Frisco AC Repair Service owner Steve Lauten, President of Total Air and Heat, offers some thoughts on warranties for your new AC system.

Warranties: Bang for your Buck?

Everyone always cringes when the dreaded question is asked: are you interested in an extended warranty? Sometimes a warranty seems like a curse. You spend the extra money and nothing ever happens where you end up needing to use it. But then, you don’t get one and something does happen and you end up really regretting not spending the cash on the warranty. Air conditioning and heating systems are a huge investment and unfortunately, I can’t tell you whether or not an extended warranty is right for you. However, I can give you some information to hopefully make your decision a little easier.

Trane Comfort Specialists

Total Air & Heat Co. is a Comfort Specialist and dealer for Trane products. The first tip I can give you when interested in a Trane product is to use a Trane Comfort Specialist dealer. According to Trane, Comfort Specialists are dealers of the highest standing and are also committed to being the best in every aspect from installation, service, customer satisfaction and employee training.

Not every Trane dealer qualifies, but only those that meet Trane’s stringent standards and demonstrate dedication to customer satisfaction, and a commitment to continuing education. Comfort Specialists keep up to date with Trane’s latest technology guaranteeing that your system is designed to achieve maximum efficiency, reliability, and comfort.

Trane Limited Warranties

Every Trane system comes with a 1 year part warranty. Trane Dealers also include a 1 year labor warranty on any Trane part except for XL systems, and a 2 year warranty on any Trane XL system part. So if you have a Trane system installed by a Trane Dealer, all parts and labor are under warranty for 1 year for any non-XL system/part, and for 2 years for any XL system/part. It is important to keep in mind that refrigerant is not included in any Trane Limited Warranty.

Trane Extended Warranties

Extended Warranties, while ranging in price, definitely have their advantages. Trane offers 5 and 10 year warranties on any Trane systems and parts installed. Trane Extended Warranties include both the price of parts and labor. Refrigerant is also included in all Extended Warranties. A benefit of a Trane Extended Warranty is the built in product replacement advantage. This means that if any part fails within the time of your extended warranty, the price of the part and the labor can go towards a new Trane system if you would want to purchase a new system rather than replace the part. Trane Extended Warranties are also fully transferable to a new owner if a property is sold.

It’s Not Too Late

If you have bought a Trane system within the past 5 years, it is not too late to purchase a Trane Extended Warranty. A Trane dealer will have to inspect the system to evaluate it’s condition, especially if preventative maintenance has not been performed. It is also important to keep in mind that the Trane Extended Warranty does not begin when the warranty is purchased but actually when the system or part was installed.

Warranty or No Warranty

Whether you decided to purchase a Trane Extended Warranty or not, remember that a warranty does not take the place of preventative maintenance. Just like a car may have a warranty, it still needs it’s oil changed. Preventative maintenance is vital for any air conditioning or heating system to perform properly. Regardless of if you decided to get an extended warranty, the performance and longevity of your system will be exceptionally greater with preventative maintenance performed on both your air conditioner and heater each year.

About the author: Steve Lauten is President of Total Air & Heat Co. located in Plano, TX.  Steve can be reached at 972-881-0020 or by email at sales@totalair.com

Total Air & Heat Co. is a Frisco AC Repair Service that has been serving the North Dallas/Collin County area since 1957 and has been voted the “Best Heat and Air Contractor in Collin County” 14 times by the Readers of Star community Newspapers.