HVAC units are vital for maintaining comfort and functionality in your home. When these systems fail, especially during extreme temperatures, you might face high repair and replacement costs. An air conditioner replacement typically costs $2,500–$7,000, which can be a significant expense.
Trane’s manufacturer’s warranty covers repairs you may experience, such as manufacturing defects, during the company’s coverage term. However, you’ll be responsible for any future repairs once the warranty expires. This review explores the company’s warranty terms, customer reviews, and top home warranty alternatives.
Pros and Cons of Trane Warranty
Pros
- Covers a wide range of Trane systems, from cooling to heating
- Trane Comfort Specialists have extensive experience in attending to Trane product repairs
Cons
- Coverage is limited to HVAC products, while home warranty providers offer comprehensive
- Trance covers only faulty parts due to manufacturing defects and doesn’t cover labor costs
Trane Warranty Plans and Coverage
Trane covers its heating and cooling products with three types of warranties: Base Limited Warranty, Registered Limited Warranty, and Optional Extended Warranty. The warranty terms differ based on the product. Coverage details are available on the HVAC company’s website and on the warranty document shipped with your equipment.
Base Limited Warranty
All of Trane’s residential heating and cooling systems come pre-equipped with a Base Limited Warranty. This warranty provides coverage for parts that stop working due to manufacturing defects, but it doesn’t cover labor costs.
If an item breaks down under the Base Limited Warranty Trane will provide the licensed HVAC service technician a replacement part for free, but you’ll be responsible for any additional fees such as shipping, handling, and installation costs. The length of this warranty generally ranges from one to 20 years, depending on the product.
Registered Limited Warranty
When you register your new Trane product within 60 days of installation, your Base Limited Warranty will automatically become a Registered Limited Warranty. This type of warranty offers longer terms for covered parts and provides warranty protection for specific components that malfunction due to manufacturing defects.
If your Trane product isn’t registered within 60 days, the product will stay covered under the original Base Limited Warranty plan. Note: labor costs are also not covered under this warranty.
Optional Extended Warranty
Trane’s Optional Extended Warranty provides additional coverage on parts and includes labor costs. It also offers valuable services such as system servicing, emergency assistance, and routine maintenance. You can purchase this option in five-, 10-, or 12-year increments.
Trane Coverage Details
While Trane exclusively protects heating and cooling products, not all parts are eligible for coverage. The Trane warranty manual provides a detailed breakdown of this information. Here’s a general overview of what is and isn’t included in Trane’s limited HVAC warranties.
- Air Conditioners: A Trane Home Warranty covers the following parts of an air conditioner: air handlers, compressor, outdoor coil, and internal functional parts. The Registered Limited Warranty gives 10-year coverage for outdoor coil and internal functional parts, while the Base Limited Warranty covers these items for only five years.
- Furnace: When it comes to furnaces, Trane Home Warranty includes coverage for the heat exchanger and internal functional parts.
- Coils: Trane provides coverage for internal functioning parts of a coil. Under the Registered Limited Warranty period, coverage for coils is available for 10 years. With the Base Limited Warranty, the coverage period for coils will range between three to five years, depending on the model.
- Refrigerant: A Trane warranty will only cover expenses associated with replacing product parts that are R-410 compatible. R-22 refrigerant is no longer covered under Trane’s limited warranty.
Additionally, there are some standard limits to what a Trane Home Warranty won’t cover under a limited warranty:
- Labor costs, including fees for diagnosis, repair, installation, or disposal of products
- Shipping costs for replacement products
- Damage resulting from a defective third-party product used in conjunction with a Trane product
- Damage resulting from disasters such as fire, flooding, lightning, storms, or earthquakes
How To Register a Trane Product
Registering a Trane product online takes 10 to 15 minutes. You will need your contact information and property information, along with the serial number, model number, and installation date of the product. During product registration, you will be given the option to purchase a Registered Limited Warranty transfer option.
When requesting a repair service, the covered item must be present in the same location where it was originally installed. The specific product must also be properly installed and maintained by a licensed HVAC technician, and the defective part that was replaced must be returned to the service provider, who will then return it to Trane.
How Much Does a Trane Warranty Cost?
When you purchase your new Trane product, it comes with a Base Limited Warranty already included at no additional cost. Registering your product in Trane’s database within 60 days of installation will upgrade your coverage to a Registered Limited Warranty for free. If you don’t register your product, it will continue to receive coverage under the Base Limited Warranty.
Purchasing the Warranty Transfer option within the initial 60-day registration period costs $59. If you want to buy the transfer option after 60 days and during the time of home sale, it will cost $99. If you plan to sell your home in the upcoming months or year, consider getting the Warranty Transfer feature when you register to avoid paying an extra $40.
Note: To maintain the remaining balance of the existing limited warranty, the limited warranty must be transferred within 90 days of a home sale.
Although Trane Limited Warranty plans don’t cost anything outright, you will be paying labor expenses, shipping, and haul-away fees out-of-pocket. You may also be required to pay a service fee to your HVAC technician to cover the diagnosis.
Trane Home Warranty pays for labor expenses under its Extended Warranty Plan. Trane doesn’t have a flat rate for its extended coverage, since the price may vary based on the Trane Comfort Specialist you choose to purchase your warranty from.
How To Make a Claim with Trane Home Warranty
To schedule service, you’ll be required to input your name and contact information and select up to three preferred appointment times online. Once you schedule the appointment, a Trane Comfort Specialist will contact you to discuss your needs.
Trane Comfort Specialists perform HVAC installations and repair broken air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, and other air quality systems. Your Trane Comfort Specialist can also perform seasonal maintenance, emergency repair services, and ductless heating and cooling repair, and provide energy efficiency advice.
