Introduction
Air conditioner insurance is a type of insurance that helps to protect your air conditioner from unexpected repair or replacement costs. In many cases, your home insurance policy will not cover the cost of repairs to your air conditioner, so it’s important to have this insurance in place. It’s also important to read the article carefully so that you understand what is and isn’t covered.
At last, spring has settled among us, and it seems that the cold days have moved away. The heat begins, and although there are still two months left for the climatological summer, the truth is that some days we consider turning on the air conditioner again, which is why you need air conditioner insurance. After several months of hiatus, we can have an unpleasant surprise and find that it does not work or is incorrect.
The reality is that this appliance is as essential as the fridge for some. It doesn’t matter if you use fans or awnings or properly ventilate your house. Sometimes you can’t even breathe without air conditioning. Anyone who suffers from it knows what I’m talking about.
For all these reasons, a breakdown in this system, especially in the summer months, can be a nightmare. If your electric water heater breaks down in winter, facing real temperatures is usually unpleasant. In these cases, what should we do? If we have home insurance, the most logical thing is to call our company to inform them of our problem, but is the air conditioning covered by insurance?
The first thing to remember is that not all home insurance policies are the same. Generally, insurance covers our appliances’ breakdowns if they are due to power surges, power outages, or weather problems. In the case of multi-risk insurance, the coverage of our electrical appliances increases, but there are specific cases in the claims that may occur that require special coverage, such as internal electronic breakdowns.
We must not forget that other factors determine the coverage of our electrical appliances, such as their age or that the maximum number of interventions that can be carried out annually according to the home insurance policy we contract has been reached. Therefore, there are times when we will not be able to obtain repair or compensation for the device from our insurer.
In the case of air conditioners, it must be considered whether they are fixed split units anchored to the wall by general or portable ducts since the content and the insured container may be confused. Nor should we forget that, after five years of age, the depreciation of the devices increases progressively since all the devices have an average life estimated to be useful since they suffer wear and tear. The passing of the years reduces their conservation of them.
It is essential, therefore, to check if the damage suffered by the pump or the split, in the case of fixed appliances, is it included in our policy.
In what cases can air conditioner insurance be covered?
As we have mentioned, we may claim changes in electrical voltage that damage our device either from our insurance or from the electricity company with which we have contracted the service.
Damage caused by fire and lightning
This type of air conditioner claim should cover the repair or replacement of your device.
Falling trees
Being fortuitous events, they are also usually included in our home insurance policy.
Vandalism
On some occasions, the motors of the appliances can be placed outside the home but within easy reach so that they can be vandalized. When contacting your insurance company, do not forget that you must include a police report specifying the acts committed and the damage caused.
Damage caused by water (externally)
This type of mishap can be included in our policy unless they are due to failures in the maintenance of our device or due to wear and tear and use.
In any case, we must check our contract and, if we have doubts, contact your company to clarify if they have included what you may need at any given time.
In which cases is air conditioner insurance not usually covered?
If our air conditioner fails because the maintenance has not been carried out or done incorrectly, if it has a great deal of wear due to use or age, or if it suffers an accidental blow that damages it, the repair is not usually included, replacement or reimbursement of the device in the coverage of our insurance.
If the breakdown is due to water leaks that the devices themselves expel, that is, incorrect maintenance, it would not be covered either.
Differences in air conditioning installation
Usually, we find two types of air conditioning: the one that is installed through ducts in a generalized way throughout almost the entire house and the one that has an individual motor and split.
Ducted air conditioning can be considered part of the home’s structure, while splits are personal objects; therefore, the coverage will probably be less.
It is important always to check our contract and, if necessary, extend its coverage to avoid last-minute surprises and whose repair gives us the occasional scare. It is also convenient to consider if the repair does not have a very high cost, to check if it would be more appropriate to repair it without informing the insurance if the policy includes an annual maximum of repairs for this device.
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Conclusion
Air conditioner insurance can be a lifesaver when your air conditioning unit breaks down. Unfortunately, it’s not always covered by standard homeowners or renters’ insurance policies. Hopefully, this article has helped you understand a bit more about air conditioner insurance and how to find the right policy for your needs. Have you ever had to make an air conditioner claim? Let us know in the comments below!