When you buy a new water heater, it will come with a warranty. The warranty covers water heater repair under certain circumstances. Warranties include details that many homeowners aren't aware of until it's too late. Prepare yourself with these 3 things you should know about your water heater warranty. 

1. Types of Warranties

There are different types of water heater warranties, including:

  • Full coverage
  • Limited coverage 
  • Third-party warranties

Full coverage warranties cover any damage caused by the manufacturer for a specified amount of time. Full coverage will cover the cost of the parts and the labor. The full coverage usually only lasts a short amount of time. 

Limited coverage covers specific damage and usually only covers the cost of the parts but not the labor. Limited coverage usually lasts longer than full coverage.

Third-party warranties give homeowners the opportunity to extend coverage through a retailer or home warranty program. These programs involve a third party and not the manufacturer.  

2. Common Exclusions

Homeowners may attempt to file a claim only to discover that they don't qualify for a number of possible reasons. To ensure the best results, get professional installation and preventative maintenance once a year. 

Some of the most common reasons a manufacturer may deny a warranty claim include:

  • Improper installation 
  • Damage caused by hard water 
  • Lack of expansion tank
  • Failure to register the water heater
  • Making unauthorized alterations to the hot water system
  • Improper use of the water heater 

3. How to File a Warranty Claim

Step One: Read the warranty

You should read the warranty and understand it from the very beginning. If you have questions, contact your water heater manufacturer to ask them directly. 

Step Two: Register the water heater

You need to register your water heater in order to activate the warranty. If the manufacturer still honors the warranty without registration, they will pick the start date as the date of manufacture. 

Step Three: Collect water heater information

Collect the details about your water heater before you file a claim. You will need the make, model, and serial number of the water heater. 

Step Four: Contact the manufacturer

Finally, you can contact the manufacturer to explain the issue. The manufacturer may or may not troubleshoot with you. After troubleshooting, the representative will verify your warranty. 

Step Five: Schedule an appointment with the manufacturer 

Manufacturers don't perform repairs. They hire a third party to perform the repairs for you. They will give you a list of approved service providers and you will call the service provider to schedule a repair. 

As long as you know about your warranty in advance, you may save a lot of money on repairs! If you need a water heater repair, reach out to a company like Continental Plumbers LLC.

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