[WestieJeff]

I know this has been discussed a bit on the forum, but I was interested to hear any first hand accounts of people who have had large ticket items (namely air conditioning) fixed/replaced by home warranty companies. Have you had to jump through a million hoops and then get denied or will they usually cover a reasonable amount?

The house we're looking at purchasing has two 10 year old AC units, which seem to be functioning fine, but I know that can be nearing replacement age. I got 15 years out of my last unit, but I did replace the compressor after 10 years.

Just wondering if it's worth it to get a home warranty. I've usually been anti-home warranty in the past since I've heard they send out the lowest bidding tech and will duct tape and bubble gum a system as long as they can all the while they keep collecting $60 per service call over and over again. Just looking for some first hand accounts.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by WestieJeff

I know this has been discussed a bit on the forum, but I was interested to hear any first hand accounts of people who have had large ticket items (namely air conditioning) fixed/replaced by home warranty companies. Have you had to jump through a million hoops and then get denied or will they usually cover a reasonable amount?

The house we're looking at purchasing has two 10 year old AC units, which seem to be functioning fine, but I know that can be nearing replacement age. I got 15 years out of my last unit, but I did replace the compressor after 10 years.

Just wondering if it's worth it to get a home warranty. I've usually been anti-home warranty in the past since I've heard they send out the lowest bidding tech and will duct tape and bubble gum a system as long as they can all the while they keep collecting $60 per service call over and over again. Just looking for some first hand accounts.

When I bought my present residence some 15 years ago I elected to continue home warrantee coverage based on the age of the two large heat pumps...I expected they would fail between 10 and 15 years and that would make the home warrantee financially reasonable. Of course I now have 23 year old heat pumps that continue to perform flawlessly.

I had one failure that actually got to the point of replacing the unit but unfortunately a friend AC guy and I fixed it. Talk about not thinking things through.

My overall experience has been that the actual use of the Home Warrantee repair people never happens. They generally will never do a repair that I would find satisfactory so I take their money and get it done myself. Even over paying for a thing like replacing an oven element does not work. They can't get the right element so you go across town and buy it. I just replaced my water softener via the internet after rejecting their device. Actually came out way cheaper than having them do it with inferior device.

I am about to replace my water heater which has a slow leak with an AO Smith hybrid. (all electric home). They won't touch this one but it probably turns out to have zero costs with the tax credit.

My view is the eventual AC replacement will go the same way.

[WestieJeff]

So in the case where you end up not using their repair person, how does that work?

1) You call out the tradesperson, pay the trade call fee ($60 or whatever), he diagnoses it, but you tell him not to replace it?

2) The warranty company pays you directly based on the tradesperson's estimate?

Is that right?

Also, which home warranty company do you use?

Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by olecapt

When I bought my present residence some 15 years ago I elected to continue home warrantee coverage based on the age of the two large heat pumps...I expected they would fail between 10 and 15 years and that would make the home warrantee financially reasonable. Of course I now have 23 year old heat pumps that continue to perform flawlessly.

I had one failure that actually got to the point of replacing the unit but unfortunately a friend AC guy and I fixed it. Talk about not thinking things through.

My overall experience has been that the actual use of the Home Warrantee repair people never happens. They generally will never do a repair that I would find satisfactory so I take their money and get it done myself. Even over paying for a thing like replacing an oven element does not work. They can't get the right element so you go across town and buy it. I just replaced my water softener via the internet after rejecting their device. Actually came out way cheaper than having them do it with inferior device.

I am about to replace my water heater which has a slow leak with an AO Smith hybrid. (all electric home). They won't touch this one but it probably turns out to have zero costs with the tax credit.

My view is the eventual AC replacement will go the same way.

[nfapps]

I haven't had any repairs yet, but the great home inspector we used recommended this company:
Find the Best Home Warranty in Arizona, Texas, and Nevada

A friend had a water heater that failed within 6 months of moving into a new place and said it was replaced by his home warranty without much of a hassle, and he was glad to have it.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by nfapps

I haven't had any repairs yet, but the great home inspector we used recommended this company:
Find the Best Home Warranty in Arizona, Texas, and Nevada

B rating from BBB unusual and pretty close to horrible for one who advertises BBB.

Any time an inspector recommends a home warranty company I presume he is getting a kick back. I would also remove him from my trusted list.

A friend had a water heater that failed within 6 months of moving into a new place and said it was replaced by his home warranty without much of a hassle, and he was glad to have it.

That will be a classic hassle in Las Vegas. Requires a permit and the installation of earthquake straps...which is not covered by the warranty company...Rougly $200 above listed charge.

