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Updated Mar 22, 2023
Updated Mar 22, 2023
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Refrigerators are the heart of the kitchen — they’re one of the few appliances that 99.8% of U.S. homeowners rely on every day, multiple times a day. Unexpected fridge failures, however, are inconvenient and expensive to fix. Your refrigerator’s original warranty might offer some short-term protection, but only a home warranty can provide comprehensive coverage for the age-related issues that your fridge will face later down the road.
Our in-house research team analyzed 60+ reputable home warranty companies and pinpointed the following providers based on their top-to-bottom refrigerator protection, high appliance coverage limits, and unique inclusions for high-end fridge features.
Company | Cost Per Month | Refrigerator Parts Included | Excluded Coverages | Service Fee | Brands Covered |
Choice Home Warranty | $45-$53.33 | All components and parts that are necessary to the function, including the attached freezer. | Racks Shelves Lights | $85 | All |
Liberty Home Guard | $64.99-$74.99 | All mechanical components and parts necessary to its functionality, including attached freezer components. | Racks, shelves, hinges, and handles Refrigerant Beverage dispensers Wine coolers or mini-refrigerators Sealed systems Clogged drains and lines | $75 | All |
Select Home Warranty | $57.67-$62.08 | All components and parts that are necessary for functionality, including compressor, thermostats, fan motors, and more. | Sealed system | $60 | All |
American Home Shield | $24.99-$69.99 | All parts and components that break down due to normal wear and tear.Decorative features like light bulbs and hardware. | Freestanding freezers Multi-media centers Wine Chillers | $75-$125 | All |
The Home Service Club | $50-$62 | Repair or replacements for all components and parts that malfunction due to normal wear and tear and electrical or mechanical failures. | Wine chillers Multi-media centers Freestanding freezers | $60-$95 | All |
Choice Home Warranty (CHW) holds first place as our top choice for a home warranty provider for refrigerator coverage. Founded in 2008 and currently serving more than 1.6 million homes nationwide, CHW is among the most established home warranty providers in the U.S. Each included appliance is covered by a $3,000 per-item annual coverage limit — one of the highest payout caps in the industry.
All parts and components of your main refrigerator are covered, including any attached freezer unit. Refrigerators of any age, make, or model are eligible for coverage through CHW, so long as it’s in proper working condition at the start date of your enrollment. Policyholders can also add coverage for a second refrigerator to their policy by purchasing one of Choice Home Warranty’s optional coverage riders. This add-on will cost an additional $40 per year, according to a CHW customer service representative.
CHW’s plans are available in every state except WA
Fill out this form or call to get a free quote from Choice Home Warranty.
Read our full Choice Home Warranty review for more information.
Liberty Home Guard (LHG)] offers robust home warranty coverage at cost-effective rates and doesn’t base enrollment eligibility on a preliminary home inspection or the property’s age. This provider also has partnership policies available for real estate professionals and technicians. For homeowners looking specifically for refrigerator coverage, LHG offers an appliance-only plan called Appliance Guard that offers comprehensive coverage for items like refrigerators, microwaves, ovens, etc.
Liberty Home Guard’s three plan variations are available in 48 states and Washington, D.C., excluding WA and WI.
To get a free quote from Liberty Home Guard, fill out this online formor call 866-451-2281.
Continue reading about LHG in our Liberty Home Guard review.
Across all leading providers, Select Home Warranty (SHW) offers the most cost-effective and affordable refrigerator warranties for homeowners. Refrigerator coverage is included in both Select’s appliance-only Bronze Care Plan and its catch-all Platinum Care Plan. The Bronze Care Plan is a good option for homeowners only looking to cover their most basic kitchen and laundry appliances because you’ll only have to pay for what you need. SHW covers all refrigerator parts and components under a $500 annual coverage limit. Select won’t cover sealed systems but does include:
Select Home Warranty doesn’t offer coverage in WA, WY, NM, or NV.
For a free quote from Select Home Warranty, fill out this online formor call 888-370-3953.
