Category: Home Warranty

If you have ever owned a home, you have probably, at one time or another, run into a plumbing problem.   Many plumbing problems can be easily avoided and, if you still run into a plumbing problem, there are many that you can probably fix yourself.  There is certainly a time and place to hire a professional plumber who’s expertise may be necessary for certain plumbing problems.  But, if you arm yourself with some knowledge and put some tips into practice, you can avoid many common plumbing problems or quickly remedy the ones that do arise. One of the most common plumbing problems  is clogs.  Whether it is one large item or a buildup of smaller items, clogs happen.  Sometimes clogs are completely out of your control but, more often than not, it is the direct result of someone putting something down your drain that should never have been there in the first place.  With toilets, it is important to avoid flushing anything down other than waste and toilet paper.  Make sure everyone in the house, including kids, know this rule.  When you flush anything else down a toilet, you are inviting clogs.   Bathroom drains, whether shower , tubs or sinks, are also prone to clogs.  Hair and soap residue builds up rather quickly so it is important to avoid hair going down the drain as much as possible with the use of strainers.  Additionally, if you see a buildup forming, remove it immediately and run hot water down the drains often to prevent major clogs. With your garbage disposal, avoid putting anything greasy, fibrous or non-biodegradable down the disposal.  Many of these items can cause major clogs for your disposal.  Also, it is always important to run the water for 15-20 seconds before and after running your garbage disposal.  Another common plumbing problem is leaking taps.  Leaking taps are not only a nuisance but they can actually be quite expensive.  Even a small leak can mean big expense for utility bills.  PRWeb.com discusses what is involved with a leaky faucet repair, “Leaky faucets or fixtures are yet another plumbing issue that occurs over time, due to wear and tear. Leaks most often develop from rubber or plastic seals (seals, washers, O-rings) wearing out. Even a slightly damaged or worn out seal can allow a drip of water to pass through every few seconds.  Regardless of which type of faucet, the process of repairing a dripping faucet is similar for all of them. ”  Also, plumbers will note that they are often called when the water heater has problems or stops working.  One way to extend the life of your water heater and keep it running efficiently is to drain the water heater and remove sediment and dirt build up.  With regular maintenance and proper cleaning, you can avoid many common plumbing issues and keep your home running efficiently.]]>

Some homes have HVAC units and some homes use heat pumps to heat their homes.  If you are unfamiliar with what exactly a heat pump is, Energy.gov offers a brief explanation, ” For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house and during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide equivalent space conditioning at as little as one quarter of the cost of operating conventional heating or cooling appliances.”  A heat pump can actually be a very energy efficient choice for homes that are in moderate climates.  Heat pumps, just like HVAC systems, require routine maintenance in order to continue to operate efficiently and effectively.  You can hire a professional to inspect your heat pump once a year to ensure that everything is in working order.  They will inspect things like ducts, filters, and coils as well as check for duct leakage, verify airflow, check for refrigerant leaks, inspect the electric terminals, lubricate motors and verify correct thermostat operation.  There is some basic maintenance of heat pumps that every home owner can do to ensure that heat pumps are properly and safely functioning.  Heat pumps have filters that need to be changed, usually about once per month.  Your heat pump owner’s manual will offer specific instructions for how often you should change your filters.  By changing heat pump filters, you keep your heat pump running efficiently which will extend the life of your heat pump and maximize energy savings each month.  Regularly check the area around your heat pump to make sure debris, weed and plants have not overgrown or built up near your heat pump as this can reduce airflow to the heat pump and decrease efficiency as well.  Energy.gov also notes that a properly maintained heat pump does make a difference in energy use, “Like all heating and cooling systems, proper maintenance is key to efficient operation. The difference between the energy consumption of a well-maintained heat pump and a severely neglected one ranges from 10% to 25%.”  When you do these things, and hire a professional to inspect the more intricate details of your heat pump, you can maintain efficiency, save money and keep your home nice and warm all winter long.]]>

