[starflyte1]

Prior to closing on our home in October, we had a home inspection. We closed on our home and it had a home warranty policy.

Now the problem. We came to the house immediately following closing and had neighbors in for champagne. It was a cooler day and the air conditioner had not been on, but we turned it on when we arrived. A couple of hours later, we realized that the a/c was not cooling. The next day, we called the repair man who did something to make it work, but it did not work for long. We bought a new furnace and a/c. Workman were coming in and we need the a/c. THEN we realize that we have a one year warranty on the house.

The home inspection company will not offer any help because they said that the a/c worked when inspected, and the home warranty company won't help because they said it did not when we bought the house.

Some help should be given because we had insurance thru the whole process, but whose problem is it? It is hard for me to figure out who is most responsible.

We know that getting the a/c replaced on our own isn't helping, but who should help with the cost, home inspector or home warranty?

We have notified our salesperson and both the home inspection company and
home warranty company just said no.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by starflyte1

Prior to closing on our home in October, we had a home inspection. We closed on our home and it had a home warranty policy.

Now the problem. We came to the house immediately following closing and had neighbors in for champagne. It was a cooler day and the air conditioner had not been on, but we turned it on when we arrived. A couple of hours later, we realized that the a/c was not cooling. The next day, we called the repair man who did something to make it work, but it did not work for long. We bought a new furnace and a/c. Workman were coming in and we need the a/c. THEN we realize that we have a one year warranty on the house.

The home inspection company will not offer any help because they said that the a/c worked when inspected, and the home warranty company won't help because they said it did not when we bought the house.

Some help should be given because we had insurance thru the whole process, but whose problem is it? It is hard for me to figure out who is most responsible.

We know that getting the a/c replaced on our own isn't helping, but who should help with the cost, home inspector or home warranty?

We have notified our salesperson and both the home inspection company and
home warranty company just said no.

Does anyone have any ideas that might help?

At first I thought you were talking about a new house. This was a resale, right? It says you live in Hacienda Hills and no new homes are for sale there so this must be a purchased warranty or one offered by the seller. You replaced the unit that was warranteed so no help there and the unit did work when you moved in. That is all the inspector could say. How would he know it would die?

Gracie is probably right. Once you replaced the unit they have no way of telling if it was a cheap fix or needed replacement.

[Phanatic Luvr]

And I would think, if there was a one year warranty given to you with the purchase of your home, the company who issued that warranty usually sends who they want to repair / replace it, not your selection of contractor. I'm sorry you got off to a bad start here in TV's but hopefully this will be the end and you can go on to enjoy your new home.

[Jima64]

Was there any business connection between the home inspector and the home warranty company?

[bagboy]

To reiterate what has been said, the home inspection can only determine the condition of the home "at the time" of inspection. Your situation is rare, but not unheard of. The inspection proves one thing, that the HVAC was operational at the time of closing.
BUT, you did make a mistake when you replaced the unit without contacting the home warranty issuer. It should state the course of action to be taken for repairs in your home warranty paperwork. I don't quite understand the warranty company saying the unit didn't work before closing, they have no way of knowing that. Their reason should have been that you didn't call them first. I can say from experience that most providers of home warranties are reputable and will abide by the terms of the agreement.
Only in my opinion, your are pretty much on your own on this one. But with the lesson learned, please read all of the terms and conditions of your home warranty in case you do need a repair in the next year that is covered. Good luck and enjoy your home.

[DangeloInspections]

This is an unfortunate situation. For the record, I was not the inspector in question, and have no knowledge of this incident other than what I have read here.

A few thoughts, if I may. Although I do mostly one year warranty inspections, (and this was not one of those), I sometimes also do inspections for an older home for a prospective buyer. While I know it cannot always happen, I encourage the buyer to BE AT THE INSPECTION, if at all possible. You will learn SO much more if you are there, and get more for your money. I often give helpful homeowner tips, etc., that would not be part of the report but can be an important part of a good inspection.

