Hey guys before we get to the video for more tips and tricks in the heating and air industry, please click that subscribe button. Thank you. Hey guys, joshua griffin, air serving the middle peninsula and the northern neck of virginia wanted to do a video on heating and air warranties for the equipment. You buy a new system.

What does it cover and what does it not cover we're going to go through all that in just a moment, but i want to start off by saying that if you already have a system installed and you're just curious on whether that system is still under warranty And all that good stuff, you do not have to take the word of your contractor on whether or not that system still covered. What you can do is go to our website newhvacguide.com or to griffinair.net, and you scroll to the bottom and there's a little tab there. That says, check your warranty and you just click that and it'll. Take you to a page where you just click your brand, and you can check your own warranty without having to deal with possibly a contractor, telling you it's not under warranty when it still is, and to piggyback off of that most warranties.

If there's an extension. So like, if you have a system that you've either just had installed - or it's not even installed yet you're about to have it installed, and maybe you're in the market and you're just kind of looking around and you're about to have a new system installed in your Home well, one thing that you should know is a lot of warranties in a lot of states. Now this isn't the case in every state, but in a lot of states you have to register that warranty to get the full length. So, for example, you may have a system that you're going to have installed and it's the same exact system, but if it's not registered, you might only get five years for the parts, whereas, if it's registered properly, then you might get 10 or 12 years for the Parts - and you know griffin, air, we do it for our customers if we install a system for them.

We register the warranty, but just keep in mind whether you're registering your warranty or your contractors handling that for you, i would always get something in writing. You know a printed certificate saying look, this has been registered and the other thing you should know when it comes to registering those warranties is, you have usually a limit of time from when it's installed to getting that warranty registered, and so you know, if that time Limit is 60 days or 90 days in a lot of cases if you've gone past that you no longer can get that registered and unfortunately you're just gon na get the standard five year warranty the non-registered warranty. So we run into that all the time with our customers. They don't understand that it needed to be registered and they had a you know, someone doing it on the side, you know and they installed the system and then they didn't get the full length of warranty.

So i wanted to do this video, because if you do have a system - and you have an issue or you are about to install a system - and you just really want to know - what's covered - what's not covered with your heating and air system, so i'm gon na Go through a few things that are covered, a few things that aren't covered and a few things that, if you do what i'm about to say, you will actually void that warranty. So again, we're going to get started in just a second and run through all of that, but i just want to clarify. I am not talking about home, warranty companies or something like that. So if you buy a home warranty company - and they claim to cover this or that we're not talking about that in this video, i did a whole video, where i told my point of view from a contractor's point of view on the good and bad with home.

Warranties, mostly bad, i also want to just say that we are not talking about third-party warranties, so i know that you can get uh extended, labor, warranties or other things covered when it comes to third-party warranties. But that's not what we're talking about here. So, first, let's just start out and let's talk about what is covered. So if you get a new system and it's installed what is covered well, most manufacturers are expecting the contractor to offer some sort of warranty on their side of things.

I can't speak for every state, but i know a lot of states. It is required of the contractor to provide a one-year workmanship warranty. So if something happens in that first year, it's supposed to basically cover the homeowner and they're going to take care of that and whether or not that's required or not most good companies are going to do that anyway. So if you have any issues within that first year, they're going to address that take care of it for you and in a lot of cases at no charge.

If they're, a good company they're gon na handle everything, even if it's not necessarily covered by the manufacturer's warranty, the next thing that is covered with those manufacturers, warranties, is again there's a standard length of time. Let's say it's five years on a lot of conventional heating and air systems, so for those five years all the parts are covered. So if you know something goes wrong, something wrong with a part: it fails a board, a motor, even a compressor, goes bad. Those hearts will be covered, so they'll give you a new part.

They'll give the contractor a new part and no cost to cover that they may ask for the old part back, but they're gon na give you that part. The same is true. If you get one of those extended warranty, so if you register your unit - and you now have it covered for 10 years, that part is covered. So if you have a coil, go bad they're going to give you the coil, they may want the old one back, but you're going to get that part new and it's going to make that system work again.

In a lot of cases, a lot of manufacturers are going to rely on their contractors, especially, i know with a lot of good brands. You've got to jump through some sort of hoops to sell their equipment anyway. They want to know that the contractors they're working with are good they're doing what they're supposed to so. They may not even police that necessarily they're almost kind of taking the contractor's word for it, but in some cases they are going to check that part.

