Are you prepared for air conditioner breakdowns this summer? Get ready with maintenance and claims tips from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10).
Start With Maintenance
The best way to deal with breakdowns is to avoid them in the first place. With some easy maintenance, you can decrease the chances of your air conditioner breaking down this summer.
- Change your furnace filter regularly, especially if you have pets or live in areas with wildfires.
- Clear your air conditioner of any debris, such as lawn clippings, yard waste, and animal nests. (If you see an animal nest or are uncomfortable doing any clearing yourself, consider calling a professional to remove it.)
- Check for any visible leaks around the unit’s hoses.
These simple tasks can go a long way toward keeping your air conditioner running well throughout the summer.
However, if your air conditioner breaks down and you have a 2-10 Home Service Plan, you’re in good shape. Here are some important things to do when your air conditioner breaks down.
File Your Claim Online
A fast and effective way to address an A/C breakdown in the summer is to file your claim online using your 2-10 Homeowner Portal account.
Using your 2-10 Homeowner Portal account gives you the power to have a local, independent Service Contractor diagnose your breakdown for the mere cost of a Service Fee.
The 2-10 Contractor Network lets you leverage our buying power and relationships with local, independent contractors, which can save you a big chunk of money when your A/C breaks down.
Summer is the busy season for A/C breakdowns. While 2-10 makes every effort to address claims calls timely, the Action Center in Homeowner Portal is an effective way to not only file your claim but also see the status of your claims and more.
Using Your Own Contractor
2-10’s Contractor Network can provide exceptional value by putting you in touch with local, independent contractors that can help you address all sorts of breakdowns. This also helps you save the most money possible with your 2-10 Home Service Plan due to our relationships within the 2-10 Contractor Network.
But if you need to use your own contractor, 2-10 helps you do that too. Here are some things to consider when using your own contractor.
You might pay more
Using your own contractor may cost more for you out of pocket.
When you use a contractor in the 2-10 Contractor Network, you can take advantage of the rates we’ve negotiated with parts suppliers. However, an out-of-network contractor will likely charge retail rates, which are typically higher.
If you choose your own contractor when 2-10 has independent Service Contractors in your area, 2-10 will only cover what we would have paid an in-network contractor. You would be responsible for any remaining costs.
You must follow 2-10’s instructions
When you choose to use your own out-of-network contractor, 2-10 will send you a list of instructions that you must follow.
View the full list of instructions here.
The important thing to note when choosing your own contractor is that you need to get express authorization from 2-10 first if you’d like 2-10 to cover a portion of the work. You can’t have them do the work and then request authorization after the fact.
2-10 Is Ready for Your Summertime Needs
If your A/C breaks down this summer, 2-10 will be ready to help. We strongly encourage you to use your Homeowner Portal account to file claims and take advantage of our exceptional network of independent Service Contractors. This can help you get the most efficient solution at the lowest cost.
But if you need to use an out-of-network contractor, 2-10 is ready to help you there, too. Just make sure you understand what you need to do to use an out-of-network contractor through 2-10 so you can do so most effectively.
