Need help with Homeowner insurance

[bethlinn]

Hi all. Recently purchased a home and we purchased that new homebuyer insurance that included coverage for the A/C unit. Lo and behold, the compressor went out, and they're working on covering that. Here's the part I'm having an issue with:

The evaporator coil is not compatible with any compressor they can put on it. The compressor is 4 tons, and the evaporator coil is 5 tons (the discrepency was intentional at the time, that size would make the A/C work more efficiently). They can't just drop in a 5 ton compressor either because the furnace is 4 tons, causing a severe mismatch. The repairman mentioned they are likely going to push hard to not cover the evaporator coil. What are my options? I paid for the service, and I definitely feel if part of the system goes out and they should replace any parts in order to make the system operational again.




Edit:

Adding this info in. I'm in California, and here is the sample warranty coverage we purchased. Comments are correct, I meant home warranty, not insurance.

https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/...6_1PDFs/Brochures/CA_6_1_CRES_13_Brochure.pdf

 

[danrisk]

@bethlinn

coverage for the A/C unit

What was this coverage?

I also am not familiar at all with A/C stuff, so how much would this repair cost? If it is below your deductible, or even a little over, it isn't worth it to put in a claim to your insurance.

 

[penimary]

@danrisk pretty sure OP said Insurance but meant Home Warranty

 

[bethlinn]

@penimary You are correct. added an edit to clarify.

 

[danrisk]

@penimary That is what I assumed as well.

 

[bethlinn]

@danrisk Added in some information including the sample brochure they have online

 

[onangelwings]

@danrisk Equipment breakdown coverage. Mostly useless in my opinion.

 

[thebiblesays]

@onangelwings Incredibly useful, actually.

 

[bethlinn]

@onangelwings You're not wrong, however, they are likely replacing my compressor unit outside, which from the info the repairman told me is going to cost about $3-4k. I believe we only paid 800 for the warranty? so even with just the compressor replacement, it's paid for itself in repairs.

 

[onangelwings]

@bethlinn Equipment breakdown is a type of coverage on your homeowner's policy. Warranty is warranty. I was talking about the former.

 

[bethlinn]

@onangelwings ah. got it

 

[myfifthdecade]

@bethlinn So larger evaporator coils are put on equipment all the time (I have a 5 ton coil on a 3.5 ton outdoor unit). This is actually how they get higher SEER ratings (more surface area). The Key to this coil mismatch working properly is putting in the right metering device for the size of the coil and outdoor unit and only a competent HVAC contractor can do that. It could cost you a good amount to retrofit the coil though (ex. change the fixed metering piston to a TXV/TEV). These are usually not part of the covered repair.

Compressors shouldn't fail out of the blue (most are murdered over time). Something caused the compressor to fail (just a few common causes: bad outdoor start/run capacitor, bad outdoor fan motor, bad metering device, improper refrigerant charge just to name a few). Without going into the science of things too much, a compressor suction line needs to be around 48-55 degrees in cooling mode because it actually provides cooling to the mechanical components inside the sealed compressor. Too much refrigerant could cause liquid refrigerant to destroy the mechanical compressor (compressors cannot compress a liquid), or too little refrigerant will cause the unit to burn up, eventually leading to motor windings failing and grounding out. More info on compressor failures: https://hvacrschool.com/podcasts/prevent-compressor-failure-part-1-2-w-emerson-podcast/

From the insurance part, I cant comment as much on, but if it's anything like a home warranty, they are only going to cover the failed part, not the other system modifications that may be needed to get it to work properly again. Home warranty contractors are not great in my experience and do the least amount of work possible to get paid (the warranty company will pay for the least expensive band-aid repair to close the claim).

 

[bethlinn]

@myfifthdecade fun. the warranty seems like they're going to cover the cost of the compressor since there are no replacement parts, but the tech came out and checked and mentioned a slew of items he's trying to get covered. In particular, he said this specific evaporator does not have a TXV valve, and he contacted the manufacturer and they advised they do not make one. Just trying to get as much information as possible to make my case to the home warranty. Kind frustrating that a major part of the A/C went out, and multiple components need replacement.