It is the American dream to own a home and very exciting when you are finally able to. It is one of the biggest investments you will ever make so it is very important to take good care of it. It takes a lot to budget for the monthly expenses of owning a home but what happens when an unexpected repairs arises? What if something major breaks and a repair will cost thousands? It can be very stressful when unexpected expenses arise but with a home warranty that stress can be relieved. There are three reasons why everyone should have a home warranty. The first reason every home owner should have a home warranty is to protect their investment. When you purchase a new home it is a big transition and with any big investment, it takes maintenance. Depending on the age of your home and the age of the existing systems in the home, necessary repairs may arise and they need to be dealt with promptly to ensure no further damage is done to the home and that the new home remains in working order. With a home warranty, when necessary repair arises, you simply need to call your home warranty provider and they will handle the rest. You wont have to worry if the repair is being done by someone trustworthy or trained, a home warranty company hires trained professional repairmen and they will make sure your home is properly repaired and your investment protected. The second reason that a homeowner should have a home warranty is that it will save on out of pocket expenses. With a home warranty you will simply need to pay the service call fee. If your hot water heater breaks in the middle of winter you will not have to spend hundreds of dollars for a hot shower. The home warranty will protect your wallet from any unwanted surprises. The third reason for a home warranty is that it will give the home owner peace of mind. You just never know when something may break or a problem may arise. If you own an old home you may be looking around wondering what the next ticking time bomb may be. With a home warranty you do not have to lose sleep worrying what may break or if something will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair. With a home warranty your investment is protected and your wallet can rest easy. If or when you do choose to sell your home having a home warranty is also a great incentive for potential buyers as they will desire to maintain their homes and have peace of mind. These three reasons help show a home warranty is right for every home owner who takes pride in their home and wants to maintain their investment.]]>

A home warranty is like a garage that covers your entire house and keeps it safe from bad financial weather. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a home, selling a home or if you currently own a home, there are several special benefits for each category when it comes to having a home warranty.

Benefits for Sellers

Your home will be much more desirable to potential buyers if they see that the home is covered by a home warranty plan. You’ll be able to sale your home that much faster if you get a warranty before putting your home on the market. A second benefit for sellers is that they can avoid extensive delays in closing if they get a warranty for their home, minimizing the odds of an equipment or system failure slowing down the closing process. A third benefit for home sellers for getting a warranty for their home is that they’ll save money if the home repair or problem is caused by a workmanship issue that needs to be fixed more than one time. In some cases, your repairs are covered for 180 days.

Benefits for Buyers

One of the immediate benefits of a home warranty if you plan on buying a home is that you’ll save money and you won’t have to make major changes to your budget to save up enough money for expensive home repairs and appliance replacement. With a home warranty, all you’ll have to pay for is the trade service call. Another benefit is the comprehensive coverage, meaning that your warranty covers appliances as well as systems and that there aren’t any square footage restrictions. A third benefit is that you’ll have a technician that has been pre-screened to take care of your repairs and replacements rather than a technician who may or may not know what they are doing and may or may not have the proper training to adequately handle your particular repair.

Benefits for Current Homeowners

With a home warranty, placing a claim is easy, free and can be done online as well. Something else to think about is that with a home warranty you can call for as many system and appliance repairs as you need without worrying about going over a limit. A third benefit for current homeowners who have a home warranty is that they can save a lot of money on popular appliances if they ever decide to remodel their home or upgrade their appliances. If you don’t already have a home warranty, look into getting one whether you’re buying, selling or currently own a home. Your nerves and your bank account will thank you for it.

Home warranty coverage has never been mandatory. This differs from many other types of insurances. In stark contrast is automobile insurance, which is enforced with a fine in most states. Other optional insurances include life insurance, health insurance (for now), and house payment insurance. Whether a family takes advantage of these insurances depends on their current financial circumstances, their sense of responsibility, and their ability to produce a long-range financial plan. On the other hand, home warranty coverage, although optional, tends to be considered essential to many who contract it.

When a responsible person owns a home, they are concerned about two things: utility and aesthetics. In other words, they want things to work and they want the house to look good. The problem is that when there is a problem with a home or one of the major appliances fails, it is often an expensive repair prospect. For a family that is living on a month-to-month budget, this can mean that the appliance is not going to be fixed for at least a month. If the appliance in question is the air conditioner, and it breaks during the summer, the problems with waiting a month are obvious. Besides the discomfort, the family members may become terminally irritable, and health could be affected. Similar scenarios can be constructed for failures involving the water heater, the house heating system, or the washer / dryer system. This is the first bastion provided by the home warranty coverage, that repairs for key appliances are done within a few hours or days. When critical appliances like the water heater cause a flood that cannot wait for a lengthy repair, home warranty coverage can include emergency service, which can bring a qualified repairperson to your premises almost immediately at any time of the day or weekend.

