2 • EAST OREGONIAN/HERMISTON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
HOME IMPROVEMENT & CAR CARE
TO BUY OR
NOT
TO
BUY?
Home warranty
service contracts
By TAMMY MALGESINI
Community Editor
T
he cost to replace or
repair an appliance
that breaks down or
heating, ventilation, air
conditioning systems
that malfunction can sometimes
take a hit on a homeowner’s
pocketbook hard.
Several Eastern Oregon resi-
dents shared about the benefi ts of
home warranty service contracts.
Sold by a variety of companies,
they pay for repairs or replace-
ment costs on covered appliances
and systems. In addition to the an-
nual contract cost, companies of-
ten have a set fee that consumers
pay for service calls.
Up until a couple of years ago,
Melisa Webb, branch manager of
Home Town Mortgage Group,
didn’t have much knowledge
about home warranties. However,
when her daughter Sierra Webb
recently bought her fi rst home, the
sales agreement included a one-
year warranty policy, which was
provided by the seller.
Differing from homeowners
insurance, Melisa Webb said the
warranty covers such things as
hot water heaters, appliances or
HVAC systems.
“Your homeowners policy
takes care of things like theft, wa-
ter damage, fi re or stuff like that,”
she said.
Nicole Filarski, manager at
Garrison’s Home Appliance Cen-
ter in Hermiston, encourages peo-
ple to have some sort of safety net
when purchasing major applianc-
es. Whether buying an extended
warranty for each item or getting
a home warranty, Filarski said a
product’s one-year manufactur-
er’s warranty may not be enough
considering the investment in the
purchase.
“I defi nitely think the home-
owners warranties are amazing,”
she said. “It really sucks if your
air conditioner goes out and it’s
$5,000.”
Based on her experience, Webb
agrees. Without the agreement,
she would have faced a hefty bill
to replace her air conditioner when
it went on the blink.
“I paid $75,” she said about the
service fee. “It would have cost
$6,000 and they paid for it.”
Her warranty has also covered
a new gas hot water heater and re-
pairs for a busted water pipe.
Purchasing warranty contracts
for nearly two decades, Cathy
Cross Hickman said it pro-
vides peace of mind. Viewing
it as a sort of insurance policy,
the Hermiston woman said the
$55.99 she pays each month for
the contract is well worth it.
“If things around the house
fall apart, it’s nice to only have
to dig out $75 to fi x it,” Hick-
man said.
A September 2014 article in
Consumer Reports suggests peo-
ple should forgo purchasing home
warranties. Among the complaints
cited by consumers in dealing
with the companies were denials
to pay on claims based on pre-ex-
isting conditions or lacking prop-
er maintenance records. And, in
some cases the company allegedly
offered buyouts, which wouldn’t
cover the cost of replacement.
Webb is a fi rm believer in home
warranties. When the initial con-
tract expired, she opted to renew,
paying a little more than $500.
“I had only one hiccup with my
air conditioner,” she said. “They
wanted to buy a part and put a
Band-Aid on it.”
Over the years, Hickman has
had many items replaced or re-
paired. Replacement appliances,
she said, haven’t always been the
same brand. And, a $5,200 Ther-
madore stove wasn’t covered.
“It hasn’t been a perfect re-
lationship,” Hickman said. “But
they cover just about everything
inside your house.”
When considering the purchase
of a home warranty, people are en-
couraged to do their homework.
Not all plans are the same. Some
require home inspections, don’t
cover claims in the fi rst month,
don’t provide coverage for older
homes, require proof of routine
maintenance, deny pre-exisiting
conditions and have claim lim-
its. In addition, the Better Busi-
ness Bureau provides information
about customer reviews and the
company’s track record in resolv-
ing consumer complaints.
The sale price for stove-
STAFF PHOTOS BY TAM
top replacement car tridge
MY MALGESINI
s were nearly $200 recen
Appliance Center in Herm
tly at Garrison’s Home
iston.
