Concluding our series of newsletters (“Finding an HVAC contractor you can trust”; click here for parts 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5) has many facets. The one we have saved for last is also one of the most important. It concerns warranties and guarantees. For the purpose of this discussion, we will use the words “warranties and guarantees” interchangeably.

     One of the ways, to insure that you get what you think you are paying for, is to examine carefully the warranties and guarantees that accompany your installation. Warranty seems to be the preferred term and can be generally defined as “a promise of quality given by the seller or manufacturer of a product to the buyer at the time of the sale”.

     Unfortunately, many consumers accept the term "warranty" without thinking very seriously about it. This can be a very expensive mistake. They assume that it is an assurance of quality. They do not focus on the coverage until there is a problem with the purchase.

     I say unfortunately because often sellers and buyers view warranties quite differently. Some HVAC contractors for example, see warranties as a promotional device or as a way to limit their responsibilities. Others see warranties as a way to assure their customers of quality and avoid misunderstandings.

     Surprisingly enough, most all HVAC manufacturers give the same basic warranty on all of their equipment - 5-year parts only warranty.  Labor? Well, that’s the responsibility of the heating and cooling company that you have chosen to make the installation…and rightly so.

     A manufacturer can't control the way their equipment is installed. They have to rely on their dealers to do it right. That's why they actually give no labor warranty. You, however, will usually receive a 1-year labor warranty when you buy new HVAC equipment because the manufacturer normally requires a dealer to provide at least a 1-year labor warranty. The dealer is then reimbursed for defective parts only; the labor costs come out of their pocket.

     However, when equipment can be purchased today by anyone, from some of the “big box” stores, you may not even get that, as the manufacturer loses virtually any control over how the product is installed or any recourse to correct a defective installation.

     Many HVAC dealers (especially smaller or inexperienced ones) don't make any provision for “1st year failure or adjustment” into their price. In their desire to sell everything as cheap as they can, they hope nothing will go wrong. That “lowest price” may sounds great to the customer when he hears it, but when equipment starts failing under warranty, it's the customer who ends up paying the “full price”.

     So, our first word of caution, is to be very careful when the representative from whom you are purchasing the equipment, starts talking about warranties. It's really easy for them to tell you that you're getting a 5-year, 10-year, 20-year, or even a lifetime warranty and just gloss over the fact that their warranty may be for a single part only and even then, doesn't include labor.

     And while it makes sense to look for the longest warranty you can find, it is equally as important to make sure it's being given to you by a company that will be around for the term of the warranty. If your equipment fails in the fourth year of a 5-year parts and labor warranty, but the company went out of business in the third year…well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you what that means.

     So, our second word of caution is to repeat what we said in our last newsletter: “Your best protection is to get everything in writing”. You're going to hear all kinds of promises, but they don't mean anything until you have them written down on the company’s contract, signed by the sales representative and accepted by their office. If it isn't written down; it’s not likely to happen!

There are four specific warranties, to which you should pay special attention to:
	•	Parts
	•	Labor
	•	Compressor (on an air conditioner/heat pump)
	•	Heat Exchanger (on a furnace)
When examining or comparing warranties, here are some of the things to look for:
	•	Is the warranty full or limited?
	•	Is the warranty transferable to a new homeowner?
	•	How long is the warranty period?
	•	How easy would it be to obtain repairs or replacement?
	•	What is covered, the entire item or only a certain portion of it?
	•	Are parts and labor both covered?
	•	Who’s backing the warranty? The installing company or the manufacturer?

     In addition to the conventional manufacturer parts warranty, some manufacturers (and companies like Climatemakers) offer an extended warranty. Extended warranties provide a full 5 or 10 years of parts and labor coverage on all mechanical failures.

     Finally, a few companies like Climatemakers offer what is called a Preventive Maintenance Plan. We strongly recommend it because we know that nothing could be better for your new system than having it cleaned and tuned-up before each heating and cooling season.

     Preventative maintenance is to your heating/cooling system what oil changes and lubrication is to your car. Not only will it help your system run better and last longer, but you could also void your warranty if the system is not maintained properly. It's definitely worthwhile.

     Climatemakers prepaid Preventative Maintenance Plan costs less than what you would spend for individual tune-ups (Summer & Winter); it also provides up to 15% discounts and preferred customer scheduling on service repairs if needed. It's an excellent investment.

	THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
	As you can see, you have already missed the cut-off dates for the whopping 40% and 30% seasonal discount for our unparalleled 40 point “check-up/tune-up” of your air conditioning system to get it ready for summer AND there are only 23 days left, to get the 20% discount!
This	Or	This?
“Others may do it cheaper…nobody does it better”!