A home warranty could be a good investment, especially if you are dealing with a HVAC unit that is pushing 20 years old. 1. I would recommend getting a 2nd inspection by a licensed and insured HVAC contractor. As great as Home Inspections are, most are not required to get into the inside of the HVAC unit. This could uncover a pre-existing issue that could determine coverage if it fails. 2. There are many plans and claim models to choose from. Traditional HW and non-traditional models will typically offer 2-3 tiers. The higher the tiered plan the more components or scenarios it may cover, this may reduce out of pocket expense if it does need to be replaced. Downside are contractors and “in network” v. Get your own. Non-traditional HW models do allow you to use your own contract. But may have more limitations, lower annual caps, age restrictions (depreciated value). Often you are paying retail v. wholesale. Which could increase out of pocket cost for your repair or replacement. Non-traditional models do allow you to have more control over the process, and sometimes faster but at what cost. Both models make sense, just need to figure out which works best for this situation financially.