What the consumer should know about heating and cooling warranties.
First of all, warranty work for contractors is not profitable. If parts are required to repair your furnace or air conditioner then the contractor has to purchase them from the manufacturer. This is the first major problem with getting some contractors or repair men to fix your products under warranty. They have to pay for the part. This as you can imagine does not excite them at all, or make them the least bit interested in repairing your equipment. After your repair has been completed they need to apply for warranty on the parts they have used. In a lot of cases the parts need to be returned to the manufacturer. This process takes time and money. Then of course is the time period the contractor waits for the manufacturer to reimburse the cost of the parts. This simply comes as a credit to the company’s account not in the form of cash or a cheque.
These are just a few of the problems that warranties cause for the contractors. Manufacturers are the ones that create the 10 year parts warranties on their products and yet have nothing to do with the actual time and work required to fix the products. Must be a nice world to live in when you can tell someone what to do and how much to do it for! The most important point for the consumer is to deal with a reputable contractor. The low price will lead to nothing but doom if warranty work is required.