According to US Census Bureau estimates 2.5 to 3 million residential air conditioning systems and furnaces fail every year. Although many of these systems may have worked tirelessly for decades, some systems fail within only weeks or months of installation. This is very frustrating, especially when you may be confused about the limitations of your HVAC warranty and who should bear the financial responsibility for any repairs.
The Best Place to Start:
If your HVAC system has developed an issue within the first twelve months of installation, the best place starting point is by contacting your installing dealer. The majority of dealers cover both labor and parts for one year after installation. Dealers will often be prepared to go the extra mile for systems they installed, but you may not find that will not be so forthcoming for a system installed by someone else.
If you are unsure about who your installing dealer is, you need not despair. When you purchased the equipment and submitted the product registration card, the name of the installer is likely to have been entered in the manufacturer’s database. If you place a call to the customer support line, you may find the details are readily available. If the property is brand new, the builder will have details of the installer.
If you are still struggling to find out the details of the installer, check for a contact information sticker left on the unit. If the installer has ceased trading or you simply can’t find the information, don’t worry as your parts warranty is likely to still be valid, but you may need to pay the labor costs out of pocket.
Getting a Second Opinion:
If your existing contractor has made multiple service calls and has still been unable to resolve the problem, you may consider getting a second opinion. This can be relatively straightforward, but there are a few factors to consider.
With new equipment, the parts and labor costs are usually covered by your installing dealer. You may find that your dealer will void the labor warranty if you use another contractor. Additionally, you may find you will need to pay the labor costs of the new contractor. A better solution may be to get your installer to contact the technical field representative for the manufacturer and have their input.
You may also need to be patient. Some HVAC systems just have a difficult to diagnose problem. There are many components and parts which make up your system, and they are often manufactured by different companies. This could mean that it will take several attempts to detect the underlying cause of the problem.
A second opinion is generally a good idea if you have been paying out of pocket for repeated service calls and the contractor has suggested a costly repair or replacement. If you call in a second opinion, the worst case scenario is that the two contractors agree, and you have only lost the cost of one hour’s labor. You may actually find that you can save yourself a great deal of cash, especially if your existing contractor is not honest or capable.
If you are still having difficulties with your contractor, there is the option of escalating the issue with the manufacturer. You can contact the manufacturer directly, and the customer care team may be able to mediate the problem or address your complaints.