What Appliances Are NOT Covered by My Home Warranty Plan?
With everything you have in your Florida home, you may be wondering what a home warranty plan actually covers. The truth is that the covered items are relative to the home warranty plan you have. You’ll have to verify your coverage with your warranty provider. To give you a general idea of what to expect, here’s a quick rundown of what is and is not covered in most cases.
Typical Home Warranty Plan Coverage
In most situations, a typical home warranty coverage includes repair, service, and replacement of most major appliances and systems. Having a home warranty plan is a good idea if you have an older home because it can minimize the amount of money you’d otherwise have to pay out of pocket.
There are two types of home warranty coverage: system and appliance coverage. Systems that are typically covered include the electrical system, your ductwork, interior plumbing, and possibly your water heater. Appliance coverage usually consists of the air conditioner, dishwasher, oven, stove, garage doors, and garbage disposal.
You may be able to request coverage for additional items, like your central heating, spas, pools, refrigerators, septic systems, water filtration systems, external plumbing, fountains, and more. You’ll have to check your policy if you currently have an extended warranty. If you don’t, then you’ll want to ask about extra options that may be available.
What Home Warranties Don’t Cover
Ideally, you want your home warranty to complement your home insurance. For example, while a home warranty won’t cover structural issues in your home, your insurance should. If any appliances you own have pre-existing conditions, they probably won’t be covered either.
Commercial grade appliances are also not typically covered under a home warranty. These are expensive to replace and considered high-end options in a home compared to traditional appliances, so they are often excluded from coverage.
Other appliances that are not a part of standard coverage include jetted tubs, combination ceiling fans, appliance accessories like shelves or doors, home entertainment appliances, and anything else that could be considered a modification.
Home Warranties Have Coverage Limits
All home warranties have coverage limits, so while yours may cover an appliance, it may not cover the appliance you have. For example, if you have a smart refrigerator with a dead interface, you might not be able to get that repair covered. Technically, the fridge would be working, and a dead interface doesn’t interfere with its functionality. If you want coverage like that, you’d need to ask if it’s an option.
The same thing goes with a magnetic induction cooktop. If the magnetic component stops working, that doesn’t mean the cooktop itself doesn’t function. There are several gray areas when it comes to appliance coverage, so these details need to be questioned.
Another appliance that doesn’t always fit within the limits of home warranty coverage is your microwave. If you have a built-in microwave, you’re probably safe. If it’s a free-standing or portable microwave, you’re likely to be out of luck and stuck paying repair fees or replacements on your own.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to home warranty plans, you need to consider what is usually covered and compare it to what you have in your home. Keep in mind that you can request coverage on specialty items like spas, but they’re not typically included. You’ll also want to take a look at what you own to question whether or not it would be covered if you have commercial or high-end appliances in your home. Whatever your situation is, remember that all home warranties have limits to available coverage. Verify what’s covered before making a final decision on your home warranty plan.
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