Most HVAC manufacturers provide a limited parts warranty on all new furnaces they produce. This warranty gives you peace of mind knowing that the manufacturer will cover at least some of the repair costs should your furnace end up developing certain issues. In this article, we’ll discuss all you need to know about furnace warranties and what steps you need to take to ensure the warranty on your furnace remains valid.
An Overview of Standard Furnace Warranty Coverage
While the specific warranty terms vary a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer, most furnace warranties are standard and cover all the unit’s main components. As with most any other type of warranty, a furnace warranty specifically covers the components in case they fail due to a manufacturing defect. That means if your furnace has any issues because of a defective component, the manufacturer will provide all the necessary replacement parts at no cost.
One important thing to note is that most furnace warranties are only parts warranty coverage, meaning the warranty only covers the necessary replacement parts themselves. That means you will still need to pay the labor charges associated with replacing the parts.
There are a few manufacturers that give you options in terms of which type of warranty you want to choose. In this case, you can sometimes choose to go with the standard-length warranty or opt for a shorter warranty that will also cover all the labor costs along with the replacement parts.
Most furnaces come with two separate warranties. You usually get between a 12- and 15-year warranty on the furnace’s heat exchanger. The other warranty covers all the unit’s other components and is usually good for 10 years. In case your furnace has a major defect and needs a much more expensive repair, you can also usually choose to put what the manufacturer would’ve paid to the cost of installing a new furnace instead. However, you will have to purchase the same brand of furnace should you choose to go this route.
Why Registering the Warranty on Your New Furnace Is Essential
When you have a new furnace installed, one of the first things you need to make sure you do is register your warranty with the manufacturer. You typically have up to 90 days from the date the furnace was installed to do this. The reason that this is so important is that you only receive the full warranty if you register for it in time. If you fail to do so, your furnace will usually only be under warranty for five years at the most instead of 10.
Why Professional Maintenance Matters for Your Furnace Warranty
Annual furnace maintenance is essential for a variety of different reasons. Not only does it help ensure your furnace continues heating effectively so your heating costs are lower, but it also reduces the chances of your furnace breaking down. Another reason why hiring a licensed HVAC company to service your furnace every year is so critical is that it ensures the warranty on the unit remains valid. That’s because the terms of the warranty explicitly state that the furnace must be inspected and serviced every year by a certified technician, or else the warranty will automatically become void. Your warranty will also be voided if you try to do any work on your furnace yourself or let anyone other than a certified technician work on it.
While it’s not always the case, the manufacturer will often require you to submit your yearly maintenance records if you need to file a warranty claim. If you need to file a claim, the manufacturer will also require that your furnace be inspected by an HVAC company that is partnered with or certified by the manufacturer. When performing the inspection, the technician will almost always be able to quickly tell whether whatever issue your furnace has is due to a component being defective or instead resulting from neglect and a lack of regular maintenance.
If the technician puts the problem down to neglect, the manufacturer won’t cover anything, and you’ll have to pay the full cost of the repairs out of pocket. That means you could easily end up paying at least a few hundred dollars more depending on what issue your furnace has and what component needs to be replaced. In the case of a major issue like a crack in your furnace’s heat exchanger, you’re likely looking at having to pay well over a thousand dollars.
Why Replacing Your Furnace Filter Regularly Also Matters
In terms of keeping your furnace properly maintained and ensuring the warranty on it remains valid, replacing its air filter is just as important as annual professional maintenance. If you read the terms of the warranty, you’ll usually see that they say you must replace the air filter no less than once every 90 days.
As your heating system runs, the air filter continually traps dust and debris to prevent them from getting sucked into the furnace and dirtying things up. The issue is that the filter media can only hold so much debris before it starts getting clogged. The more clogged the filter gets, the less air can flow through it. The reduced airflow can then lead to issues like the furnace blower overheating and its motor possibly getting damaged or burning out because of it having to work much harder to pull air through the filter and into the furnace.
A much bigger concern is that the furnace itself can quickly get too hot if not enough cool air is constantly flowing through it. The reason this is such a concern is that it can cause a crack to form in one of the weld joints that connect the metal heat exchanger tubes to the combustion chamber or the exhaust flue. When the furnace is on, the hot combustion gases flowing through the heat exchanger cause the metal to expand slightly. The metal then contracts as it cools down after the furnace shuts off. The issue when a furnace overheats and the metal gets too hot is that it can expand so much that it then ends up cracking once it cools down. If this happens, you won’t be able to safely run your furnace anymore since the crack allows some of the combustion fumes to leak out and mix with the air in your ductwork. That means you can potentially end up with carbon monoxide circulating throughout your house.
Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. is a locally owned business that’s dedicated to providing expert heating, air conditioning, and water heater services in Canterbury, NH, Nashua, and throughout the Lakes Region. We serve both residential and light commercial customers and specialize in HVAC installation as well as all types of repairs and maintenance. If you need to replace your furnace or any other HVAC unit, we offer a range of excellent options that will perfectly meet your needs. We’re both a Lennox Premier Dealer and a Mitsubishi Elite Contractor, ensuring you can get a new unit from some of the best brands in the industry. Our team also has the necessary knowledge to work on equipment from all other brands.
To schedule a service call and learn what makes us the area’s most trusted indoor comfort service, contact Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. today.
