Knowing the age of your furnace and water heater is crucial for insurance purposes. Insurance companies often consider the age of these appliances when determining coverage and premiums. Accurately identifying the age of these home components is essential for ensuring adequate insurance coverage.
How to Identify How Old Your Furnace Is
To determine the age of your furnace, start by checking the manufacturer's label, usually located on the unit itself inside one of the panels. Once you have the panel open, it will usually be on the top left, top right, on the very bottom in the middle, or on the backside of the door. The manufacturer's label typically includes the installation date, allowing you to ascertain the age of the furnace. If you only have a serial number on your furnace, the Building Intelligence Centre has excellent resources for decoding the serial number of your furnace based on the manufacturer.
How to Identify How Old Your Water Heater Is
Identifying the age of your water heater begins with checking the manufacturer's label on the unit. This should contain the information from the installation date. If you are unable to read the installation date on the label, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors has an excellent resource on how to decode the serial number of a water heater to determine its age.
Importance for Insurance Purposes
Insurance companies consider the age of the furnace and water heater when assessing insurance risks. Older appliances may be more susceptible to malfunctions or failures, increasing the likelihood of insurance claims. Old water heaters are more likely to leak and subsequently flood the surrounding area. Old furnaces can be a risk of a fire hazard, leaks that could lead to explosions, or potentially carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. As a result, insurance premiums may be higher for homes with older furnaces and water heaters, or coverage options may be limited.
Providing accurate information about the age of these appliances to insurance companies ensures that your coverage adequately addresses potential risks and liabilities associated with aging appliances. A friendly reminder that lying to the insurance company to get lower premiums can lead to denied claims, cancellation for misrepresentation, fraud charges, and other legal consequences.
Conclusion
Understanding the age of your furnace and water heater is essential for insurance purposes. By accurately identifying the installation dates of these appliances, homeowners can ensure they have adequate insurance coverage that addresses the risks associated with older appliances. Take proactive steps to locate manufacturer labels or review documentation to gather information about the age of your furnace and water heater.
If you're looking for help with a home insurance quote, talk to the experts at Armour Insurance today. We're here to help.