Second, part of my inspection report would have had video of The A/C working, complete with Temperature readings, video of the unit running, etc. This would have proved that the unit was working at the time of the inspection. As others have stated, the inspection is basically a snapshot in time. In this case, even if the buyer was not there, usually a Realtor is, and perhaps they could be a witness that the unit was working during the inspection.

Typically an A/C system has a life expectancy of 10-15 years. They could last longer with good maintenance, etc. This home does not should like it was near that age, so it would be uncommon to need the COMPLETE SYSTEM replaced. In any event, usually the home warranty company needs to evaluate the system themselves before any claim can be made. If after their evaluation they find the unit is indeed not working, they would offer to fix it. If you decided not to like their way of fixing it, they would usually give you a check for what it would cost them, and you could then use that money towards a repair of your choice and liking.

I do understand that any warranty company usually would not pay for a claim they have no proof of need.

In any event, I am sorry you had this experience. Hopefully your willingness to share this can be a lesson to others. It is very kind of you to do so.

Respectfully, Frank

[capecoralbill]

Originally Posted by DangeloInspections

Typically an A/C system has a life expectancy of 10-15 years. They could last longer with good maintenance, etc.

Hello Frank, I enjoy reading your posts. I just bought a 17 year old house with a 5 year old AC/Heatpump system. The home seller says I need to have an annual service agreement (approx. $120.00 per year) with the HVAC installer or the warranty will be void. Besides replacing thermostat batteries and air filters what annual service would be required? Seems to me this is just a money grab by the HVAC company that installed it. Thanks for your thoughts. Bill

[DangeloInspections]

Originally Posted by capecoralbill

Hello Frank, I enjoy reading your posts. I just bought a 17 year old house with a 5 year old AC/Heatpump system. The home seller says I need to have an annual service agreement (approx. $120.00 per year) with the HVAC installer or the warranty will be void. Besides replacing thermostat batteries and air filters what annual service would be required? Seems to me this is just a money grab by the HVAC company that installed it. Thanks for your thoughts. Bill

Thank you Bill for the kind words. I do not want to "hijack" this thread, but your question is somewhat related, so hopefully no one will take offense. I suggest that you speak directly to the A/C company who installed it and who has the current contract.

While I am not usually a big fan of service contracts, for the typical homeowner I do suggest some type of service plan. Your A/C system is just about the most expensive thing in your home. It is priceless during the hottest part of the year.

We are really talking about two different things here. A service contract is one thing and an extended warranty is another.

I do believe it important to have your A/C system serviced at least once a year. Cleaning the A/C coils, checking refrigerant levels, etc is important for peak efficiency and longevity of your system. One would not neglect to have their car checked regularly, tuned up, oil changed, etc....why would we neglect the A/C system...something we use almost everyday here in Florida. If good maintenance helps extend the life of the unit a couple of more years, it is worth it. A more efficient unit means lower electric costs also.

A extended warranty is just that. Costs, duration, scope of coverage can vary. I can tell you that I purchased an extended warranty for my unit when it was installed about 7 years ago and it has paid for itself. I recently had the A-coil replaced and a small R-410a leak repaired. This coverage for me has more than paid for itself. The added bonus is that when I do have an A/C problem, I just tell them it is under a warranty contract.....they are there the same day usually within 3 hours or so, and I never get a bill.

Hope that helps! Frank

[capecoralbill]

Hi Frank,
Sorry to hijack this thread. My experience has been in New York state the ac unit worked fine and is still working fine after 16 years, it was never serviced aside from filter changes. I have also owned homes in South Florida and never had a Freon problem on a unit that was less than 15 years old. I did have to replace a blower twice, and a compressor once in 45 years.
I think I will just put the extended warranty premiums and the Service contract premiums into a jar and spend them if I have a problem.
Your personal A-Coil replacement and the Freon leak was probably because of the harsh chemicals used to clean the air handler, or an overly enthusiastic mechanical cleaning of the coils or of that leak you mentioned. Just my observations. Bill