HVAC Warranties in Clarksville, IN, Jeffersonville, IN, Louisville, KY and the Metro Region
A brief explanation about the warranty that comes with new heating and air conditioning equipment. First off: thank goodness for Goodman! Before Goodman began aggressively promoting their units by offering a longer warranty you were lucky to get a 5 year warranty on parts, frequently it was one year. Nowadays 5 years is standard, 10 years is commonly available and lifetime heat exchangers and compressor parts warranties are extremely common. But I digress: most brands now have a base parts warranty, usually 5 years, which can be extended to 10 years for the original homeowner by registering the installation (which we will take care of for you).
Should the home ever be sold then the warranty reverts back to the original 5 year base warranty. You should be aware that these warranties are for the covered parts only, there may very well be additional parts charges for the refrigerant gas (which is frequently not covered) or for parts like hook-up materials or filter driers, and, if the labor warranty is expired then there is a labor charge for installing the part. So a lifetime compressor actually will cost several hundred dollars to replace the warranty part, and, a unit replacement warranty could cost twice as much. Additionally some manufacturers charge a warranty parts handling charge (frequently $50 for a compressor or condenser coil).
Also, be aware that all parts from all manufacturers for all of the different types of equipment are not always immediately available. Some can be expedited for a frequently substantial freight charge and some, such as condenser coils cannot be expedited at all. Finally, some manufacturers (and I will not name names) will simply quit making parts available even while still under warranty. Twice with one manufacturer, an under warranty inducer motor for the furnace was not available (meaning the furnace could not work and had to be replaced) and all the manufacturer would offer the homeowner was the value of the inducer motor. Regrettably, the parts warranty on commercial equipment, even residential equipment installed in a commercial setting, is still 5 years at best (for Goodman) and frequently 1 or 2 years with other manufacturers.
CAUTION: Buying equipment online may void your parts warranty, despite what the online retailer says – Goodman specifically voids the warranty on equipment purchased online. Also, sometimes a manufacturer scraps a piece of equipment for one reason or another, usually because there is something wrong with it. When this happens the manufacturer’s model number plate is removed and there is no warranty on that piece of equipment. Sometimes these pieces of equipment find their way into the marketplace. Caveat emptor!
WARRANTIES: Labor Warranties
Basically stated: all residential equipment has a 1 year labor warranty. There are a few exceptions for some smaller specialty brands where it might be 2 years labor, but virtually all major manufacturers insist that the installation company cover their equipment with a 1 year labor warranty. Outside of this there are extended labor warranties available and a common practice for some companies is to include an extended warranty with their installation quote and try to make it appear that the manufacturer has a better warranty. This is simply deceptive. We are happy to offer extended warranties, usually at cost, frequently on sale by the manufacturer, but never without letting the customer know what they are getting.
WARRANTIES: Extended Warranties
Almost all manufacturers offer a variety of extended warranties on most of their residential equipment. (Extended warranties on commercial equipment are very rare.) Homeowners usually have a choice of 10 years parts, 5 or 10 years labor, or, 10 years parts and labor. These extended warranties are fully transferable if you sell the home (a nice sales feature) but do have certain restrictions such as service during regular business hours and being void if the homeowner has failed to regularly maintain the equipment (such as changing the filter or cleaning the condenser coil).