Read our full Select Home Warranty review for more details.
Often celebrated as the founder of the home warranty industry,American Home Shield (AHS) boasts a 50-year tenure in the field and a customer base of over 1.8 million. refrigerator coverage is available in ShieldGold and ShieldPlatinum plans only and covers up to $3,000 in related costs per contract term, as ShieldSilver only covers select systems.
American Home Shield has contractual agreements that are a minimum of one year long, with a 30-day waiting period after registration and the option to renew your home warranty coverage at the start of each year. None of its home warranty plan options require a home inspection before sign-up.
American Home Shield doesn’t offer coverage in Alaska.
For a free quote from American Home Shield, fill out this online form or call 888-365-2839.
To learn more about AHS, visit our American Home Shield review.
The Home Service Club (HSC) offers the quickest home warranty coverage for refrigerators. When you sign up for a policy through HSC, your home warranty benefits will be activated just ten days after your plan’s purchase date. Competing providers usually instate a 30-day waiting period for new joiners, but HSC cuts that wait time by more than two weeks. This provider also offers specialty real estate protection plans created specifically for homeowners in the process of buying or selling a home.
To get a free quote from The Home Service Club, fill out this online form or call 800-842-9334.
Continue reading about HSC in our complete The Home Service Club review.
A home warranty is a renewable service contract that covers the cost to repair or replace your home’s main appliances and systems, including your refrigerator. When your fridge stalls out due to normal wear and tear over time, a home warranty ensures that a thousand-dollar repair can be rectified by your monthly premium of less than $100.
In the table below, we’ve compiled the different refrigerator warranty terms offered by top appliance brands so you can see how their protection plans vary in coverage length and breadth.
Manufacturer | Length of Coverage |
General Electric (GE) | One-year limited warranty Five-year limited sealed system warranty |
Kenmore | One-year limited warranty Lifetime warranty on storage bins (only for refrigerators purchased after February 4, 2018) |
Frigidaire | One-year limited warranty Second-to-fifth year limited cabinet liner and sealed system warranty 10-year limited warranty on all parts with registration or 5-year limited warranty without registration |
Whirlpool | One-year full warranty Second-to-fifth year limited sealed system warranty |
Samsung | One-year limited warranty Five-year sealed system warranty (includes parts and labor) 10-year limited warranty on digital inverter compressor parts (only covers 5 years of labor) |
Bosch | One-year limited warranty First-to-second year limited non-electric component warranty (parts only) Second-to-fifth year limited warranty for electric components (parts only) Lifetime limited warranty for rust-through on stainless steel (parts only) |
Maytag | One-year limited warranty 10-year limited warranty on compressor (parts only) |
Investing in a long-term refrigerator warranty is a smart move for any homeowner with kitchen refrigerators, but may be especially worthwhile for homeowners who:
Though inclusions and exclusions will vary from company to company, most home warranty providers will cover refrigerator fixes for:
Keep in mind that home warranties cover a lot more than just refrigerators. While securing protection against fridge failures, you’ll also be covered for:
Appliances
Systems
Add-ons
Home warranties are only designed to help homeowners offset repair and replacement costs caused by age-related deterioration. For that reasons, damage to your refrigerator usually won’t be covered if it was caused by:
Specific to refrigerators, most leading service providers will cover all components and parts except for:
First, they allow consumers to avoid the anxiety and financial loss of an unexpectedly high repair bill. Second, if a product breaks, consumers do not have to invest time to search for a company to undertake the repairs … Finally, extended warranties mitigate the concern of being “ripped off” on the repair, because service companies have an incentive to fix the problem efficiently. Bottom line: There’s value in being able to sleep well at night.”
When you purchase a home warranty for a refrigerator, you’ll pay a monthly premium, usually between $45 and $65, or a one-time fee of around $540 to $780 per year. This primary payment goes toward your base plan for any repairs or replacements needed on covered items for that 12-month contract term.