[nfapps]

Originally Posted by olecapt

B rating from BBB unusual and pretty close to horrible for one who advertises BBB.

Any time an inspector recommends a home warranty company I presume he is getting a kick back. I would also remove him from my trusted list.



That will be a classic hassle in Las Vegas. Requires a permit and the installation of earthquake straps...which is not covered by the warranty company...Rougly $200 above listed charge.

Nope, our friend only paid the $50 or $60 service fee and the replacement/installation was handled from there.

The inspector did not get a kick back, only made the recommendation based on owners he had spoken with.

Sounds like you've had different experiences, what claims have you had on your home warranty and what company are you using?

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by nfapps

Nope, our friend only paid the $50 or $60 service fee and the replacement/installation was handled from there.

The inspector did not get a kick back, only made the recommendation based on owners he had spoken with.

Sounds like you've had different experiences, what claims have you had on your home warranty and what company are you using?

I have probable done 10 or 12 claims myself and have been involved with another 5 or 6 involving clients including a couple of messy ones.

The warrantee operation listed does no business to speak of here. Mostly an AZ operation I think. That makes it highly unlikely that the inspector got the recommendation from clients. So he just knew the operation was good? I doubt that.

I know of no warrantee service that will cover permits or additions - which is what you must do here to install a new water heater. For a licensed plumber to do such an install without a permit would be grounds for pulling the ticket.

That has been true for the last three years at least. Though not earlier.

[Buzz123]

OC, In our last house we had the water heater replaced with no hassle at all. I think we've had a few other problems taken care of in the past at various houses, and I don't recall any trouble with getting service.

Is it possible to get a home warranty on the house you already live in? If so, is there a good one, or a not horrible one that you'd use? I'm sorry we didn't extend ours in this house, but I don't remember having an opportunity to do so.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

OC, In our last house we had the water heater replaced with no hassle at all. I think we've had a few other problems taken care of in the past at various houses, and I don't recall any trouble with getting service.

Is it possible to get a home warranty on the house you already live in? If so, is there a good one, or a not horrible one that you'd use? I'm sorry we didn't extend ours in this house, but I don't remember having an opportunity to do so.

Do you have earthquake straps? If not you were likely done before that went into effect. I am kind of surprised you needed a new water heater. That place was built between 1998 and 2002 so a good water heater should just be reaching the end of life and even a cheap one should have come close to making it.

The rigamarole was by the city not the warrantee firm.

And I have had loads of hassle. The oven burner was my favorite. Took three days to get anyone in to look at it and then it turns out they did not have the burner element in stock and had to order it from CA. Then it is out of stock and it will be ten days before we can get it. So the oven is going to be out for 15 days over a burned out element. We called around town....found the part in less than an hour. Then they wanted two more days to come and install it so we did it ourselves.

Fan that failed is a fancy chrome plexiglass model. Could not fix (or would not) so offers a brown replacement with wooden blades...

Spent almost two months with one heat pump out as they went through four contractors trying to get a fix. Changed out the control board and replaced relays and nothing. Were about to replace when I had a friend who is a commercial AC guy look at it.

He told me it was utterly weird...the pressure measurements were something he had never seen. I therefore decided that the thing was not busted it was hung in some strange mode. So I put it back on AC let it cool a little then back to heat...all fixed. The valves had not fully switched from cooling to heating. Still feel bad I thought of that one.

Had them out to service washing machine a month ago. Leaking bad. finds bad tube on bleach dispenser and fixes. Replaces main pump which is about to leak. Week later floods bad...tub is overflowing. Second call to fix that.

Then I got the oven controls, the microwave and the dishwasher. No call was actually handled promptly and correctly.

Ten years ago a plumber did come out and find the silted up check valve feeding the house and replaced it. Just about the only fully successful call on the house.

And from some of the problems clients have had this is reasonably typical. They are vastly better at the selling and collecting than they are at executing.

They have a standard on any task based on what is being replaced and can quote you what they will pay if you go DIY. You simply submit invoices equal to that amount and they pay it...and they do and promptly.

So if replacement is called for DIY.

[Buzz123]

Yes, I have earthquake straps, and yes, this house in now nine years old (hard to believe), and yes, we did replace the water heater this year, one year after the warranty ran out ...but the one I was talking about that was under the homeowners warranty was our last house on Piñon that we lived in from 1994 until 2001. I think it was built in 1989. In another prior home I believe we had minor problems that the homeowners warranty took care of without hassle. I think we got a new dishwasher once, and had something done to the A/C in our Mary Ann house.