Would you buy the extended warranty on A/C or not?
 

OK, not sure what to do about my a/c warranty. Currently, have 10 years parts and 5 of the 10 also includes labor. The company is offering another 5 year warranty on labor for $499 which basically means 10 years parts and labor. We plan staying in the house for 10 years; if we move the 5 year extended warranty on the labor is not transferrable.

Would you go for the extended 5 years on labor for $499 - again giving 10 years parts & labor? The unit is 22 months old. Thanks.

Probably not - I believe if you have a big problem with the AC the parts will be more expensive than the labor - also if you have the unit serviced twice a year they should pick up on any problem before it becomes one.

Thanks for your post, good points. Our parts are under warranty for 10 years currently, and we have another contract for 2x year service. Maybe it is overkill to pay $499 for the extended 5 year labor contract, too.

We had it and it was great when the AC quit in the middle of the night and they came right away for an after-hours visit and fixed it, no charge. (Munns)

AC Warranrty
 

For less than $500.00 you can get a warranty that covers everything, appliances, disposals, plumbing, electrical, air, heating, ceiling fans, garage door openers and if they can't repair will replace for a $60.00 service call. See AHS.com.
Have had them for 18 years. Have replaced 2 disposals, 3 water heaters, washer and dryer and an AC/Heating system. All for the price of the serice call.

Anytime a company wants to sell a warranty, it's usually designed to make money for them and not to save you money. They know the odds are in their favor. Otherwise, why would they do it?

Clark Howard, the consumer's advocate, tells people on the radio to never buy a warranty. Usually, the salesman who pushes the warranty gets a big commission for doing so. You pay $500. and the salesman might get a $50 commission. What does that tell you?

One weekend or holiday service call on overtime for labor alone can cost you more than the entire service contract if you can even get someone to come out.
I would say most of us have home and car insurance and the contract is just basically insurance against the chance of your AC going down at the worst possible time.

we have sunkool 10 year and have had to use them twice worth the money

She already has insurance. This is an extended warranty that we're talking about. If the company moves, sells their business, or goes out of business, kiss that money goodby. Or, if the homeowner decides to move, the money they paid for the extended warranty is not transferrable and not refundable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Easyrider View Post
One weekend or holiday service call on overtime for labor alone can cost you more than the entire service contract if you can even get someone to come out.
I would say most of us have home and car insurance and the contract is just basically insurance against the chance of your AC going down at the worst possible time.




How about reading the part in bold above, AGAIN. An extended warranty is just an insurance policy....to cover future AC failures should they occur. The extended warranty I have is transferable to a new owner if I decide to sell. Go with an established, reputable company that has been around for a while.

Make sure that your warranty covers Electrical surges.

You are correct. However I should have been more clear. If we move, the new owner is covered for the remainder of the 10 years for parts - the $499 the company is now offering is for 5 extra years of labor (total 10 years labor) and this is not transferrable.

Not all companies have the same terms.

An extended warranty is just an insurance policy....the premium is to cover future AC failures should they occur. The extended warranty I have is transferable to a new owner if I decide to sell. Go with an established, reputable company that has been around for a while. Another post mentioned surges and the first thing they should have done is install a surge protector at the disconnect outside for the outside unit. Most likely will have a green or red led light on it if one is installed.


Actually all the heat pump units for the newer homes have a 10 year parts warranty from the manufacturer.

and our ahs contract transferred from the previous owners when we purchased the home.

Totally agree!

AND usually it breaks right AFTER the warranty expires.

I had an AC/heater break on New Year's Eve a few years ago. The tech came out at 11:00 pm and left at 2:00 am. There were no charges for overtime or holiday rates -- it was a flat fee to come out (I believe around $85) and regular hourly rate. I asked the Sunkool tech why no extra fees for labor and was told that if a contractor wants to work in TV, they have to agree to charge the same rate at all times. I don't know if this is true but do know that I haven't seen weekend, evening, holiday or overtime rates ever being charged here for any repair work.

Sorry, I'm still not convinced. I have never had an insurance contract on my A/C and I have come out way ahead, money wise. I've been living in The Villages since 1999 and so far have only spent a TOTAL of $450 for repairs and yearly check-ups (In other words, I never called for a yearly check-up). Contracts and yearly check-ups, over that period of time, would have cost me much more.

Can you find that one person who has a lot of bad luck with their A/C? Of course you can, but the vast majority of people will not have that kind of "bad luck". Do you have a contract on your refrigerator, stove, microwave, television and computer? And there's a contract you can buy for your gas line, in case you have a gas leak. With the money you save by not buying multiple contracts, you can well afford to pay for your own repairs and replacements.

No! Save your money.

btk

We also have Sun Kool's 10 year warranty. We've had two major repairs since 2005 that have more than repaid the cost of the 10 year warranty. In 2009 Sun Kool replaced the air exchange unit in the garage and last year after running diagnostics for two days also replaced the coil surrounding the compressor outside. The air exchange unit was covered under the Mfr's warranty and we paid nothing for labor. The second repair was also completely covered. We normally don't buy extended warranties but we made an exception for the AC and we're very happy that we did so. Like car insurance, you hope you'll never need it.

I have the contract and so far so good. Three of my neighbors haven't been solucky and wish they had taken the extended. So it's a crap shoot.

no!

Sorry, but note, I wasn't trying to convince you then nor am I trying to convince you now.

I would say you are about due for a major problem anytime now especially with your lack of regular maintenance. If your system is not up to peak performance you're wasting electricity $$ too. Didn't mention if the filters were being changed.

Some things you take a contract and some things you don't but AC does get a workout here and can cost a bundle to repair.

If you can afford to take the hit in $$ for a total failure of your AC system or numerous service problems then it's your call. A stove or microwave is pocket change to what a heat pump can cost to repair in case of a compressor failure. Peace of mind is worth at least something and with a contract your request will be a priority.

Thank God I had a warranty.My condenser,coil and thermostat have been replaced for free and no labor charges.I will buy it again from Sunkool in our new house.

How old is the unit?

That is remarkable. All those parts that should last forever went bad and were replaced under warranty. How about Munns and everyone else gets the insurance from another company and then starts replacing parts... What a business.

I agree. There isn't a warranty out there that is worth the money.

Dennis G, is that $500.00 per year? And is there a deductible?? Thanks

warranty
 

YES:wine: