal wear and tear, like circuit overload or power failure.
- Issues caused by weather changes like damage from floods, storms, winds, rainfall, etc.
- Changes in your HVAC equipment, like structural or electrical modifications should a new unit have different size of power requirements.
AAA Heating & Cooling has experience and expertise in navigating HVAC warranties. Our team of reputable NATE-certified technicians can help walk you through your options, recommend HVAC systems, and handle your installation. Contact us today.
Should You Purchase a Separate HVAC Warranty?
Although a separate HVAC warranty isn’t always necessary, it can be a good idea to help cover all of your bases.
Many manufacturers offer warranties associated with their systems, so if you choose to purchase a separate HVAC warranty, there are some things you should consider.
5 Things To Look For in an HVAC Warranty
#1: Check the Overall Warranty Terms
A warranty’s terms refer to how long it lasts. Remember, an HVAC can last up to 20 years, so a good manufacturer will offer an HVAC warranty that covers their product for more than a couple of years.
HVAC systems can be costly, so look closely for warranties that have the longest terms.
Additionally, beware of lifetime warranties. While they seem intriguing, they might not cover the cost of labor at all or outside of the first year.
#2: Look at the Parts Warranty Terms
The terms of a warranty might differ for different parts of the HVAC system and labor costs.
For example, the warranty may cover larger components, like a heat exchanger, but not smaller components that require regular maintenance, like a fan belt or air filter.
Even if these parts are included, they often have varying time frames depending on the lifetime of the unit.
As you work with a contractor, learn if the contracting company or manufacturer has a warranty-processing fee to help handle the warranty-related paperwork even when replacement parts are covered.
#3: Consider an Extended HVAC Warranty
An extended warranty does just that — it extends the terms of the warranty often by 5 to 10 years for parts and labor coverage.
However, we don’t always suggest you jump at the opportunity to purchase an extended warranty. Sometimes, a salesman being pushy about an extended warranty might be a reflection of the quality of their product.
Extended warranties often have specific details related to them. Make sure you learn about them, like:
- When the warranty service is available
- How long you’ll have to wait for a technician to fix the HVAC system
- The amount of time the contractor has been in business
#4: Avoid These Mistakes
There are many ways to accidentally void your warranty, and you might not know you’ve done it until the time comes to use it. Make sure you learn about all of the possible ways you might accidentally void your warranty.
#5: Read the Installation Paperwork
In addition to a manufacturer standing behind its products, an HVAC contractor should stand behind the services it offers. A reputable manufacturer should provide you with a manufacturer’s warranty, and the contractor should also offer their own warranty.
These warranties protect you should an HVAC unit receive damage during the installation process or if there are installation-related mistakes.
The best contractors typically offer a 100% money-back guarantee in writing for these errors because they trust the work of their team.
What Voids an HVAC Warranty?
Voiding an HVAC warranty is easy to do. If you don’t carefully read the fine print on what might void your warranty, or you forget to refer back to your warranty when an issue arises, it can quickly become void.
To avoid accidentally doing this, learn what voids an HVAC warranty most often:
- Not registering the HVAC system and warranty with the manufacturer in the required amount of time.
- Not using approved replacement parts.
- Failing to schedule annual professional maintenance.
- Not hiring a licensed contractor, like AAA Heating & Cooling, to do the installation, maintenance, or repairs.
- Not keeping maintenance receipts.
AAA Heating & Cooling: Offering HVAC Services in the Portland Metro Area
An HVAC warranty should give you peace of mind and assurance that a manufacturer has your back if something goes wrong with your system.
Before purchasing an HVAC warranty, take the time to comb through the fine print and learn the details of your warranty. Ask questions if you have them or if something doesn’t make sense — a reputable HVAC contractor will insist that you do.
AAA Heating & Cooling offers both residential and commercial services in the Portland Metro Area. Not only can we help you find the best deal and warranty for your project, but we can help with installation, maintenance, and repairs.
Contact us today to learn more about our HVAC services.