· Michael Blair
Warranty coverage on appliances is layered and easily forgotten. It is worth checking before paying for a repair, because the parts most likely to be covered are the expensive ones.
The layers
A general manufacturer warranty, usually a year, covering parts and labour. Then extended component coverage on specific parts — sealed systems on refrigerators, motors on washing machines — often for several years more.
That component coverage is the one people forget, and it applies to exactly the failures that cost the most.
Where else coverage hides
Some credit cards extend a manufacturer warranty when the appliance was bought on the card. Home warranty plans may cover appliances. Homeowner insurance covers damage rather than failure.
Check the purchase method before assuming a repair is yours to pay for.
- General warranty, usually one year
- Component coverage on sealed systems and motors, often longer
- Credit card extended warranty on the purchase
- Home warranty plans, if you hold one
- Keep the model, serial number and receipt together
Extended warranties
Sold at the point of purchase and priced for profit. They make most sense on expensive appliances with costly failure modes, and least on inexpensive ones where the plan approaches the replacement cost.
Read what is excluded, since cosmetic damage, seals and consumables are commonly outside the cover.
Keep the paperwork
Model number, serial number and the receipt together, and photographed. Warranty claims stall on missing proof of purchase more than on anything else.
The model and serial plate is usually inside the door or behind a kick panel, and it is worth photographing on the day of installation.