When to Request Service from Your Home Warranty

If your HVAC system or washer breaks down in the midst of entertaining family and friends, the holidays can be doubly stressful. Hopefully, you’ve protected your major home systems and appliances with a home warranty. That way, you only have one name to call for help with covered breakdowns - American Home Shield. If you do have home warranty coverage this holiday season, congrats, you're prepared when the unexpected occurs. Here are a few tips to make the most our of your home warranty. 

First, make sure you understand your coverage. Know what types of systems and appliances are covered by your plan and what your coverage limits are. As an American Home Shield member, you can access your plan agreement anytime in MyAccount. You should also be familiar with any language in the agreement that notes coverage exclusions. For example, many home warranties cover items that break down over time due to “normal wear and tear” or everyday use. Knowing what’s covered and what's not can help reduce frustration.

Here are some examples of when – and when not – to call request service from your home warranty company:

If you have the AHS ShieldSilver Plan:

• ShieldSilver covers 14 major systems to help keep your home running, including your air conditioner, heating system, plumbing, electrical and more. 

• If your air conditioner or heating system stop orking or start making strange noises, it's definitely time to place a service request. You shouldn't place a service request to get your HVAC filter changed though. That's considered routine maintenance that we expect members to do themselves. We'll handle your covered repairs though.

• Do place a service request if your main breaker or fuse panel box starts blowing fuses or is regularly malfunctioning, but don’t if a strand of holiday lights goes out. Our home warranties cover hard wired electrical lines, wiring, light switches and outlets but not holiday lights.     

• Do place a service request if your toilet is leaking and you can’t pinpoint the source, but don’t if your toilet is stopped up and you can easily plunge it.

If you have the AHS ShieldGold or ShieldPlatinum plan:

• Your home systems AND appliances are covered. So, you should place a service request for all of the situations noted in the ShieldSilver section plus for appliance breakdowns too.

• Do place a service request if your dishwasher has standing water that won’t drain after or is experiencing issues related to normal wear and tear, but place one if your toddler or pet stands on your dishwasher door and breaks it because that's not considered normal wear and tear or a breakdown due to everyday use.

• Do place a service request if your oven won’t reach pre-set temperatures, but not if your oven light bulb goes out. That's considered routine maintenance, not a covered repair.

• Do place a service request if your refrigerator has stopped cooling or staying cool, but don’t if change your refrigerator temperature setting.That's considred routine maintenance.

• Do place a service request if your clothes aren’t drying properly and you’ve already cleaned the lint filter and cleared the exhaust, but don’t if you lose a sock in your dryer.

• Do place a service request if the garbage disposal motor hums but the unit doesn’t grind when the flywheel is free, but don’t call if your garbage disposal has an odor that can be solved by running ice cubes or citrus peels through it.

• Do place a service request if your water heater isn't working, but don’t if you need to change the temperature setting on your water heater to the recommended 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

As an AHS member, it's easy to request service via MyAccount. Once you place the service request and pay your preset service fee, we'll assign a Pro to visit your home and diagnose the issue. If the issue is covered, the Pro will make the repair.

Knowing when, and how, to request home warranty service can help things run more smoothly should you experience a covered breakdown. If you don’t already know about the benefits of a home warranty, take time out from the busy holiday season to find out more.

AHS assumes no responsibility, and specifically disclaims all liability, for your use of any and all information contained herein.