The second thing that concerns a homeowner is the look of his home. It concerns the neighbors as well. Due to financial circumstances, a family may justify putting off repairs that affect the look of the home, but neighbors may not be so understanding. A home in disrepair lowers the values of the homes in the entire neighborhood. If your neighbor is trying to sell his home, it can cost him actual money. It also attacks the sophistication of the neighborhood, the elements that build a healthy pride in the inhabitants. Of course, not everyone cares what the neighbors think. More fools, they. However, they hurt themselves as well when the state of their home begins to destroy their own pride and self-esteem. Letting your apartment or rented home go to pot a little is one thing, but not taking care of your own property can really be damaging to the psyche.

Of course, you cannot buy what you cannot pay for, but this is when home warranty coverage can be so important. Although a family may struggle to keep up with the costs of home repair, especially when they all come at once, the cost of an annual home warranty is only in the range of several hundred dollars. If a family can budget this amount, then they can take care of problems concerning both how the house looks and how the house works. They can keep their beautiful home looking good and they can make sure that their life goes smoothly and efficiently with the benefit of working appliances.

A home warranty in Arizona is not exactly a warranty but a home service contract. It is meant to cover major home repairs and appliance repairs, in order to lower the risk to the homeowners. For an annual fee, the risk management company or home builder who offers the home warranty covers the cost of the repairs. Generally, there is a low deductible for each repair and the associated service call. The deductible is often close to the average cost a service company would charge to drive out to the premises. One of the best benefits of the coverage is that repairs for normal wear and tear are included. To those unfamiliar with service warranties, such as those offered with automobiles, this is a tremendous boon. It prevents surprises that the insured often gets when the provider decides to classify a failure as normal wear and tear and deny coverage. These sorts of issues are hard to resolve and often cause a lot of frustration to the insured. Standard home warranty contracts do not suffer this drawback.

Even though companies that offer a home warranty in Arizona are governed by strict requirements at both the federal and state level, coverage varies widely from company to company. A little bit of research is a good idea before committing to a contract. On the other hand, the home warranty is often exercised more often than the insurance policy for a car. A car policy holder may go many years before having an incident that would call for the insurance company to jump in. At that point, the policy owner finds out whether his or her insurance provider is a good company or not. If it turns out that the company is not on the level, then it is frustrating to have been making payments for years and not being truly covered in the way that the policy owner thought.

A home warranty in Arizona is exercised roughly once a year on the average. The policy owner generally gets to prove the efficacy of his policy at least once during each term. This gives the opportunity to make sure the home warranty is good. It also gives the warranty provider an extra incentive to keep your business.

Many types of insurance policies involve a lot of premiums without a lot of payoff. A home warranty in Arizona is not this way. Over a period of 5 to 10 years, a homeowner can track the premiums against the payouts and find a definite and immediate benefit. Often, the payouts will be almost as much as the total of the premiums. This proves an effective policy.

If a homeowner has done the analysis for a home warranty in Arizona, he may come to the conclusion that he could have accomplished the same thing by putting aside the home warranty payment into a savings account and handle the problems themselves. However, the reality is that most homeowners do not do that. In addition, that strategy would not cover the situation when a lot of problems hit all at once and the savings account is not big enough to handle the expenses. This is the essence of risk management, that the surprises of failed appliances that do not come along at convenient times are handled by a company that is willing to take that risk. The peace of mind that comes with the reduced risk is well worth the expense of a home warranty.

Many risk management companies say that a home warranty in Glendale provides peace of mind.  It does not take a long time for a homeowner to find out that they are right.  A normal household has roughly a dozen appliances.  Most of these are essential to comfortable daily living.  They include the heating and cooling system, the water heater, the garage door opener, the washer and dryer, and the oven.  These all have two things in common.  First, if any one of them goes out it could lead to a serious crimp in your lifestyle to say the least.  You could end up frying or freezing in your home, unable to clean your clothes, or unable to get your car out of the garage past the broken garage door opener.  The second thing they all have in common is they tend to have expensive repairs, usually in the hundreds of dollars.

