Q:
I bought my first house a little over two months ago. During the home inspection the heat pump was old but operational, and we had the seller purchase a home warranty. Our heat pump ran for half a month as an air conditioner and worked for about a month and a half as a heater but just recently conked out. We had the home warranty people send out a repairman and he said the unit is completely dead, and that the home warranty company might try to say that it was a preexisting condition. What should I do,? We just covered a down payment and do not have the cash to pay for a whole new heating unit.
Unless the home warranty excludes heat pumps over a certain age, the fact that yours was old is not relevant. If the home inspection report indicated it was functional at the time of inspection, they have to cover it. I'd file the claim for a new heat pump and if the home warranty company refuses, don't take no for an answer and use your inspection report as leverage.
Answer by: Tom Kraeutler