Trane Home Warranty Reviews
Trane is not a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited company and holds a B rating with the organization. We read through several customer reviews about Trane’s warranty performance and noted that some customers had trouble with repair coverage even after registering their products.
Here’s a sampling of Trane reviews below:
“Have a 6-year-old system and just had to put the 3rd compressor in [the] unit. Tried to contact customer service and haven’t heard back after 7 days. Terrible customer service and junky product. Compressor is internal equipment that can’t be serviced but I’ve had to pay over $2,000 for labor and Freon on an $8,800 unit. [The] Trane dealer said last time ‘Trane now makes a cheap quality product’. Doesn’t help me now.” — Chad M., via BBB
“I used their website to have them dispatch someone due to my heater going out of service and they recommended a company that never emailed or called me. They also had an emergency number that you click on their website that directs you to their website, which to no avail you couldn’t even speak to a real person. So as a review they should get no stars, but I will definitely tell my friends not to use them and to look at their reviews on BBB, which are poor.” — Luis V., via BBB
Is a Home Warranty Worth It?
A home warranty plan can be worth it depending on several factors, such as the age of your home and its systems and appliances, your location, and your budget. Before signing up for a home warranty, evaluate these aspects to determine whether a plan fits your coverage needs.
If you have a newer home, a manufacturer’s warranty likely still covers your appliances and systems. You can shop around to find a provider that overlaps with the manufacturer’s warranty or provides additional coverage.
Who Is a Home Warranty Best For?
While Trane’s manufacturer’s warranty can provide base-level protection to your new HVAC system, it doesn’t cover breakdowns caused by normal wear and tear. A home warranty can fill this coverage gap.
Home warranties are best for anyone looking for protection against repair costs if their appliances break down, especially those who live in older homes or don’t have savings to cover unexpected expenses. Here are some people who might benefit from a home warranty:
- Condo owners: Many home warranty companies cover condominiums, so you can rest assured that your kitchen appliances, in-unit washer and dryer, and HVAC system have the necessary protection. Note that if you pay HOA dues, HOA insurance covers piping, lighting, and electrical work for common areas.
- Older homeowners: If you plan to stay in your home through retirement but don’t budget for repairs, home warranties can cover repairs from age-related wear and tear on your appliances and systems.
- Rental property owners: If you own several rental properties and can’t maintain repairs yourself, home warranty plans cover repair costs.
Our Final Review of Trane Warranty
There’s no question that Trane is one of the most recognized HVAC product manufacturers in the world, but its warranty plans are not very comprehensive for most homeowners. Trane warranty plans cover only HVAC systems, which, while critical, are only one of the many major systems and appliances prone to unexpected breakdowns.
The two Trane base plans don’t even cover labor costs, which often make up a significant chunk of the total repair cost, and Trane only covers faulty parts due to manufacturer defects. The limited warranty plans also don’t cover the replacement cost of units that would break from just regular wear and tear.
If you own a Trane heating or cooling product, we recommend registering them to take advantage of the free Registered Limited Warranty.
FAQs About Home Warranty Coverage
How much does a home warranty cost?
A home warranty plan costs an average of $56 monthly or $649 yearly. Your plan premium will vary depending on which provider you choose, your home’s location, and your selected plan.
What does a home warranty not cover?
Home warranties typically don’t cover routine maintenance, appliance removal and disposal fees, or commercial property. We recommend reading your provider’s sample contract to determine what it covers or doesn’t cover in your policy.
Do home warranty companies cover furnaces?
Yes, many home warranty providers offer furnace coverage in their base plans. However, it is important to note that each provider offers different coverage limits for furnace systems. You should check your provider’s service contract for the extent of coverage.
Do home warranties cover other types of home items?
Yes, home warranties cover a wide range of home items other than common systems and appliances. For example, home warranties cover pools and spas, septic systems, sump pumps, standalone freezers, well pumps, and more. Generally, providers cover these items as add-ons. Check your provider’s residential service contract to see what add-on options are available.
Our Rating Methodology
We use a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each home warranty company we review. We conduct research by speaking with company representatives, requesting quotes, analyzing sample contracts, and running focus groups and homeowner surveys.
We use this information to score each provider in six comparison categories that we think are most important when choosing a home warranty. We rate each provider across 23 factors within those categories. Each factor is assigned a point value based on its importance to a homeowner, totaling 100 points. We convert the final scores to a 5-star rating.
Here’s a breakdown of our weighted factors:
- Coverage (35%): This category looks at how comprehensive each provider’s coverage is, including whether it covers unique items. Companies that cover the most items and have higher annual limits received the highest scores. We docked points from providers that impose long waiting periods or have depreciation policies that decrease your payouts for aging items.
- Cost (20%): We looked at average monthly prices and service call fees. We gave the most points to companies offering pricing at or below the industry average that don’t impose any surcharges or extra fees.
- Trustworthiness (15%): To gauge reputation and reliability, we reviewed customer ratings across sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot, as well as companies’ responses to complaints. We also checked for National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA) membership. Providers with the highest ratings and longest workmanship guarantees received higher scores. We deducted points for any ongoing legal issues.
- Plan transparency (10%): We read terms, policies, and disclosures in provided contracts and on each company’s website. Providers with transparent contract details and policies received more points.
- Customer support (10%): Companies with multiple claims filing options, fast response times, and accessible customer support scored well in this category.
- Flexibility (10%): We awarded more points to providers offering more plan options, larger add-on catalogs, the ability to choose your own technician, and customer-friendly cancellation policies.