Some feel that they do not need a home warranty in Glendale if they just set aside a special savings fund for home repairs.  The question is how much to put into the fund.  Do you put in an average?  If you open the fund with a year’s worth of estimated expenses and keeping the fund up to date, then you have a good chance of being all right.  However, if your circumstances do not follow the average and you suddenly have several things go out at once (as Murphy always guarantees that it does), then you may be in a pickle.  You may find yourself having to take some money from unwanted parts of your budget, or even making do without the air conditioner or garage door opener for a while.  And honestly, how many people are able to maintain the discipline needed to maintain a repair fund, especially during this down economy?

This is exactly what the home warranty in Glendale is designed for.  The policy comes into effect as soon as you make the first payment.  This could be an entire year’s worth of policy charges, or several payments over the first few months.  In either case, a house worth hundreds of thousands of dollars can get a home warranty in Glendale for hundreds of dollars.  This is not far off from the average costs of keeping a home and its major appliances repaired and working.  This is where the home warranty truly benefits the homeowner.  No matter how much your appliances break down, you can be covered.  This gives you a bit of immunity against Murphy’s most vexing attacks.

The overall idea is that maintaining a home is a game of risks.  Most homes can be maintained in good working order and good appearance with a reasonable savings account.  However, the chances that several expenses can come at once are the risk of the game.  Particularly when money is tight, some families rely on prayer that something does not fall apart and break the bank.  This situation causes a constant anxiety that can reduce health, interfere with sleep, and interfere with the quality of life.  A home warranty in Glendale provides quite a bit when taken from the perspective of the opportunity to reduce risk, and in turn, anxiety.  For this reason, many homeowners find that peace of mind is a terrific boon at only several hundred dollars per year.

The first is to beware of a company that will sell a home warranty in Tempe, but not honor any claims. A company like this will delay claims until the point when they are in Dutch with too many clients. At that point, they close up shop and reopen under another name. The best way to combat this type of fraud is to research carefully the home warranty company you are considering. Look for warranty provider review sites that have no affiliations with any of the providers. You should be safe with a company that has been in business at least three years, and has received reasonably satisfactory ratings from former clients. To validate the review site, check out one or two others for corroboration. Of course, do not put too much credence into any information that is contained on the provider site itself. A second way to validate your chose of provider for a home warranty in Tempe is to see how the company behaves with your first claim. Of course, you cannot engineer failures, but the sooner you can file a claim the better. A professional home warranty provider will respond the same day, barring weekends. The repair company that the home warranty company hires to do your work should respond to you within a day of the provider contact. If this does not happen, then there is likely a problem. A third safeguard takes a little bit more work but may be of interest. Before you contract your home warranty, run a “D and B” (Dun & Bradstreet) lookup on the business. It will tell you all the basic business facts and give you an idea who you are dealing with. It will also have the legal owner of the home warranty provider. If the company is fraudulent, and dissolves when claims are levied, then bring legal action against the owner, not the company. This is not an easy proposition, but may help hold the responsible parties culpable. A second problem can be that a claim is denied on the grounds that the homeowner was negligent in maintaining the home or appliance in question. At the point this happens, you have already given the provider your money and that puts him in the driver seat. The only power you have lies in the integrity of that company. You must decide if the truly have grounds of claiming negligence. If they do not, and are not entirely patient and professional during the process, then declare the company a loss and move on. Another problem occurs when a company denies a claim against the home warranty in Tempe claiming that there is a pre-existing condition. Again, they must supply the burden of proof. Finally, a provider may insist on continually repairing an appliance that needs to be replaced. This is a very difficult situation. Even a reputable company will appear to do this to a homeowner. Perhaps the best advice is to be prepared that this will happen, not assume that the provider is being duplicitous, and decide from a financial point of view if you want to continue with them knowing their current policies. Being cognizant of these things will help you protect yourself with a provider of a home warranty in Tempe.]]>

