How to check HVAC equipment warranty status

Published 6 October 2026. Updated 6 October 2026.

"Is it still under warranty?" sounds like a yes or no question. It is really four questions, and a wrong answer to any one of them means a claim that gets returned or never gets filed. This guide shows how to answer them from the job record, and what to do when the record is incomplete.

Once you know the answer, the filing guide covers what to submit, and the mistakes checklist covers the habits that keep claims from lapsing.

Which four questions decide warranty status?

1. When was the equipment installed?

The install date starts the clock for most residential warranties. Where does it come from? In order of reliability: the original install invoice, your own job history if you did the install, the registration confirmation, the homeowner's paperwork. The manufacture date on the rating plate is a fallback, and it is not the same thing, because equipment can sit in a warehouse for months before it goes in.

If you only have a manufacture date, treat the status as needing a check. The coverage end date is a hard number, and a unit that sat in a warehouse can be months older on paper than on site.

2. Was it registered, and when?

Many manufacturers offer a longer parts term when the equipment is registered within a stated number of days after installation, commonly in the range of 60 to 90 days, and a shorter one when it is not. The exact period and the exact terms differ by brand and by year of manufacture, so read the terms that applied to that unit. Some brands also state that registration is not required for the longer term in certain states or provinces, so check where the unit is installed.

What you need from the record:

• Registered or not
• The registration date, if registered
• The number of days between installation and registration

A unit registered on day 41 can be inside a 60-day window, while one registered on day 104 may not be. With some brands, that one difference is the gap between a ten-year parts term and a five-year one. If registration status is blank, do not guess. Mark it unknown and ask the homeowner or look up the serial with the manufacturer.

3. Which part failed, and is it covered?

Warranty terms are written per component. Heat exchangers, and on some lines compressors, often carry longer terms than other parts such as controls and motors, and consumables such as filters and belts are commonly excluded. Read the list for the brand and the year.

4. Parts or labor?

Parts and labor are separate questions. Many base warranties cover parts only, and labor is covered only for a short first period or not at all unless an extended labor plan was bought. Labor may also be limited to a set number of hours per repair. Ask the labor question separately every time.

How to work out the dates

Use a simple table for each claim.

The example uses invented numbers and an invented rule. Replace them with the real terms for your brand.

Watch for the edge cases:

• Leap years. A date of 29 February plus whole years needs a rule for years without that date. Take the earlier day to be safe.
• The failure date versus the repair date. Coverage turns on when the part failed, while a filing window such as Ferguson's runs from the repair date. When the two dates differ, read the terms to see which date each rule uses.
• Replacement parts and the unit may have separate clocks.

What to do when the record is incomplete

Missing information is normal. Decide in advance what each gap means.

1. No serial number. Cannot be checked. Go back to the site if you can, or to the customer's paperwork.
2. No install date. Treat as needs a check. Find the original invoice.
3. Unknown registration. Treat as needs a check, and ask the manufacturer to look up the serial.
4. Brand not in your terms list. Do not assume another brand's terms. Get the terms in writing.
5. Equipment type does not match the form. Water heaters and HVAC units may use different routes. Confirm the route first.

Never fill a gap with the most favorable assumption. A claim built on a guessed install date is the one that gets denied, and it can damage the working relationship with your rep.

Keep a terms sheet

One sheet per brand: part categories, parts term with and without registration, labor term, labor hour allowance, the registration window, the filing route and its days, and the date you last confirmed each item. When a manufacturer updates its terms, only the sheet needs to change.

How WrenchClaim does this step

WrenchClaim does the date arithmetic from a terms table. Upload your job export (CSV, Excel, Word, PDF or a photo), technician notes and a rating-plate photo per job. Code compares the install date with the parts term, applying the registered or unregistered term where registration is recorded, and compares the repair date with the filing window. Each job gets one status: eligible with days left, lost, not eligible, unsupported brand or needs check. Where something cannot be settled, such as a missing install date or an unknown registration, the job is marked needs check with the reason written out. It does not check a part against a per-component list, and it does not work out labor.

The built-in terms for Carrier, Trane, Rheem and Goodman/Daikin are marked unverified until confirmed, Lennox is flagged as needs check, and you can upload your own terms table, which outputs then describe as supplied by you. Claude reads your notes and photos for fields the export left blank, and code keeps a notes value only when it finds the quoted text in the notes. A second AI model reviews every result. You decide what to file, and you file it yourself, because WrenchClaim does not log into any portal. One uploaded job costs 12 credits and there is no subscription. Sign up to check your recent jobs.

Questions

Does the warranty start on the install date or the manufacture date?

Most residential equipment warranties run from the install date. When the install date cannot be shown, some brands start the clock from a date tied to manufacture instead. Check the terms for your brand.

What if the homeowner never registered the equipment?

Many manufacturers give a shorter parts term for unregistered equipment, and some allow late registration only in limited cases. Read the brand's terms and ask your rep before assuming either way.

Does a replacement part carry its own warranty?

It depends. A part supplied under warranty often carries only the rest of the original term or a short minimum period, while a part bought separately may have its own term. Check both when the same part fails twice.

Can the warranty transfer if the house is sold?

Sometimes. Some brands allow a transfer only within a set period after the sale or for a fee, and some do not allow it. Terms differ by manufacturer, so check the paperwork for that brand.