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home warranty

2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  bigMikeB 
#1 ·
this is a sketchy question...but i've recently purchased an older home. original a/c & heater is in tact but not operating so well & obviously far from efficient. the day i moved in the a/c wasn't even blowing cool air :censored: . previos owner was an ass and we've had all sorts of problems w/ the house. i've had 2 service companies check it out and they didn't do anything other than change the filter, which it didn't need. while this is not my area of expertise, i'm not a complete idiot, i checked the obvious problem areas. so i'm wanting to know what it would take to get the home warranty company to replace the furnace and a/c. the realtor and home inspector (off record, of course) suggested wrapping a blanket around the a/c and running it full blast. is this an effective method of sabotaging an a/c unit? i'd appreciate other methods as well.
 
#2 ·
It takes a lot for a home warranty company to buy you a new A/C and furnace, at least the ones I have dealt with. They usually just fix the parts that are broken. If the compressor goes out and it costs $1050 to replace and a new condensing unit costs $1051 to replace, they will pay for the compressor being changed out. I know this is an exaggeration, but it isn't too far off. I diagnosed a leaking Trane condenser coil for a customer. Since it is aluminum, you can't really fix it. You have to either replace the condenser coil or change out the unit. The company went with changing out his condenser, but they gave him the cheapest unit they could find. For them to replace both your furnace and a/c, there will have to be a problem with both. Sorry, I can't give advice on how to destroy a unit, but I have been asked this very same question by a friend.
 
#3 ·
this is a sketchy question...but i've recently purchased an older home. original a/c & heater is in tact but not operating so well & obviously far from efficient. the day i moved in the a/c wasn't even blowing cool air. previos owner was an ass and we've had all sorts of problems w/ the house. i've had 2 service companies check it out and they didn't do anything other than change the filter, which it didn't need.
When you purchased the house, I'm certain that the home warranty did NOT cover the efficiency of the HVAC system, it covers the operation of the system. If you want to upgrade, it on your $. It seems like your beef might be with the in-competent service company, you might ought to take this up with them first. What other problems are you having?



while this is not my area of expertise, i'm not a complete idiot, i checked the obvious problem areas. so i'm wanting to know what it would take to get the home warranty company to replace the furnace and a/c. the realtor and home inspector (off record, of course) suggested wrapping a blanket around the a/c and running it full blast. is this an effective method of sabotaging an a/c unit? i'd appreciate other methods as well.
I wish you luck if you choose to do this. It wouldn't wise since you have already had 2 service calls, and are on record. I have no respect for the home warranty companies, and it gives way too many new home owners a false sense of security, like you have found out. The warranty is meant to fix things that legitimately break down and wear out, it's not for a free upgrade because you know realize it's a POS and you'd like something better.

Suck it up and find out exactly what's wrong from a competent repair person. If it's shot, contact the home warranty company. Read your contract, you might be able to get the repair persons cost covered.

As rough as this may seam, welcome to the American dream!
 
#4 ·
Didn't your home inspector check out the a/c for his inspection? Why would you call in two service companies if you have the home warranty, don't they send out techs when you call them? And if the previous home owner had issues with the heat and a/c and didn't disclose that to you then you have recourse legally.
 
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