That was returned, so if you said hey, this compressor is bad, you pulled it out, sent it back, they may actually some manufacturers will test that and make sure it actually was bad before they go back to the contractor and have a tough conversation so ultimately, what's Covered in most manufacturer's, warranties are just that just the anything that goes wrong with the parts or the equipment they're going to handle that give the contractor a new part or whatever of that equipment, and that's how they're going to handle it and to go one step Further than that, some of the really good brands not going to say any particular names in this post, but you can usually go on their websites and figure out what's covered and what's not, and some of the really good brands are now coming out with unit replacement. Warranties, actually, some of the brands have been doing them for a while, but it seems like some of them are starting to catch on and they're, offering comparable warranties. And what i mean by that is, if a major component fails instead of giving that component to the contractor, to replace in that unit they're giving them a whole new unit. So if it's a problem with the outdoor unit a whole new outdoor unit or indoor unit, they give them a whole new indoor unit.

So that's pretty cool. Now, let's jump to what's not covered because in a lot of cases, it's eye opening. It's a surprise for homeowners to find out what is not covered and the first thing that most manufacturers now this may change in the future. I don't know, but during the making of this video, most manufacturers are not going to cover the refrigerant.

So let's say a part goes bad and you've got to you, know, pull the refrigerant out or the refrigerant is completely out anyway, say the coil was leaking and that's why you're replacing the coil so there's no refrigerant anyway right and so the new coil gets put In the refrigerant that's going to be put back in that system is not covered and, depending on your contractor, they may handle it different ways at griffin, air again, if it's in that first year, we're gon na handle that for you, but after that, depending on the Situation depending on say the maintenance of the system, and if you were doing your part to take care of it, we may you know, do our best to keep those costs down, but just realize the manufacturer is not going to cover those refrigerant warranties. So, if you're watching this video and you're not in our market but you're, dealing with a contractor just realize that the manufacturer is not going to cover that refrigerant, so that contractor may charge you for that refrigerant, even though that part was covered under warranty. The second thing that most manufacturers, warranties do not cover is the labor to install that system. So you know you may have a contractor that they gave you say a one or two year warranty on the labor and then you know, let's say it's now year between three and nine.

You know nine years goes by and now something's happened. They get the new part, that's covered, they put it in, but then they charge you a labor cost to cover them in that situation, just realize that labor is not covered by the manufacturer. Now, griffin, air. We offer a 12-year parts and labor warranty with all of our installations.

So if we install a new daikin system for you, you are covered for everything, but the refrigerant, so 11 years goes by. Something goes wrong. I've got competitors that they'll get the part for free, but then they charge you a thousand dollars to put that part in with us. You'd be covered for everything, but the refrigerant.

The third thing that those manufacturers warranties do not cover is the materials to install that part so say the inert gas or nitrogen, or whatever that's being flowed through there as they're brazing, the brazing rods, the acetylene and oxygen in their torch, all those materials that they Have to use uh the vacuum pump oil, the vacuum pump itself the tools all that stuff. The manufacturers are not covering any of that, and so just realize that you know the part might be covered, but those materials to install that part in a lot of cases are not covered by the manufacturer, and you may say to me: hey josh shouldn't some of This stuff be covered. That's not! I am not going to debate that on this video. I'm just stating the facts, and again every manufacturer is different, depending on the manufacturer, depending on your relationship with that manufacturer, a lot of good manufacturers will step in in some way shape or form.

Does it always mean they're going to replace the entire system for free? No but they're going to get involved in some way they might send out a rep from the factory and make sure everything's on the up and up. Luckily, that's not something that we've had to do a lot of, but in those instances when we needed our manufacturers to step in in some way shape or form and a lot of cases they've been great and stepped in and took care of that. The last thing that i'll mention in this video that is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty are the shipping costs for that part. So if we, you know, if the contractor calls into our supplier - and we say hey, here's the part we need and they need to ship it in or freight charge.

You know something like that: they're going to pass those charges on to the contractor, who may pass that on to you as the homeowner so just realize, especially if you're wanting something overnighted right. So if you're like you know, i don't have any ac. I need this quickly as possible and they have to get it overnighted or something like that. Uh.

You know expedited shipping costs a little bit more and that will not be covered by the warranty. So in a nutshell, that's what's covered and what's not covered. If i didn't go over something that you're, not quite sure of or whatever comment down below - and i will try to answer that for you, if you're not sure something is covered or not, but in most cases it's pretty cut and dry and your contractor as long As they're a good honest contractor they're just going to whether it's what you want to hear or not, they're going to break the news to you and tell you whether or not it's covered. Let's talk about last but not least, probably the most surprising stuff, and that is stuff that you could do as a homeowner that could void that warranty with the manufacturer, because in a lot of cases, folks don't realize that you know some of the things they may Do with other things like, for example, your car? If you go doing something to the car and then you know it may or may not void the warranty with heating and air systems.

