Wouldn't it be great if your homeowner's insurance policy covered such things as the breakdown of a 15-year-old HVAC system? Unfortunately, wear and tear and age-related breakdowns are not generally covered by your home insurance. However, some types of damage do qualify for an insurance claim.
INSURANCE AND YOUR HVAC SYSTEM
Following are some of the typical events that might might result in insurance paying for damages or replacement of your HVAC system:
- Weather-related accident.Say a storm tosses a tree limb or a heavy lawn chair onto your outdoor condenser unit and damages it. Your insurance policy should cover the damages.
- Frozen pipes.When pipes freeze inside a home, all kinds of damages can result, including damage to the furnace or air conditioner. These types of claims are covered. Damages resulting from cracking or broken hot water pipes are also covered.
- Theft.Generally, HVAC systems lost due to theft are covered.
- Fire.HVAC systems damaged or destroyed by fire are typically covered.
- Electrical surges.An electrical surge that damages wiring and fries your HVAC system should be covered by your insurance policy.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
Be aware that if your air conditioner is damaged from weather-related flooding, it probably isn't covered by your homeowner's policy. You may need a separate flood insurance policy for that. You will likely also need a separate policy to cover damages to your HVAC system caused by an earthquake.
You might also want to look into a major appliance policy to cover age-related breakdown of your HVAC system and other appliances. In general, the newer your appliances and HVAC system are, the cheaper your coverage will be. It may be that with a really old HVAC system, you're better off not paying out for insurance coverage, but just applying that money toward the purchase of a new, more efficient HVAC system.
For more on home insurance for your HVAC system, contact Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical. Visit our website for more in-depth information on most HVAC topics, of just give us a call at (408) 868-5500.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas of California about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).