Best Home Warranties For HVAC - Our Top 4 Companies

Your HVAC unit is one of the most expensive and most important systems in your home. If you are not sure how important air conditioning is, ask a person in Texas or Arizona what it’s like to go through a summer without it. If you live in certain areas of the country, HVAC functionality is essential for both health and comfort. When your HVAC unit goes down, it can be extremely disappointing and expensive.

Many people in search of a new home warranty policy want to make sure that the HVAC unit is covered as part of the plan. We have researched over forty home warranty plans across the country and pulled out the top choices for your HVAC needs. If you are ready to get a solid HVAC home warranty in place, keep reading.

What Is A Home Warranty for HVAC?

A home warranty plan is one that will keep the homeowner protected from repairs and replacement expenses should the services and appliances in the home stop working. Depending on the type of home warranty that you purchase, the air conditioner will be included as part of the basic plan, or it will be an add-on or additional coverage.

When you purchase a home warranty, it is going to cover more than just your HVAC unit. You will likely want to have comprehensive coverage of many of your appliances and systems. Protecting against things like roof leaks, a well pump breaking, or your central vacuum having an issue will give you peace of mind as a homeowner.

Who Needs HVAC Home Warranty Coverage?

Any home that has an HVAC unit is going to benefit from having HVAC home warranty coverage. If you are purchasing a new home or have lived in your home for many years, a home warranty is a great option.

Many people only think about getting a policy to protect their HVAC when they have to replace it. However, even if your HVAC unit is several years old, you can certainly get coverage to help protect yourself from costs associated with both repair and replacement.

Does A Home Warranty Cover HVAC Replacement?

The replacement costs of an HVAC unit are going to be quite high. Having to come up with thousands of dollars to replace an HVAC unit can be quite difficult. With a home warranty in place, your plan could cover at least a partial replacement of your central air system.

All plans have coverage limits that you will hit at some point. However, you will still get a partial break on the cost of your new HVAC system. This is even the case if the repair technician cannot determine what is wrong or a way to fix the unit.

What Does A Home Warranty Cover?

The great thing about a home warranty is that you can get much more than just your HVAC unit covered for one monthly price. When you purchase a warranty on a single product, it covers only that product for a certain period of time.

With home warranty coverage, you will get a plan that takes care of all of the systems, appliances, or both for one set monthly fee. The home warranty will pay for repairs associated with normal wear and tear, not something that the homeowner intentionally or accidentally broke.

Depending on what type of plan you have, the services and appliances covered are going to vary. Here are some of the most common ones that you will see listed on your policy:

Home Appliances

• Garbage disposal
• Icemakers
• Refrigerator
• Oven
• Clothes washer
• Clothes dryer
• Dishwasher
• Garage Door opener
• Water heater

Home Systems

• Electrical systems
• Ductwork
• HVAC Systems
• Heating systems
• Plumbing systems
• Septic system
• Sump pump

How Does A Home Warranty For HVAC Work?

Prior to purchasing a plan to cover your major appliances or major systems in your home, it pays to understand how this plan will work. Regardless of if your plan is focused on protecting your HVAC or your entire home, we will show you how this all works.

Select A Plan

The first step of the process is to choose a service provider with plan options that will work for your home. For some plans, the air conditioning system is part of the coverage, and for others, the HVAC will have to be an add-on. Different plans will also have varying costs associated with them; you must check the fine print and look for the most comprehensive plans for the money.

Report An Issue

After your initial 30 days waiting period on your home warranty policy, you can start reporting issues for the items your plan covers. If you have an appliances plan and the refrigerator starts to act up, you can call for service. Many of the home warranty companies allow you to submit your claim through an online portal 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Pay Service Fee

When your appointment for home repair is scheduled, you will then be responsible for your service fee. This is what some people will refer to as the deductible of the plan. The service fee will likely be anywhere from $75-$150, and it covers the cost of the repair.

If your repair costs are much higher or replacement is necessary, then your plan and warranty will kick in. You will be able to use the plan to help pay for the expense of the broken appliance or system up to the plan limit.

Once you pay the service fee for an issue, you won’t be charged that fee again, even if the unit stops working for the same reason. With the high price of an HVAC unit, chances are your repair costs are also going to be quite high.

How Much Does A Home Warranty Cost?

A home warranty will vary in cost based on the type of plan you purchase and the individual features of that plan. You can expect to pay somewhere between $40 and $60 a month for your plan. Although you may have a hard time initially thinking about adding another expense to your monthly expenses, the home warranty is actually a fair price.