It's a whole other ball game. So, let's go through some of the common things that we've seen that you could do that might void your warranty and the first thing is buying a system online. I've talked about this in several of my videos, so many people make the mistake of the contractor. Wants this amount of money, and but i can buy it online for this amount of money and i'm just going to do that and have somebody install it and what they don't realize is number one.

The warranty could be voided with some manufacturers being that you did not buy it from a dealer and or they may not want to cover it because they don't know who's touched it or who laid hands on it. There's something to be said for if something's wrong or something happened, the manufacturer has someone to go yell at the contractor has somebody they can go yell at and so on. So you know having all those relationships there. It's valuable it's important now you may say well the contractor.

I see what they're paying for it on google or whatever or on some other website the equipment's. This costs. But you know they're charging me this right and you know i don't understand why it costs. So much for labor and there's other videos by people way smarter than me on youtube that they go through a lot of this stuff, but just realize that when they're doing their equipment plus whatever's left over they're, not just charging you a labor cost.

You know it's not like someone, that's going to do something in your home and they just do a little project and they've got their material costs and they've got their labor costs and that's the end of it right with especially the installation of a heating and air System a lot of times the price is a turnkey price, so you're not going to get a lot of hidden fees at the end or whatever. So it's a turnkey price, it's all-encompassing, and so those companies are not just charging you, the labor, the salaries of their employees, but they're charging you for the overhead of their business. They're charging you for the cost to drive vans to put gas and insurance and the cost of doing business as far as the insurance for the business goes so that you're protected as a homeowner. Obviously they have to keep their lights on or you know whatever.

But i'm not gon na go through all of that, because every business is different. What someone else's overhead might be, it might be different from mine. I know there's some states that just the cost of living, the the real estate taxes and mortgage rates and all that stuff or way more or way less than what we pay. So this video i'm not going to get into all that again.

There's videos on youtube where they talk more about this, get in the nitty-gritty. Someone way smarter than me is going to go through exactly what they're charging you for and all that good stuff, because a lot of folks, if you, if you don't know you just don't know, and that segues into my second thing, that you could do as a Homeowner that would void your warranty so buying it online and then let's say you argue, well listen. I bought it online, but then i got my brother-in-law's best friend who does heating and air. I got him to do it on the side.

He works for a license and insured company. So, what's the difference right now, if you've done that before and it went great - god bless you, i'm actually happy for you, but i could tell you horror story after horror story where they wouldn't answer their phone. After that, and then you know, a good company actually comes in and you are expecting them to fix all these issues that you know somebody did it on the side for beer money and now you're being charged even more than what you would have been charged. If you just bought the system out right, so the second thing that you could do that would void your warranty is: have it installed by someone? That's not a pro someone, that's not a licensed and insured company, and in some states they even require the company to be bonded right.

So you know, you've got some guy doing it on the side. Well, he may actually be really good. What he's doing, but if he's not a licensed contractor, he's not a master tradesman and has the insurance to cover it. Some manufacturers, let's be honest, they're, going to step up and take care of you as the homeowner because they appreciate your business regardless.

But some manufacturers are not going to cover that under warranty. I can think of one in particular that we got involved with a job, and you know parts needed to be gotten and they could see that the system had been bought online and they required that homeowner to provide proof of who installed it and the fact that They were a licensed insured company, so in the state of virginia, where we are you're not just licensed, you get a cute little license number from our department of professional occupational regulations and the manufacturers are wanting all that. They want to see that everything's on the up and up another thing that could void your warranty is simply poor maintenance. So if a contractor comes in - and you know, part needs to be replaced and we go and send that part back and the the manufacturer gets it and it's just you know they can tell that the system has not been maintained properly, not even been cleaned.

In several years, or anything like that, there may be times when they may step in and void that warranty, so just be aware of that make sure you're having that system maintained, cleaned up annually, not just a checkup, not just some guy that pops, the cover off, Says yep looks good, throws the gauges on it. Yep looks good and moves on someone that does a proper tune up and makes that system as new as possible again so that it can run as efficiently as possible. Again, another thing that could void the warranty is if the equipment is not an ahri match. I ran into this a few years ago, where the supplier sent me an indoor and an outdoor unit, and i have no problems telling you who the company is, that made the equipment, nordine or nortec.

They make all kinds of different brands and we bought this system from them and installed it well come to find out. The supplier did not send me an ah or imatch system, and so when we figured that out and pulled the air handler out, put the right. One in that is now an hri match. The manufacturer nordine kept a record of that and would not honor that warranty years later so years later, you know, time went by down the road major component failed and they would not honor that warranty, even though it was not our fault that the supplier gave us Equipment that was not hrmat and you might argue, well hey josh.

