Home Warranties – Know What You Have

I just wanted to share our experience with a home warranty company so that you, the home owner, might look deeply into the fine print before purchasing one, or, if you buy a new house, understand what a home warranty might or might not cover.

First, some home warranty companies say you have to pay the first so many dollars. In this example, it was $75. Then the next $300 of approved repairs are covered. However, some items which were not covered are very common. For instance, this company would not pay for refrigerant to charge a system nor the cost to find and repair the leak. On an older R-22 system, this can be quite costly. They also would not pay for anything termed “maintenance” such as finding a dirty filter which wouldn’t let air flow and may have caused the indoor coil to clog. They also would not pay for anything that was deficient in the original installation such as not enough, improperly installed, or collapsed ductwork.

When a unit is unable to be repaired, sometimes the warranty company will just refund the cost of the warranty and the homeowner is still left with the total financial responsibility of the installation of the new equipment. At other times, they have an unprofessional crew come in whom you have never heard of nor will hear of again. Are they insured, drug tested, back ground checked, licensed?

Please read the fine print before purchasing a home warranty. If you bought a home with one, don’t assume all your break downs are covered no matter the problem Read and understand it. We have decided not to work with any home warranty companies at this time because we are often the one who gets to explain exactly what the policy says and the property owner is upset with us because we have to abide by the warranty companies’ policies. Often people think, “I have a home warranty. I am covered.” Not necessarily.

If you have had a good experience with a home warranty company, great! Just be sure you know what you own or what you are buying.