Today's homeowners are depending on equipment in their homes like never before. Equipment that provides heating, cooling, electricity - the heart of your home - is often taken for granted. Since this equipment is becoming more sophisticated and complex, the cost to repair or replace it is also increasing.

Many homeowners assume that critical equipment is covered by homeowners insurance, equipment warranties, or service contracts. But, in reality, most of those protections are limited to regular maintenance or specific causes of loss.

What equipment is covered?
There are many types of equipment that make up the heart of the home, such as:

• Central air conditioning
• Ventilation systems and fans
• Boilers and water heaters
• Furnaces, pumps, and solar heaters
• Well pumps
• Back-up generators
• Chair lifts and elevators
• Electrical service panels
• Pool equipment
• Central vacuum systems

The coverage pays for mechanical breakdown, electrical system, and pressure equipment damage that results in direct physical damage to the covered equipment. Talk to your local American National agent to determine what equipment in your home could be covered.

Examples of Claims
Equipment breakdown can put a real dent into a homeowner's wallet. These are examples of what some homeowners almost lost, but collected in claims with this coverage.

• During a frigid winter, sediment build-up caused two sections of a boiler to crack, causing a breakdown. A weekend rush job to replace the sections and restore the boiler to operation resulted in unanticipated expenses.
  
  Total paid claim: $2,505
  
  
• During an ice storm, the engine driving an emergency generator broke down when the oil pump failed. The motor, generator bearings, and rotating elements were so damaged, the entire unit had to be replaced.
  
  Total paid claim: $6,500
  
  
• Metal fatigue led to damage in the refrigerant line of a three-ton air conditioning compressor. The repair contractor replaced the line, compressor and coil.
  
  Total paid claim: $3,000
  
  
• Dust accumulation in a main electrical service panel led to an arcing incident that fused much of a home's central wiring, leaving the house without power. A licensed electrician's emergency services entailed removing the old panel box and breakers, locating a suitable replacement, and installing the new equipment.
  
  Total paid claim: $1,700
  
  
• Sand intrusion into a rural home's well pump caused the impeller to fracture. Repairs required excavation and removal of all well piping to replace the pump.
  
  Total paid claim: $2,800