You probably should have checked that yourself. Of course, if i could go back in time, i would have, but again in my mind that was not our fault. We were given what we were given and for them to not step up and honor their warranty. You know that was a problem, some manufacturers, they are just looking for a reason to not honor their warranties.

They remind me of insurance companies right some of them. You know they look for a reason to not pay for their client or they're insured, and some manufacturers are the same exact way. Now we as a company we stepped in and we actually ate all those costs because we didn't think it was right that nordyne was not going to do their part. So we went ahead and covered what they should have covered in that job.

But that's why i have no problems saying who it was because they're obviously looking for reasons to not honor their warranties and you can go to their website. They make a slew of other brands like broon maytag um. I think they make frigidaire. They make several other brands miller inner therm, all these different brands.

So i just want you to be aware of that. So if, if the system's installed, it's not an hri match, most contractors can provide you with a certificate for the equipment that they're installing and show you that it is an hri match. Here's another one, one that really surprises folks. Sometimes homeowner buys a system and gets it installed.

They register it properly. Everything is perfect and then they sell the house, some manufacturers. When that house is sold and a new homeowner moves in it could be a year later. They are no longer covered for that full length of the warranty, so they may be covered for up to the five-year mark.

They may not be covered at all, and some manufacturers make it to where either you could pay a little bit of money or just transfer. It entirely, but you have to do some sort of transfer to the new homeowner. So that way they get that length of warranty. So just be aware that that if you buy a house that just because the system is new or whatever it may not be covered under warranty for you, so you might have to do a little homework check with the manufacturer, see if you can pay the 50 Bucks or whatever it is to get it transferred to your name.

So you get 10 years of coverage and then you're you know safe to buy that house. I'm not saying it would be a deal breaker if it's got a new heating and air system, and you find out that they're not going to cover the warranty uh. You know, of course, if it's your dream home, of course, you should still buy it, but just realize that that system may not be covered under warranty for the full length of the advertised warranty length. The last thing i'm going to go over in just a second, but if you are getting a system in a lot of cases, you can get a hold of the documents and they'll actually say you know in documentation, black and white - writing hey.

This is what's covered and here's, what's not so you know a lot of the stuff i'm going over just stuff. That might be a little surprising for you or whatever, but grab a hold of that sheet, especially the things i'm about to go over. They usually will cover on those sheets, but there are sometimes things that might surprise you there. You know things that they may say well, we're not covering it if this happens, or that happens, and in those cases depending on what the situation is.

Maybe your homeowner's insurance may cover. It just depends on what happened. So the last thing before we wrap up is what a lot of folks call acts of god. So if a tree falls on that system or a storm comes through and ruins that heating and air system, something like that, something that they would consider an act of god, they may not cover that under warranty uh in a lot of cases, they they won't, and So, that's something that you will have to file a claim with your insurance, your homeowner's insurance or whoever that takes care of that stuff, because the manufacturer, that's something that was out of their control.

You know, that's not like they made that system and something failed on it. A tree fell on it and then the last thing i'll say is extreme conditions that ruin that system. So two that just come to my mind, are you know we're near the coast? I know if you go further south there are homes that are right up on the beach and salt water splashing on the stuff. You know splashing on the unit splashing around and you know what it does.

Is it speeds up the life of that system. So a system that would have lasted 15 or 20 years might only last eight or ten right and so again that's something that every manufacturer handles it differently. Some manufacturers will require you to buy a certain piece of equipment or this or that to get that covered. But just be aware of that, and then the last thing i'll say that is sometimes surprising for folks is one of the worst things that will destroy an outdoor coil quicker than anything is dog urine.

You know so your dog, he goes out you let him out. In the backyard - and he just you know, does his business on your heating and air system, it will actually eat the metal on those coils and not right away. You know it might take a few times and but, as time goes on, i've seen it so many times guys in our trade. We joke all the time and i've even seen you know guys, will put pictures on facebook and be like look at this one.

You know gigantic hole through the outdoor coil and that's what it's from you know. Just the dog has been doing his business on the system. The manufacturer is probably not going to cover that. So i hope this helps again.

If you have something in particular, you're wondering, is it covered or what? Why isn't it covered or whatever feel free to comment down below, but i appreciate you watching. Thank you. The last thing i'll say is if you're in the market for a new heating and air system and you're in virginia and the middle peninsula or the northern neck, give griffin air a call. We'll give you a free estimate and the best warranty in the area.

But if you're, not in our coverage area check out my new website, i've even got a little banner up here. New hvac guide, dot com check out that site because we've put so much information on there. It's as if i wrote a book telling folks, hey here's. The good and the bad avoid this or that i've even got a whole page called no knows things to stay away from, and so before you spend thousands check out that website and finally, for more tips and tricks in the heating and air industry.

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