Outside of how much the plan itself costs, you’ll be responsible for a deductible, called a service fee, each time you file a new claim. This out-of-pocket payment can cost anywhere from $60 to $125, depending on your provider.
All home warranty plans have an annual payout cap, typically instated per item, which caps the amount your provider will contribute toward appliance or system maintenance each year. For refrigerators, this annual dollar limit usually ranges between $500 and $3,000. Any repairs or replacements exceeding your provider’s specified coverage limit will be left to you to pay out of pocket.
Depending on the severity of the issue, repairs, and part replacement costs can hit your wallet hard. The cost of repair doesn’t end at parts. You have to pay for professional labor, too. Here are just a few examples of the average cost for certain refrigerator repairs:
To jump-start the repair or replacement process, you’ll first need to notify your provider of the issue with your refrigerator. This can usually be done one of two ways: either by calling your company’s customer service line directly or by submitting a claim form through your designed online member portal.
On average, it may take up to 48 hours for your service provider to process your request before a claim decision is made.
Before your refrigerator can be repaired or replaced at little or no cost to you, your home warranty company will send out a technician to assess the issue in person. At this first service appointment, the technician will draft a price quote for the estimated cost of work needed to be done. Once your provider receives that estimate, same- or next-day service will be scheduled for the final service appointment.
You’ll be responsible for covering the service fee amount stated in your service agreement at the time of or prior to the first home visit. This fee covers any labor costs and also compensates the technician for any expenses incurred while traveling to your property.
Once the technician’s initial estimate is approved by your provider, the necessary repair or replacement will be completed. Beyond the service fee paid during the diagnostic appointment, you won’t owe anything further.
No. Even though home warranties don’t always require a home inspection, pre-existing conditions will not be covered, whether they are known or unknown. Your home appliances must be well-maintained, therefore rust and other signs of neglect are also not covered.
You can submit a claim online. The company will then contact a local, licensed service professional and contact you to schedule an appointment.
Choice Home Warranty will pick up your claim in less than 48 hours (or four days if it is a weekend or holiday).** If the claim is an emergency, service may begin earlier.
The time for repair depends on the local contractor and part availability at the time of the claim. However, many customers are satisfied with the quick process.
Yes. Many homeowners and real estate agents include home warranties when selling their homes. A home warranty can give potential buyers some peace of mind that appliances and home systems are protected, especially if they are buying an older home with older appliances.
After adding necessary labor fees, it is easy to see why a home warranty is cost-effective. The annual cost of your warranty could be comparable to just one of these fixes. We choose Choice Home Warranty as our favorite provider for home appliance warranties because of the value that they bring to customers.
Customers also agree in their reviews that Choice Home Warranty is a quality provider:
“I’ve only submitted two claims but both were scheduled technician visits [within] 24 hours. The technicians were extremely professional, they were very friendly, and extremely technically competent. So glad I picked Choice Home Warranty.” – Joseph, December 2018
“My refrigerator temperature control was allowing my refrigerator side to freeze the food. I called Choice and they sent a company to check it out. The company has ordered the part and will repair it as soon as the part arrives.” — Ada, July 2018
“Efficient prompt service. Very understanding and courteous associates who seem to be concerned about customer needs. Very grateful and impressed with results. Thank you.” — Anne, August 2018
Receive a free quote for a home warranty today. Just call 929-400-6164 or go online to enter your details.
At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader.
To create this rating system, our team spent hours researching over 60 companies, analyzing 2500+ key data points, getting the thoughts and opinions of 1000+ homeowners, and speaking to home warranty company representatives directly. We also dug into the fine print on each company’s service agreement to ensure no detail was left out.
We developed an objective home warranty review and rating methodology to score each home warranty company based on several criteria. We used a five-point scale with a point index ranging from 0.00 to 1.00. The minimum awardable value is 0.0, whereas 1.00 is the maximum. These numeric points are translated into star ratings, using whole star increments between one and five.
Here is a quick breakdown of our five core scoring categories:
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