Warranties versus Cost……..FIGHT!

Many of the larger fire manufacturers will offer great, high quality fires that come with the all singing and dancing packaging and finishes. They also come with better manufacturers warranties too; a few examples of these are the Apex 5year warranty on selected gas fires, Crystal fires 5 year gas fire warranty,Pureglow 3 year warranty and the more recent Firebelly 4 year warranty on allproducts.
This is a great way to entice customers to buy these products as many of themare advertised as having their warranties included as free, so you should optfor them as they are giving you added protection for less cost. Well after alittle investigation, and to be honest it doesn’t take a lot, it becomes prevalent that many manufacturers make a product and allow it to be re-branded, these re-brands will often retail for a lesser price than the branded products but don’t come with the greater warranty.
I therefore wonder whether the extra cost of a branded product is actually fora better product or just for the warranty. The answer to me is obvious, but what you will need to ask yourself is “is the warranty worth the extra money?” .
Firstly you need to be aware of what the warranty actually covers, and decide on whether it is actually worth having a warranty on a product you expect tolast for at least 5-10 years. Another consideration is what conditions you will have to fulfill in order for the warranty to be valid, most fire manufacturers will not honor a warranty on a fire if it has not been serviced each year by aqualified engineer and that you can provide proof that such a service has takenplace.
With such consideration in mind in my humble opinion is it worth spending the extra money for a branded fire?…….Yes. I would recommend that you have all your gas products in your home whether it be a combination boiler, gas fire or stove,serviced every 12months without fail, and obviously retain proof of the service. Also, if a cheaper fire breaks down that has run out of warranty, it will probably end up costing you more to but another cheap fire then it would have cost to buy the branded version with a much longer warranty. The main reason though I would always go for the branded option with extended manufacturer’s warranty is for peace of mind, the last thing you or anyone needs is an unrepairable gas fire or stove in the living room in the middle of winter.