Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Extended Warranty Coverage
What does an extended warranty cover on a furnace or an air conditioner?
Typically, an extended warranty covers the failure of a part or component of the product due to the malfunction of the unit or one or more of its parts or components. The extended warranty is on the furnace, boiler, or air conditioner and not on accessory components not included as part of the equipment. Examples of accessory components:
- Thermostats (not specifically covered)
- Condensate pumps
- Registers
- Humidifiers
- Ultraviolet air purifiers
- Filters
- Air vents (boilers)
- Backflow preventers (boilers)
- Zone valves (boilers)
- Pressure reducing valves (boilers)
- Expansion tanks (boilers)
… any item not included in the ‘box’…
Therefore, an extended warranty typically does NOT cover:
- Failure caused by lack of electrical power (external fuse or circuit breaker blown, switch turned off, meter failure, etc.) or lack of natural gas (gas line shut-off, a problem with meter, etc.). Why: The unit would have functioned correctly with power or fuel – not the fault of the manufacturer.
- Failure caused by lack of maintenance (plugged filters, lack of cleaning, plugged condensate lines, dead batteries, etc.) Why: The manufacturer requires maintenance to be performed on the unit; maintenance related failures are excluded.
- Failure caused by exhaust or air intake vent blockage – failure caused by factor outside of manufacturer control.
- Failure caused by external component failure: includes all of the accessory components listed above, or failure of the distribution system (i.e. ductwork or piping).
- Failures caused by acts of God, natural disasters, abuse and anything acting upon the equipment beyond the control of the manufacturer.
- Loss of performance or aesthetics.
Some warranties require proof of equipment maintenance as required by the manufacturer. For more guidance, consult your warranty paperwork.
Maintenance agreement benefits are provided for the systems for which maintenance is provided.
- An agreement that provides maintenance for the furnace only does not provide discounts for a cooling problem.
- An agreement that provides maintenance for the air conditioner only does not provide discounts for a heating problem.
- The same goes for other maintenance agreement products (coverage is extended only to the specific product(s) identified in the agreement)
What about furnace blower failures in a no cooling situation? Cross-over situations require that both furnace and air conditioner maintenance be performed in order to be eligible for benefits.
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