Keep in mind that the warranty will only cover repairs to the unit that you purchased and does not usually allow for replacement of the product, should it fail to function.

The warranty coverage will commence from the date of purchase or delivery and last only as long as stated, no matter how seldom the product may have been used. Some manufacturers will allow the product installation date to be the start, in which case you will need a dated receipt showing the installation of the product.

Warranties also usually only cover "defects in material and workmanship". Any problems that result from improper installation, misuse or abuse, will generally not be covered. Additionally, if you request service and no defect is found, you should expect to be presented with a bill for the inspection.

Any service on an appliance under warranty must only be done by the factory's authorized service depot. Any tampering with the appliance by non-authorized persons could result in the manufacturer declaring the warranty void.

Ask the dealer if the appliance is covered by a factory warranty. Some dealers and retail chains purchase appliances from the manufacturers without factory warranty, to lower their costs. There are several drawbacks to this:

1. If the dealer or chain goes out of business, you will likely be left without any warranty at all.

2. When service is needed, the dealer will arrange for someone to service the unit at no cost to you. However, if you're unhappy with whom they've chosen, you're stuck with them. On the other hand, if the warranty is covered by the factory, you should be able to call any of their authorized service agents to get the repairs done.

Be sure to keep a copy of your bill of sale handy. The exact date of purchase will be needed before any warranty repairs can be done. Don't rely on the factory to look up the information you filled out on the warranty registration card. Many manufacturers only use this data as a marketing tool and do not maintain a database that can be queried to retrieve this information.

If you purchase a product for commercial/store use or for a group home, boarding house, bed and breakfast or apartment building with a common kitchen or laundry room, be sure to read the warranty restrictions. The warranty on most domestic products are for single family use only. If the dealer assures you otherwise, get it in writing!