No matter where you live, an HVAC system is an essential system for better comfort and quality of living. Repairing costs are a real deal breaker of owning an HVAC, or AC unit. But, do you know that you can leverage your homeowner insurance for air conditioner units?
Even though a home warranty is highly helpful for certain services, repairs, or replacements, home insurance generally does not cover maintenance or normal wear and tear of the unit. But, in some cases, it does cover damage by peril in your policy. Next, let’s see how this insurance can help to protect your AC!
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When You Can Claim Insurance for Air Conditioner Units?
Many people don’t know that home insurance covers AC units and heat pumps in the same way as the rest of your home is covered. Whether it’s damaged due to fires, falling trees, lightning, and vandalism, AC will be eligible under standard home policies.
However, you should know that not all AC damage is covered by this insurance. There’s also a varying policy for homeowners insurance companies including Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers. Below are some cases that allow you to claim insurance for Air Conditioner:
1. Fire and Lightning
If your AC is damaged by an accident like fire or lightning, the homeowners’ insurance policy will help you to cover the loss of it. So, the insurance company will help to cover the repair or replacement expense. In some cases, if lightning destroys your AC unit causing a damaged electrical component, you’ll pay to replace it.
Similar to lighting, home insurance will offer coverage for your AC unit due to weather or climate disaster. For instance, it’ll cover the damage due to hail, and high winds. But, not all weather issues are eligible for claims like perils, like earthquake and flood damage.
However, since several home insurances have different policies, some providers offer coverage for floods and earthquakes. They also can include a separate policy regarding these issues. So it’s better to not make an early assumption and contact the insurance agent or company to consult about this issue.
3. Vandalism and Falling Trees
Most home insurance offers coverage for AC units that are broken due to falling trees or branches. The air conditioner will be protected because HVAC policies typically cover damage from trees related accidents. Aside from that, the company also offers AC and heat pump coverage from vandalizing.
But to ensure it’s covered the homeowner should also file a police report to document the crime and the damage. Yet, every insurance provider has different policies. So if you doubt whether it can be covered, you need to call an insurance agent for details.
When Air Conditioners Aren’t Covered by the Homeowners Insurance Policy?
As you know, insurance has policies where it can reject or grant your claim. Usually, home insurance policies don’t grant AC malfunctions coverage caused by general wear and tear, maintenance lack, or casualties. For instance, damaged AC after 10 years of use and was dented by an accident while partying.
Although most AC is generally not susceptible to water damage since it produces water for normal operation. but if there’s an accident like water leaks into your home that causes flooding, it won’t be covered since it’s encompassed in maintenance issues. So, you’ll be solely liable for replacing or repairing the air conditioner units.
In addition, home insurance providers treat central AC and window AC differently. Typically, the company considers a central AC unit as part of the home’s structure. Meanwhile, the window unit is covered as personal property instead of a home structure. Therefore, the damage scope covered for window units is narrower.
Typical homeowners insurance protects a central AC unit as open perils. It means the damage or issue is covered unless the cause of certain accidents.
For instance, war or flooding are excluded from this insurance for air conditioner units. Besides, the window units fall under the named perils, which are described in your policy terms.
Additionally, there are only a few situations where a central AC can be covered and a window unit can. So you should read carefully the details of the homeowner’s insurance policy to be sure.
How to File an Insurance for Air Conditioner Claim?
No matter whether or not, it makes sense to claim insurance for your HVAC system that is damaged by a covered hazard. Aside from that even if your damage is more costly than the deductible, you may still want to claim for it.
When you clear coverage, the adjuster will evaluate the damage and estimate the expense of replacement or repair. Then, the policy may reimburse in one of two ways if the AC needs to be replaced. First, you will be reimbursed for the expense to replace the unit at the time of loss if the policy covers the replacement value.
In addition, you can also get the reimbursement for market value of the item at the time of loss if the policy covers the actual cash value. If you’re unsure about the policy coverage, reach the home insurance provider. The team will review your policy with you and decide whether to repair the air conditioner or anything else.
To make it easier to claim, below is step by step to make a claim:
- First, captures photos that show the visible damage.
- Then, you should file a report to the policy for the damage.
- Obtain a police report copy, if applicable to the loss cause.
- Jot down the AC unit’s model and serial number.
- Contact the homeowners’ insurance company or file a claim online.
- After that, meet the insurance adjuster to determine the solution.
- Save the receipts for the necessary repairs.
- Lastly, submit the repair receipts to the homeowners’ insurance provider for reimbursement.
Do You Know How to Claim Insurance for Your Air Conditioner?
Many people now know the fact that their homeowners’ insurance can cover air conditioner damage. Indeed it can’t cover all cases, but for certain issues, you can leverage it to reduce the high repair or replacement cost. Just ensure you know how it can be covered in the policy or you can consult with the agent. On top of that, consider collecting the requirement of filing a claim, and don’t hesitate to reach the agent to see whether they can help you. So, we hope our article can help you to harness the benefits of homeowners insurance for air conditioner units!