Let’s think, for instance, about what the cost of a manufacturer’s warranty would be just for one appliance. Chances are, it could be about half the cost per month of the home warranty. The difference, of course, is that the manufacturer’s warranty is likely going to expire, and it only covers one appliance or system. When considered in this way, the home warranty is actually a great deal.

The Four Best Home Warranty Companies For HVAC

Now that you can see how important a home warranty is let’s look at some of the best home warranty companies for HVAC. Part of finding the perfect plan for HVAC requires understanding a bit more about the coverage options on the market.

Top Choice: Choice Home Warranty

Choice Home Warranty is one of the best home warranty companies in America. With Choice Home Warranty, your options are kept very simple, and you will have no issues understanding exactly what you are paying for. The HVAC unit is part of the Total Plan or what some would call the premier plan offered from Choice Home Warranty.

The policy limits on the Choice Home Warranty plan are fair, and they help make the entire process a bit smarter for a homeowner with an HVAC unit. When it comes to optional coverage, Choice Home Warranty offers several options to choose from.

Overall this is a company that has clear-cut pricing, fair value, and a wide network of high-quality service contractors to help you with your needs.

What We Like

• Very straightforward plan options
• Fair pricing
• Will follow up with customer on issues
• Service call fee is fairly priced

What We Don’t Like

• No real option to build your own plan

Read our full Choice Home Warranty review for more.

Runner Up: American Home Shield

You can think of American Home Shield as a premium plan for those looking for an HVAC home warranty. With American Home Shield, you have access to all of the best contractors and repair personnel in your area. In addition, the American Home Shield plan is totally customizable.

With American Home Shield, you can choose a system plan, appliance plan, or platinum plan that will include both. However, in addition to having these plan choices, you are also going to have the ability to customize your service fee. If you want to pay a higher monthly fee, you can have lower service fees. This type of flexibility in a plan is very hard to find.

American Home Shield does a great job of protecting your real estate, and they are highly rated by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Of course, with all of these great features and benefits, you can also expect to pay a bit more for American Home Shield than other plans.

What We Like

• Great coverage options
• High-quality work
• Ability to customize a plan
• Very transparent about the protection

What We Don’t Like

• Priced a bit higher than other options

Read our full American Home Shield review for more.

Best Value: Select Home Warranty

If you are determined to get a home warranty in place and want to make sure that you don’t break the bank, Select Home Warranty is a great choice. This is a policy that will protect against normal wear, has very good coverage options, qualified service technicians, and it all comes at a fair price.

The only thing that you need to be aware of with the Select Home Warranty is that some of the systems plan policy limits tend to be a bit lower than other properties. When the policy limits are lower, the chances of the plan covering the costs of an expensive HVAC repair are quite a bit less.

Always check your warranty contract before signing to make sure that it is, in fact, a smart plan for those with an HVAC unit.

What We Like

• Very affordable policy
• Roof coverage comes free with the basic plans
• Simple breakdown of all that is included

What We Don’t Like

• Quality of the contractor network is not as good
• Lower limits for expensive repairs

Read our full Select Home Warranty review for more.

Great Customer Service: Amazon Home Warranty

One of the major differences between home warranty providers is the quality of the customer service. Some plans think of customer service as an essential part of the equation. Others look at it as a secondary requirement or issue.

Amazon Home Warranty is not the most seasoned home warranty provider, yet they have been providing home buyers and homeowners with simple and hassle-free plans for the last ten years. Amazon Home Warranty has created a large network of contractors across the country, and they ensure that they are well qualified and highly trained.

When you go with the Amazon Home Warranty for your HVAC unit, you will have no issue submitting a claim, getting in touch with the customer service, or making adjustments to your plan. This is a very solid company with a good selection of options for your home.

What We Like

• Good selection of coverage options
• Home warranty offers several add on options
• Great customer service from a small company that values its customers

What We Don’t Like

• Some negative reviews about contractors

Read our full Amazon Home Warranty review for more.

What To Look For When Choosing A Home Warranty For HVAC?

People buy home warranties for a variety of reasons. Your reason is likely that you want to protect your HVAC system and avoid costly repairs. Here are the things you should look for when your HVAC is the main reason behind you purchasing this plan.

Plan Limits

One of the most important considerations of choosing a home warranty for HVAC is the plan limits. Since the HVAC is one of the most expensive systems in your home, you must make sure that your plan limits will be able to cover repairs associated with the HVAC. As you can imagine, fixing ceiling fans and fixing HVAC units are two completely different services.

