Frequently Asked Questions

Arrangements will be made for a qualified service technician to come to your home and assess the problem. All you do is pay the $50 consultation fee to the technician, and their job is to figure out what’s going on. Any diagnostic services that cost more than $50 are on us.

Once the diagnosis has been made, the technician will contact us about the nature of the repairs that are needed. If they’re covered by the program, we’ll authorize the technician to proceed and pay them directly. You won’t be out of pocket for more than the consultation fee.

If your particular problem is not covered by the program, you may choose to continue to work with the technician we sent, but you’re under absolutely no obligation to do so.

The maximum value of Program Services that will be provided in any 12-month period is $10,000.

The Encompass Home System Warranty Program takes care of making repairs when the following systems have unexpected breakdowns.

1. Central Heating & Air Conditioning Systems

• All parts of centralized systems as well as:
• Any air conditioners that are permanently installed in your house, but this excludes portable units such as window-installed units;
• All floor, ceiling, or window heating units, including gas or electric fireplace inserts (excluding chimneys/ flues), and electric baseboard heaters and space heaters when affixed to walls;
• Heat pumps located within or outside your house: evaporative coolers, compressors, control systems, heat recovery ventilation units, energy recovery ventilation units, and oil storage tanks located within your house.
• All exposed or accessible ductwork pertaining to a central heating and/or a central air conditioning system.
• For a condominium unit, the Encompass Home System Warranty Program covers all parts of the fan coil unit(s) permanently installed and located within the condominium, which provide and/or receive airflow or water flow through a central system for heating/cooling purposes, and/or that are stand-alone electric built-in units. This excludes portable units such as window-installed units.

2. Electrical System

• It covers all electrical switches, electrical receptacles, electrical circuits (including repair of electrical short circuits), internal circuit breaker panels, breakers and fuse boxes, and for your house, it includes coverage in or on a building on your premises

3. Water Heater and Water Softener

• All gas control valves, bypass valves, control valves, air check valves, thermostats, heating elements, burner and pilot assemblies, burner blower motors, and blower wheels, pumps, injection and piston assembly, fuel units, static discs, air tubes, nozzles and nozzle lines, line filters and strainers, impellers, ignition wires, electrodes, terminals and transformers, pressure and temperature relief valves, thermo couplers, resin and brine tanks, drain cocks, fuel pipe and fittings. Hot water heater tank repairs are also covered but if the tank splits or ruptures and can’t be repaired, we will provide the services to replace the tank, to a maximum of $1500, provided the tank is ten years old or less
• Rented units are not covered, as the company you rent from will take care of any necessary repairs or replacement.

4. Core Plumbing System

• It covers any internal blockage, leak or breakage of water, gas, drain, vent or waste piping and fittings.

Important note: Core Plumbing does not cover any services required outside of your House, except for the following: [i] Program Services for septic drain field piping that is not behind or encased in concrete, up to a limit of $500 and [ii] Program Services for a cracked sewer main up to a limit of $2,500. For a house and condo unit, Core Plumbing excludes sump and well pumps, lead drain lines/pipes and/or any polybutylene piping, often referred to as “POLY” pipe, including Kitec plumbing or similar and services required to eradicate clogged sink drains and leaks from taps, faucets, shower or tub controls, toilets or toilet component parts.

5. Ancillary Repairs, related to Electrical System or Central Heating/Air Repairs

• If, as a result of performing Program Services described in subsection 1 or 2 above, the repair services technician must break through any wall, floor or ceiling, the Service Coordinator will arrange for additional Program Services, valued up to $500, to restore the affected wall, floor or ceiling to a rough finish. Decorating services (e.g. in respect of paint, wallpaper, trim, etc.) are not included in the Program.

No. Appliance warranties are readily available at virtually any major retailer at time of purchase.

Single-family homes, townhouses and condo units are all eligible for coverage, as long as no more than 50% of the dwelling’s square footage is used for business purposes. If you live in a condo, please be aware that we do not cover any common elements or home system repairs for which the condominium corporation is responsible. The only other exception is purely seasonal properties.

No. Appliance warranties are readily available at virtually any major retailer at the time of purchase.

No, through their special arrangement with your program sponsor, no inspection is required

In the vast majority of cases, no specific age limit will be applied to your equipment, because of the very wide variety of items that we cover... For example, some older furnaces that have been well-maintained throughout their lives function very well. Similarly, an older, well-built air conditioner may keep working well into its 20’s!

However, there are some other limitations to be aware of if you have older equipment in your home.

• In the event that your home system is unrepairable, or cannot be repaired because the necessary part(s) are either no longer manufactured or no longer available, full system replacement is not covered
• Breakdowns that are caused by rust, corrosion, or a lack of maintenance are not covered

Absolutely not. Let’s say your furnace or air conditioner could be repaired for a cost of $3500. If you would prefer to replace your unit instead, you can use the $3500 towards the cost of new equipment. It’s completely your choice which route to take.

The Program does not cover problems that were caused by:

• Any causes or occurrences that are external to your house, or are directly caused by someone’s actions
• Natural events (such as weather, earthquakes, tree roots), 
• Electrical events
• Improper construction methods, construction materials, improper installation, structural defects or any other structural problems
• Use of equipment, or modification of equipment that is contrary to the manufacturer’s directions or specifications
• Failure to provide proper maintenance, as specified by the manufacturer
• The inadequacy or lack of capacity of any Home System or component or part thereof
• Any violations of building codes, by-laws or other laws, including any upgrade work or service required to meet building code or to conform to by-laws or other laws
• Freezing or heating of a plumbing system
• Rust or corrosion
• Latent defects and/or asbestos, lead or the disposal of refrigerants, contaminants or other hazardous materials or an unsafe condition

The Program also does not cover any consequential loss or damage, or anything else that is already covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. If you live in a condo, we don’t cover loss or damage to or from other condo units or common areas, or any other loss or damage that is the responsibility of your condominium corporation.

We actively manage our service provider network and anyone who fails to meet our high standards of service is promptly removed.