An Overview of Vulcan's Warranty Policies
If you've just purchased a new product from Vulcan, or if you're still deciding which Vulcan equipment to buy, familiarizing yourself with the company's warranty policies will help you know what to expect. Since many aspects of these warranties are dependent upon proper installation, it's important for you to know what Vulcan will cover and what will be the operator's responsibility.
Before going into the specific conditions applicable to certain product lines, we'll outline some of Vulcan's overarching warranties that apply to any of its products.
- Original Sale: It is highly important to note that Vulcan only honors warranty policies for equipment sold directly by one of Vulcan's authorized dealers or reps to an original user located in the United States or Canada. If you buy a used piece of equipment – or purchase through a different party – it will not be covered under any warranty.
- Installation Time: To qualify for a warranty, your Vulcan equipment must be installed within 18 months of the product's manufacture. Ensure you have documentation of the installation date, as you must provide it to Vulcan in order to submit a claim.
- Installation Location: Your Vulcan product must still be installed at its original location when the warranty claim is submitted.
- Submitting the Claim: If you meet the above criteria and believe there's a problem with your equipment, submit a detailed written claim to Vulcan describing the specific issue(s) you would like to be inspected.
What's Covered by Vulcan's Warranties?
Vulcan only covers defects or failures of the product to meet the expected standards and specifications; Vulcan does not cover any damage due to factors such as improper installation, misuse, accidents, acts of nature like flooding or fire, or normal wear and tear. Furthermore, for most Vulcan products, the warranty claim must be filed within the first year of ownership in order to be acknowledged.
Most Vulcan product lines include a 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor, with some offering an optional upgrade to a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty. However, some products are exceptions to this.
Note that Vulcan products with the option to upgrade from a 1-year to a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty may require additional fees.
- Fryers: Many Vulcan fryer series have longer warranties on the fry tank. The VEG and LG Series feature a 5-year limited warranty on the fry tank, and if the tank leaks in the first year of ownership, the entire unit will be replaced. The CEF Series has a 10-year fry tank limited warranty.
- Heated Holding Cabinets: After one year of ownership, Vulcan's heated holding cabinets include a 10-year parts warranty on heating elements. This warranty includes drawer rollers if the unit has drawers.
- Ovens: Although most Vulcan ovens feature the standard 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor, the VC5 Series includes an additional 3-year warranty on the doors.
Additionally, there are specific parts and components with varying warranties that you need to be aware of before you file a claim. Some have much lower warranty periods, while others can remain under warranty for multiple years.
- Rubber seals, lightbulbs, and gaskets are under warranty for 90 days.
- Heating elements on warmer drawers, chip warmers, cook and hold ovens, and holding transport cabinets are under warranty for 10 years. The exception is heating elements on models 1024, 1036, and 1048, which are under warranty for 90 days.
- Refrigeration compressor parts are under warranty for 7 years.
- All original Vulcan replacement parts not listed here are under warranty for 90 days after the invoice date. The warranty covers only the part, not freight or labor charges.
Vulcan's Just 4 Schools Program
To promote access to healthy food options in the school system, Vulcan created the Just 4 Schools Program to provide equipment to school cafeterias. All equipment acquired through this program automatically includes the 2-year limited parts and labor warranty, which is available as an upgrade for most other Vulcan products. Note that if your establishment is not a K-12 school cafeteria, you won't be eligible for this automatic warranty upgrade.
Always double-check the information in this article against current warranty information provided by Vulcan to ensure you're familiar with the most up-to-date policies.
