Home Warranty
Is AC Ductwork Covered by a Home Warranty?
Find out if AC ductwork is covered under a home warranty. You don’t want to get stuck with expensive AC bills. Learn more.
Your home’s ductwork is a vital part of your AC system. It’s what keeps cool air flowing from your AC unit throughout your home in the summertime and warm air flowing from your furnace in the winter. But, just as with any other of your home’s systems, your HVAC ductwork can develop problems.
In fact, many AC problems are caused by issues with ductwork. Your homeowners insurance won’t cover these problems, but if you have a home warranty from American Home Shield®, we’ll cover some or all of the cost of your AC ductwork repair.
Do You Have Problems with Your AC Ductwork?
When you get your HVAC tune-up, the technician does not inspect your HVAC ductwork. However, if you think you’re having problems with your ductwork, American Home Shield can help you set up an appointment with the right kind of service technician and recommend a plan to get you comfortable again.
Some signs that you have problems with your AC ductwork include:
- Poor air circulation, stuffiness, or a lack of airflow throughout your house
- Some rooms are warm and stuffy and some are cool or cold
- Weird smells, which may be caused by mold or mildew growing in the ductwork, or even by rodents living in there (or dying in there, as the case may be)
- Increased allergies or other respiratory symptoms, which could signal poor air quality inside the house
- HVAC filters getting clogged unusually quickly
- Popping, whistling, or cracking noises coming from the ducts
Your homeowners insurance won’t cover cleaning, repairing or replacing your ductwork. What does a home warranty cover when it comes to AC units and ductwork? Your home warranty coverage includes an air conditioner warranty that covers the repair or replacement of many parts of your AC unit and the ductwork, with coverage levels depending on the type of unit you have.
However, many common types of AC units, including ducted package and central electric split units, are fully covered. Learn about the differences between home insurance and home warranty in our blog post.
So, if you think you have problems with your AC ductwork, your first call should be to American Home Shield to make a service request. If you don’t want to call, that’s okay — you can request service online, too. We’ll send a service technician from our network to examine the problem and, depending on what he or she finds, your ductwork will be repaired or replaced, and we’ll cover the cost up to your plan limits. You’ll pay the trade service call fee as established by your plan tier.
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Protect Your AC Ductwork with Regular Maintenance
Your AC ductwork is so important to the air quality in your home and, by extension, to your and your family’s health, that it really pays to keep it in good shape.
Inspect your ductwork yearly to identify possible problems. Look for dust or debris coming out of your registers. Get a closer look at the inside of your ducts by removing the vent covers and looking inside with a flashlight. Look for mold and mildew, as well as signs of infestation, which can include dead insects or rodent droppings. Check the outside of your ductwork, if and where it is exposed, for leaks, and block them with duct tape.
You probably don’t need to have your ductwork cleaned, unless it is clogged, it’s releasing excessive amounts of dust and debris through the vents and registers, or you find evidence of rodents, insects, or mold and mildew inside the ducts. To keep your ductwork clean, change your HVAC filters every one to six months. Change them more often if you have pets, or someone in your home has respiratory problems or allergies.
Your AC is a whole-home system — the outdoor compressor unit creates cold air, and the ductwork distributes that air throughout the house to keep you cool and comfortable during the hot summer months. But when problems arise, things can really start heating up. But you don’t have to stress out about your ductwork issues when you have a home warranty from American Home Shield. Compare plans today to choose the best one for your family’s needs.
AHS assumes no responsibility, and specifically disclaims all liability, for your use of any and all information contained herein.
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