ge warranty

GE is one of the largest companies in the world, and it got there by offering an extremely wide range of electrical appliances. It didn’t get there by offering extremely generous warranties. It’s likely that, somewhere within your home, there is a GE appliance or two. As such, you may be familiar with the terms of the warranty.

If not, it’s time to understand precisely what is covered. Any electrical appliance can malfunction at any time, and when they do, it is usually disruptive and sometimes very expensive. Therefore, knowing what costs you’re on the hook for is crucial.

As this guide will show, in most scenarios, you’re not covered. Given that, it may be worth looking into alternatives such as insurance policies as well as third-party warranties. Either way, having the information at your disposal is crucial. The below guide shows the most common areas covered and not covered by a GE warranty, as well as how to find out about your own specific appliance.

WHAT IS COVERED UNDER A GE WARRANTY?

A key caveat when dealing with GE warranties is that they vary greatly from product to product and from year to year. Therefore, you should be sure to check the wording on your own appliance. If in doubt, speak to GE or your distributor directly.

There also may be differences based on the specific state that you purchase your GE appliance in due to local consumer protection rules. However, the below are broadly the terms of GE warranties. For a full list, see the link on the GE website (LINK HERE) or the Warranty Information Sheet that came with your appliance.

FRIDGES

Again, this varies depending on what model you have. If you have the following model numbers, you will have slightly different warranty terms:

For other GE models, the warranty terms are as follows:

Term	What GE will replace
One year from the date of purchase	Any part that fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If a part fails, GE will provide all labor, service, and materials free of charge.
Five years from the date of purchase	Any part of the sealed refrigerating system which fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If a part of the sealant fails, GE will provide all labor, service, and materials free of charge.
The lifetime of the product	The full-extension slides if they fail due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If they do fail, you are responsible for labor and service costs; GE will cover the cost of the materials.

FREEZERS

GE freezer warranties tend to be slightly broader and more generous than refrigerator warranties. In addition, all GE freezers have the same warranty terms (again, barring any local differences based on state laws – be sure to check your own warranty for specifics).

Here are those warranty terms:

Term	What GE will replace
One year from the date of purchase	Any part that fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If a part fails, GE will provide all labor, service, and materials free of charge.
Five years from the date of purchase	Any part of the sealed refrigerating system which fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If a part of the sealant fails, GE will provide all labor, service, and materials free of charge.
One year/Five years from the date of purchase	Any food (after one year) that has been spoiled as a result of a defective piece of the freezer (based on the terms above); and any food (after five years) that has been spoiled by a fault with the sealed refrigerating system. If your freezer is smaller than 15 cubic feet, this is limited at $100; if it is 15 cubic feet or larger, this is limited to $150.

MICROWAVES

GE sells an extremely wide range of microwaves, and each group has a slightly different set of warranty rules. However, most deviate only slightly from the below terms:

Term	What GE will replace
One year from the date of purchase	Any part that fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If a part fails, GE will provide all labor, service, and materials free of charge.
Second to tenth year (fifth year in some models)	Any part of the magnetron tube which fails due to a defect (materials or workmanship). If one of these parts fails then GE will pay for the replacement materials, but the consumer must pay for any labor or service costs.

OTHER APPLIANCES

Other GE appliances all operate with a similar warranty approach. Almost everything is covered within the first year; after that, some parts are covered a little longer, although only the parts themselves. After the first year, you will be liable for any service and labor costs. As such, it’s best to think about a home insurance policy or a third-party warranty after the first year.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED BY A GE WARRANTY?

Perhaps a key question to ask when it comes to GE warranties is what is not included. Any GE Warranty Information Sheet will have a list of very narrow warranty information (usually limited to the duration of the warranty for each appliance). However, reading the text at the bottom of the sheet will show you the wide range of scenarios that are not covered under your warranty. It is as important to familiarize yourself with this as with what is covered.

Below outlines some of the most standard exemptions, although you’ll need to check your own sheet for specifics.

Exemptions

GE is very explicit about what is not covered under its warranties. On the Warranty Information Sheet that is sent out with GE products, it lists the following as not being covered under a standard warranty:

‘Appearance Items’: these include things like dents, scratches, damage to trim, painted or porcelain finishes.

Anything that is not an essential part of the operation of the unit (i.e., something that, when broken, does not prevent the item from working as it should)

Any service trips based on teaching you how to use your product

Any faults that arise from improper installation (in these instances, GE recommends that you speak to whoever installed or sold you your device).

Owner’s Responsibilities

In addition to the exclusions above, there is also a clear outline of the responsibility of the owner. Failure to do any of the following will result in a voided warranty, meaning you’ll be on the hook for any expenses incurred.

Ensuring adequate electrical, plumbing, gas, exhaust, or any other connecting supplies (depending on your specific appliance).
Using adequate fuses or circuit breakers in your home. If something is broken as a result of this, GE won’t accept liability.
Treat the appliance in a proper manner (which includes using it for a commercial purpose if it is designed for home use).
Allowing a registered technician to service the appliance and to make it accessible to them when they need it.
Maintaining the product to a high standard (if you neglect the product and it breaks, you’re on your own).

Other Eventualities

GE also states the other eventualities that will not be covered under the warranty. These are:

If the product is damaged by fire, flooding, or an act of God

Any incidental or consequential damages (i.e., damages to other items that result from a failure of a GE appliance – this will need to be covered under your home insurance) – Note: this only applies in some states, so check the specific wording of your warranty.

If you are in any doubt as to any of the above provisions, you should be sure to confirm with your GE dealer or, in some instances, your state attorney’s office. They will be able to clarify the situation as to your legal rights and responsibilities. However, overall, your coverage is narrow, with well-defined and broad exemptions.

Ultimately,

as the above guide has shown, GE doesn’t like to offer terms too generous as part of its warranties. Instead, a warranty provides insurance only against the most fundamental defects – defects that are uncommon. GE warranties offer little more than basic consumer protection. It is best not to think of a warranty as an insurance policy since an insurance policy is designed to cover you against unlikely but expensive eventualities.

A warranty covers you for highly improbable but not that expensive eventualities. As such, as a savvy homeowner (or at least appliance owner), you should be thinking about supplementing any warranty with a homeowners’ insurance policy or at least a third-party warranty.

Consider an eventuality where a GE freezer leaks and you experience damage to your carpet and potentially another appliance or two. Under the terms of the GE warranty, you are limited only to a replacement part (and, if the freezer is a year and a day old, you’ll need to pay for the labor yourself).

Moreover, you are categorically not covered for any expenses relating to the flooding. Now compare that with your insurance policy and see which one gives you better peace of mind.