Buyer beware: most HVAC manufacturers will only honor a warranty if your equipment has been properly maintained. If you haven’t kept up on recommended preventive maintenance, chances are you’ll be out of luck when something goes wrong, at least as far as the warranty is concerned. Ignoring warranty PM requirements is a sure way to jeopardize coverage, not to mention shortening the life of your purchase.
Never assume that a warranty comes free. Warranties are very carefully written by manufacturers to protect their own interests in addition to yours. Failure to perform regular PM will cause equipment to degrade and perhaps fail prematurely, and all manufacturers take steps to make sure they aren’t left holding the bag when neglect causes a breakdown to occur.
HVAC equipment manufacturers provide one-year warranties on most products and offer extended warranties that can be purchased at additional cost. Be sure to follow all warranty requirements and thoroughly document all PM, because the last thing you want to do is engage in a dispute with a manufacturer unwilling to honor a warranty.
Read the fine print! Many warranties only cover replacement parts and require the owner to pay labor costs, even if equipment has been properly maintained. Labor can be very expensive when it comes to high-ticket items like refrigeration compressors, pumps, and fans, which can be can be quite labor-intensive to remove and replace.
MSC can’t stress enough the importance of a comprehensive preventive maintenance program for all mechanical equipment and systems. Contact MSC at 973-884-500 for more information on selecting and customizing a PM program to suit your building’s specific needs.
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