Customer Service

Customer service is important, especially when dealing with higher-end breaks or replacements. Since the HVAC is such an essential part of your home services, you must ensure that you choose a company with high-quality customer service. You will need their help when it comes to issues.

Pricing

The pricing of the home warranty plans will vary quite a bit. Sometimes a combo plan is the best deal where you can combine a few appliances with a few systems and get good broad coverage of your home.

Service Fee Cost

Aside from the monthly prices that you pay, you must also be prepared to pay for the service fees that come along with having a home warranty. Service fees typically range from $70-$150 per visit. Ensure you take a look at the sample contracts to ensure you understand the service fee contract correctly.

Ratings and Reviews

It’s a smart idea to take a look at the ratings and review that a company has. Be realistic about what you read. If a person leaves a bad review stating a company didn’t handle pre-existing conditions, chances are the mistake is on the person and not on the home warranty provider. Always be smart about how you interpret the reviews but give them a glance to make sure nothing is standing out that seems wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing a great home warranty for HVAC can take a bit of time and patience. You want to make sure you fully understand that service contract and all that is involved before you commit to your annual plan. Here are some questions that homeowners have had about the HVAC home warranty options on the market.

Will Homeowners Insurance Cover My HVAC?

A homeowners insurance policy is meant to protect homeowners when there are issues with things like hurricanes, fires, and large losses. If the HVAC gets damaged because of something like this, then it will likely be covered as part of the homeowner’s insurance.

However, with a homeowners insurance policy, you won’t get the same service and attention when it comes to minor breaks and repairs from normal wear and tear. This is where the home warranty stands out as a better option when dealing with taking care of a specific system or appliance.

What Is The Deductible For An HVAC Home Warranty?

The HVAC home warranty will likely have a service fee that will act as a deductible. When you call to let your provider know that you are having an issue, they will request a service fee and then send someone to fix your issues.

The service fee will be all that you need to pay for a repair, as long as the repair cost falls within the limits of the policy.

Is HVAC Coverage an Add On?

For some policies, the HVAC coverage may be an add-on, and it could be part of the typical plan for others. If you are purchasing a home in California, Alaska, Hawaii, or New York, there are going to be different base coverages depending on where you live.

For some areas of America, the HVAC coverage is part of the basic plan, and for others, it’s an add-on. If you can find a basic plan that covers the HVAC unit, you will likely end up paying a bit less money overall for your policy.

Will A Pre-Existing HVAC Issue Be Covered Under My Home Warranty?

Unfortunately, a home warranty provider will not help you if you have pre-existing issues with your air conditioning or HVAC. You will have to have all issues taken care of prior to signing up for your policy.

Let’s say, for instance, your hot water heater decides to stop producing hot water. You will be able to sign up for a home warranty policy for your HVAC, but until your hot water heater is fixed (out of your own pocket), your home warranty will not cover the hot water heater. The best idea here is to get your home in great shape and then sign up for a plan to keep it that way.

Can I Get Home Warranty Coverage Just For HVAC?

A home warranty is meant to be a comprehensive plan that covers issues throughout the entire house. Although you can get HVAC as an add-on coverage, you will still need a base policy to cover the home.

If you are looking for something specific that covers just your HVAC unit, it may be worth looking into a manufacturer’s extended warranty. These warranties are typically a bit more expensive, and you may not be eligible if you have had your HVAC unit for some time. The nice thing about the home warranty is that you can get it started anytime you feel as though it is necessary.

Is An HVAC Home Warranty Worth It?

The great thing about a home warranty is that it is very easy to decide whether or not this is a good investment for you. The best way to go about this is to price out what some costs would be to fix an HVAC unit. Even without a policy in place, you would likely have to call a service provider to come out and take a look which will cost anywhere from $50-$150.

Once they take a look, the parts and labor can easily surpass $300 or more. This is just for one simple repair.

If you look at the cost of a typical home warranty policy, the yearly costs are going to range between $350-$700 per year. However, you must remember that some of these policies will cover all of the systems and appliances in your home, not just the HVAC.

When you look at things this way, you quickly realize how great a home warranty can be for HVAC. Homeowners will have peace of mind, the quality of the work done on your HVAC unit will be superior, and you know that you will only have to wait a limited period of time for a fix. This combination of benefits makes a home warranty for HVAC a very smart decision to make.