Three Ways to Avoid Expensive Air Conditioner Repair

Because you may not be able to avoid replacing a unit or having major repairs done at some point in your life, there are a few things that you can do to keep those expenses at bay. Extended warranties, home warranties, and service contracts are three ways to out savvy your cooling system.

When you buy a unit new, it will probably come with a warranty, but for a major purchase like this, it is always good to spring for the extended warranty. It is common for companies to sell warranties if five and ten year options. Go for the gold! Some kind of repair will need to be made within ten years of owning the appliance.

Sure, insurance is a gamble, but more than repair costs will be lost. If you're a/c is not cooling, you cannot stay in the home until it is properly repaired, and you should not leave your pets there either. You, your spouse, your kids, and Fido will all have to make accommodations until the service person can get to you. You will be out the cost of repairs, lodging expenses, the conveniences of home, and possible kennel charges.

With an extended warranty, you deal directly with the manufacturing company, and as a customer with a history of good business (and a customer that they would like to continue to see buying extended warranties on future purchases), they will be quicker to get to your needs. Leaving the house for days is not likely to need to happen. If you are buying or building a new house, consider asking the builder for the paper work on all of your appliances so that you can inquire about the purchase of extended warranties.

A home warranty purchase is a must for those buying houses these days. These policies can be purchased by anyone at anytime, but they are especially useful when you are buying a home from another person rather than buying a brand new place. A lot of sellers will include a one year home warranty as part of their incentive. This protects the seller and the buyer. Should any appliance break down, it will be repaired or replaces as needed within the terms of the policy.

This protects the buyer from unknowingly buying a home that has an a/c unit on the brink of blowing, and it protects the seller from being blamed for knowingly selling a home in imminent need of repair. For about four hundred dollars a year, you can keep a home warranty on all you major home appliances. As insurance goes, some years you may not use the policy at all, but when the time comes that a several thousand dollar air conditioning repair bill appears, a home warranty will be praised. 

Individually on appliances, you can buy a similar policy. This is called a service contract. It is sort of like when you have a service contract with an exterminator or lawn care company. They come in planned periodic increments to maintain their work; this kind of policy would not be a bad purchase to help avoid major lump sum air conditioner repair costs.