Terry Henry,
a service
technician at
Garrison’s
Home
Appliance
Center in
Hermiston,
passes behind
the end of a
row of kitchen
ranges that
cost upwards
of $1,200.
A pair of basic stand-up
freezers cost around
$800, while a pair of
stainless steel French
door refrigerators
were nearly $2,000
at Garrison’s Home
Appliance Center in
Hermiston.
Home heating tips to save money and energy
StatePoint
Will your house be warm
enough this winter? With
shifts in climate making win-
ter weather harder to predict,
it’s important to prepare your
home for extreme winter tem-
peratures as soon as possible.
Here are a few key ways to
make your home comfortable
and energy effi cient.
Supplemental Heating
Consider reducing en-
ergy bills substantially
by supplementing whole
house heat in the zones of
your house used most. For
example, why heat the un-
occupied foyer to the same
degree as the living room
where your family spends
their time? Focusing your
energy use where it is most
needed will allow you to
lower the thermostat for the
central furnace.
Known as “zone heat-
ing,” this practice saves dol-
lars and energy.
Wood Stove
A wood stove is a great
choice for a supplemental
heating product that focus-
es on specifi c rooms of the
home. Not only does a wood
stove create a cozy atmo-
sphere, but new models are
redefi ning this classic tech-
nology to be greener, safer
and easier to operate.
For example, the Quadra-
Fire Adventure II, an
EPA-certifi ed appliance, fea-
tures Smart Burn Technolo-
gy, which delivers control-
lable, effi cient heat. It’s the
only stove equipped with a
programmable wall thermo-
stat that maintains the tem-
perature of your room, help-
ing reduce heating bills up to
50 percent. It also alerts you
when it’s time to add more
wood, taking guesswork out
of the equation.
Another option that can
help you reduce your heating
bill is the Encore FlexBurn
from Vermont Castings,
which can be burned with a
catalyst to increase effi cien-
cy by more than 15 percent
on the longest burn settings
and lowering emissions to
ensure you get the most out
of each load of wood.
Eastern Oregon Heating “The Comfortable
Choice”
& Air Conditioning, LLC
Air Conditioning • Refrigeration
Gas Furnaces
Geo Thermo Heat Pumps
Ice Machines • Gas Fireplaces
Gas Hot Water Heaters
Sheetmetal Inspections & More!
Quality Work at a Competitive Price!
Front row L-R: Tess Sabuco, Richard
Hayden and Becky Hayden-Madrigal
Back Row L-R: Mike Fine, Mike
Atkins, Brayann Mendoza, Joey
Gutierrez, Scott Bishop,
Nick Gutierrez and Jeff Pedersen
541-567-3095
82000 Hwy 395 N., Hermiston
(Old Road Runner H&C building) CCB #189229
M em b er
For those who want to
green their home, wood is a
good fuel choice, as it’s a re-
newable energy source that
is carbon neutral.
Regular Maintenance
Your heating system, sup-
plemental heating products
and insulation all require
regular maintenance to op-
erate at their highest capacity
and keep your home warm at
a reasonable cost.
Carpet &
Upholstery
Cleaning
Scotchguarding
& Deodorizing
Janitorial,
Windows & Tile
541-289-1441
www.hermistoncleaningservices.com
Insured & Bonded
RECYCLE
1. Hermiston: 220 W. Harper Rd.
2. Stanfield: W. Wood (by Grange Hall)
3. Echo: Across from park (at City Hall)
4. Umatilla: Hwy. 730 (next to Columbia Harvest Foods)
5. Umatilla Co: Hwy 395 N. (next to Transfer Station)
6. Irrigon: 198 W. Columbia Lane
7. Boardman: S.E. Front Street
SANITARY DISPOSAL
Hermiston/McNary Highway, Hermiston • 567-8842
We encourage all area residents to take
their glass, bottles, jars, tin, aluminum,
newspapers, magazines and cardboard
to these depots for recycling.