When you decide you are going to shop for appliances, you want to search out ones that you know will give you years of quality performance.  Appliances can be utilized twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so they are used even more than your automobile, in some cases.  We regularly maintain and groom our cars, but when it comes to the important mechanical devices that keep our home running smoothly, some would rather try pinching pennies.  No-nonsense people, and those who know that they never want to be inconvenienced by such easily avoided details will prevent the surprises of having an appliance quit working for them.  If you are one of those who know you certainly will not be caught without a home warranty, Chandler appliance stores are going to be able to provide you with what you need. When it comes to a home warranty, Chandler appliance stores are there for you, offering you the best deal for your appliances, and the great options for upkeep of them as well.  They understand that even with high-quality appliances, things still happen that can cause the owner to be frustrated and inconvenienced.  When you are determined to keep your aggravations to a minimum by never being caught without a home warranty, Chandler services provides speedy and qualified aid to continue with life as usual. Besides getting speedy care from a home warranty, Chandler service men and women stay on top of their knowledge of their appliances so that they do not take up any of your time unnecessarily.  They know what they are doing, and they get in and out as quickly as possible, while solving your needs for you.  If you do not have a home warranty, Chandler technicians may take awhile getting to your home.  When you do have a warranty, you are also reserving a spot at the head of the line when you have an emergency.  It is generally part of the agreement that is made with such plans.  You may even be completely avoiding the chance of any large bills that come with emergency calls. Regular maintenance checks done as part of your home warranty agreement will usually find troubles before major breakdowns occur, saving the hassles of things happening at inopportune times.  Cleaning of vital areas are taken care of during checkups, replacements of belts that are beginning to show wear, loose bolts or screws can be detected, and other common problems can be found and fixed so that you are not left hanging one day.  Simple things like having filters changed regularly can reduce the chances for wear and tear on mechanical items, and those things are tended to during the routine maintenance as preventative measures. For people who know how to treat themselves right, and therefore avoid any hassles, a home warranty should definitely be a part of your home care plans.  It is just plain smart, and although many people think they can save their pennies by passing up home warranties, one major breakdown or emergency call can cost well over any money spent on a small monthly fee.  Those who have had maintenance agreements know the freedom enjoyed by warranties, and few would ever do without them again.  Become one of the many who have the luxury of the peace of mind that comes with warranty agreements.  You will see what a smart part of your budget that they are, and you will never want to do without them again.  ]]>

If your dishwasher rack is not rolling easily, it could be that you have a dish in the way, or something has fallen from a rack that is hampering it from moving smoothly.  That is something that you need to be aware of during normal use.  If you see that the wheel has broken off that enables the racks to move easily, get out your home warranty plans and call for maintenance.  If your dishes haven’t been getting cleaned well, make sure you are not blocking the soap door, a vital sprayer, or putting in heavily soiled objects.  If neither is the case, it is time to call for help. You are going to want to do the little things that you are capable of to avoid scheduling inconveniences for yourself.  You can be mindful of the little ways you can detect minor problems.  Even an oven that can seem like it is not cooking evenly, or is not keeping its temperature, may come from a habit that you can change.  Every time you leave an oven door open over 10 or 15 seconds at a time during cooking, it is going to result in a significant temperature drop.  When you close the door to resume baking, the oven is going to kick on and stay on to bring the temperature to where it is set.  If you do that too often while baking, you can cause huge drops and increases in temperature that leads to uneven cooking. If you cook a lot and are constantly feeling like a heat element within your stove is not doing as it should be, whether seeming too hot or not hot enough, you need to utilize one of your home warranty plans and have it checked out by a professional.  Any time an appliance is showing that something is not working correctly and it is an electrical issue, it is time for outside help.  Ovens can sometimes need a temperature adjustment, which can be done free of charge through home warranty plans. If your washer has stopped spinning the clothes appropriately, you may want to make sure that you are not stressing the machine by adding too many clothes.  If you have checked into that and know that it is not the case, you will want to pull out your home warranty plans and set up an appointment for wash machine repair.  Also, if your clothes are not getting dry, make sure you are choosing a proper cycle for the load that you have, and, again, make sure you are not giving it an unrealistic job due to overloading.  If you see that you are using your dryer within the guidelines intended for it, and are still having unsatisfactory results, it is time to set up a service call. Home warranty plans are very handy for the upkeep of your appliances, and using a common sense approach means that normally the recommended checkups are all you will ever need to worry about scheduling.  Heeding small tips will keep you from needing your service person frequently.  Keep all of your manuals in an easy-to-reach folder, in you kitchen area, and take a look at the quick tips to help you know which small things can be resolved on the spot.  It is a practice that behooves you, because you won’t have to wait for a service person every time a very minor situation occurs.  Id you cannot get it resolved by a quick tip in your manual, by all means; call scheduling at your earliest convenience.]]>