Are ac units covered by homeowners insurance

Wondering whether your AC unit is covered under your current insurance plan? Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in most policies.

Reaching out to an insurance company to inquire about homeowner’s insurance is a must for anyone who owns their house. In fact, homeowner’s insurance is one of the most popular types of insurance policies, as it covers a wide range of events and damages that may occur within your property.

In this article, we’ll be looking at what exactly is covered by homeowner’s insurance, whether this type of policy covers AC repairs, as well as what isn’t covered — read on to find out more!

1. Which types of appliances are covered by insurance?

A standard homeowner’s insurance policy covers a wide range of damages and appliances.
It may cover everything from built-in heating, air conditioning (HVAC), and ventilation systems to ductless and window AC units.

If any of these appliances are stolen from your property or damaged by a fire, then you would be covered and save yourself from needing to pay for any repairs or replacements out of your own pocket.

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2. When does homeowner’s insurance cover air conditioning units?

Home insurance covers damage to appliances (including window units, air conditioner units, and HVAC systems) when the damage is a result of a peril or disaster that’s included in your policy.

Homeowner’s insurance may include, but is not limited to, covering damage that has resulted from:

• High winds, hail, and fallen trees
  • If your air conditioning unit is destroyed by a fallen tree or branch, you are protected. Home insurance policies typically cover damage caused by trees. Similarly, damage caused by weather conditions, such as high winds or hail, would also be included in your insurance policy.
• Lightning strikes and fire
  • If a fire destroyed your AC unit, your homeowner’s insurance policy would cover AC repair or replacement. Your home insurance policy would also pay for replacement if lightning were to strike your AC unit and damage the electrical components.
• Vandalism and theft
  • In the case that your AC unit was stolen or vandalized, some home insurance policies will cover this as well.

In instances of damage due to a disaster or peril, when you file a claim to your insurance company they will cover the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged or stolen appliances.

3. When do insurance companies not cover air conditioning units?

While home insurance policies include a wide range of perils and disasters, there are some that are unfortunately not covered.

Related: The Ins and Outs of Homeowners Insurance

Homeowner’s insurance companies won’t cover AC malfunctions caused by general wear and tear, lack of maintenance, maintenance issues, and/or accidents.

For example, an air conditioning unit that fails or ceases to function after fifteen years of use will not be covered by your home insurance. In that case, you would be solely responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing your AC unit.

Moreover, home insurance policies do not cover water damage of AC units. While AC units themselves are not very susceptible to water damage, they do produce water as part of their normal operation. For that reason, it is extremely important to regularly check your air conditioning unit and ensure that it is draining properly.

If a maintenance issue were to occur and water from your AC unit were to leak into your home and cause flooding, you would not be covered by your home insurance policy. This would be considered a maintenance issue.

Related: How much does house insurance cost

4. Is there a difference between central AC and window AC units?

Some home insurance policies will make a distinction between central AC and window AC units. The two main differences are:

• Central AC units: Insurance policies typically consider central AC units to be part of the structure of your home, and thus they are included under the dwelling section of your home insurance policy with all-risks coverage.
• Window AC units: Window AC units are different in that they are typically covered under personal property coverage, rather than as a part of the structure of the home. This is because window AC units are typically removable, and thus hold certain other risks, such as fall damage.

Like most insurance policies, your homeowner’s insurance policy could be unique to your property or province. Reach out to our advisors at APOLLO Insurance today to get custom insurance that’s suited to your specific needs.

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Originally published May 29, 2022, updated July 15, 2022