EPA Change Could Cost You Extra $ in Repairs!

In January of this year, a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate changed the way your home's  air conditioners are serviced and repaired.  At that time, HVAC equipment that used Freon®  (a.k.a R22 and HCFC-22) was banned.  All HVAC servicers are now required to use a product called Puron®, or R-410A as the standard refrigerant .

This change will lead to increased repair costs for consumers in a number of ways:

•·         R-22 parts may no longer be available

•·         R410A parts are not always interchangeable with R22 parts, so replacement of the entire system might be necessary.

•·         The supply of R22 refrigerant will be limited, causing the price to increase

•·         If replacement of the system is necessary, the new system may not fit where the old system was placed, necessitating  other construction costs on top of system replacement costs

•·         Manufacturer's warranties may not provide full coverage.  (Read your warranty)

•·         System and appliance warranties/service contracts typically exclude coverage resulting from government mandated changes.  (Read your service contract.)

If you do not currently have an existing Home Warranty on your property, you may want to consider purchasing one and placing it on your property at this time, BEFORE YOUR SYSTEM BREAKS!  With most policies, there is a 30 day waiting period.  These warranties DO NOT cover pre-existing conditions, so my suggestion is to have a licensed HVAC contractor inspect your system and give you a clean bill of health at the time you take out the warranty.  Then, later, if you have a claim and there is a question of a pre-existing problem, you will have documentation to support your claim.  The costs of these warranties are around $400* for a one year period. (*will vary for homes over 5000 sq. ft. and with more than two HVAC units)  I always recommend Home Warranties to my home buyer clients, however, due to this EPA change, I am contacting all my past clients, family and friends to see if they want to take advantage of this coverage.  (Some companies will also offer coverage for owners of multiple investment properties) If you think you may be interested, just drop me an email or call and I will get the information to you.  Pannell@insightbb.com, or call 859-967-9929