Knowledge/Brands and suppliers/The warranty trap on commercial work
The warranty trap on commercial work
Residential warranties look generous at five to seven years. Commercial drops to two or three, often two. And here's the one that catches people. Seeley's seven-year warranty depends on buying through a participating Seeley dealer. Buy the same unit through a wholesaler and it's five.
- Most generous big brand
- Rinnai7 years parts and labour
- ActronAir commercial
- 2 yearsparts and labour, not the residential term
- GENERAL commercial
- 36 monthsformerly Fujitsu
- Where you buy it
- Seeley7 years via a dealer, 5 via a wholesaler
Why does commercial work catch people out?
Because everybody quotes the residential number, and it's the commercial number that applies to the job. Price a light commercial job on the residential warranty and you're carrying the risk yourself for the years after handover.
| Brand | Commercial warranty |
|---|---|
| Rinnai | 2 years parts, 1 year labour |
| ActronAir | 2 years parts, 2 years labour |
| GENERAL (formerly Fujitsu) | 36 months (3 years) |
| Seeley | 2 years |
Almost nobody knows this
Where you buy it can change the warranty
Seeley's seven-year warranty only applies if the unit comes through a participating Seeley dealer. Buy the identical unit through a wholesaler and it carries five.
That's two years of warranty won or lost by whoever rang the order in, and they usually had no idea it mattered. Check it before the next big order, not after the next failure.
Which brand has the most generous warranty?
Rinnai, on its refrigerated air conditioning and VRF (variable refrigerant flow) systems. Seven years parts and labour, residential and light commercial, from 1 April 2025. Labour's the bit that usually gets left out of a headline warranty, and it's the bit that costs you money when you're the one going back.
Rinnai also manufactures at Braeside in Victoria. That's handy when a customer asks about local support, but don't take it to mean their air conditioner was built there.
What actually voids a warranty?
The pattern's pretty consistent across manufacturers, even where the terms differ. Keep commissioning and evacuation records, do the pipework properly, install to the manual, and don't use stop-leak. With that evidence on file, most claims are straightforward.
Be careful repeating brand-specific voiding claims. They change without notice, and getting one wrong could cost a contractor a claim. If it matters on a job, get the current terms in writing from the manufacturer and date them.
About to commit to a big equipment order?
Warranty, trading terms, rebates and technical support are all negotiable, and the warranty's the one people forget to ask about.
Kevin's spent thirty years on both sides of that conversation.
Who this is for: small and medium HVAC contractors in Victoria. If you're a homeowner after a rebate or a repair, you need a licensed contractor, not us, and yours can point you the right way.
Related
- Who owns which air conditioning brand?One Japanese group now controls GENERAL (formerly Fujitsu) and Rheem. Bosch owns Hitachi air con. Carrier owns the Toshiba brand.
- Braemar: Australian made and imported at the same timeSeeley makes its evaporative coolers and gas ducted heaters in South Australia. Its Braemar refrigerative range is imported, and registrations point to Gree.
- Who actually supplies HVAC equipment in Victoria?Two groups run most of Victorian HVAC supply. Reece Group and Beijer Ref have most of the branches, plus a handful of independents. Here's who carries what.
- The warranty clauses that will actually void the coverWhat the warranty cards actually say about unlicensed installs, opening the case, caravans and boats, moving the unit, and who pays to reach one up high.
Review date: 1 February 2027. Figures in this area change without much notice and this page carries some that will go stale. Every number above is dated and sourced so you can check it yourself. If you find something out of date here, tell us and we will fix it.