Financing available, explained without the fine-print surprises

Financing available

Financing available. Any offer's actual terms come from the lender, in writing, with the disclosures federal law requires, and you'll see them before you sign anything. We don't advertise payment amounts or rates on this site, because a number without the full terms behind it is how people get misled.

Before thinking about financing, make sure you're buying the right thing. Everything we recommend starts from your test results, and our packages show how systems are matched to problems.

Why this industry needs a page like this

In May 2024 the FTC announced a settlement with Aqua Finance, a company that financed door-to-door water-treatment sales. The FTC's complaint said dealers led consumers to believe introductory rates and payments were permanent, didn't tell them interest kept building while payments were deferred, and failed to clearly disclose a security interest in the equipment that worked like a lien and made some homes hard to sell. The settlement required refunds and loan forgiveness.^[source] Those are the traps to watch for with any seller.

How to evaluate any home-improvement financing

1. Look at the annual percentage rate, not just the promo

A promotional rate covers a set period. Ask what the rate becomes after it ends, how long the loan runs in total, and what the total of all payments will be. The Truth in Lending disclosure the lender gives you shows the annual percentage rate, finance charge and total of payments. Read that page, not the brochure.

2. Know whether "no interest" means deferred interest

"No interest if paid in full" usually means deferred interest. If the balance isn't fully paid by the end of the promotional period, or you fall far enough behind on payments, interest can be charged back to the original purchase date on the balance you carried.^[source] That's different from a promotion where no interest accrues at all during the promotional period. Ask which one you're being offered.

3. Compare the cash price and the financed price

Some promotional programs cost the seller a fee, and some sellers quietly build that fee into the price. Ask for the cash price and the financed price side by side. Our policy: you get the full price in writing before you sign, whether you pay with cash or finance it.

4. Ask whether there's a lien or security interest

Some equipment loans give the lender a security interest in the equipment in your home. Ask directly, get the answer in writing, and ask how it would affect selling or refinancing your home.^[source]

5. Don't sign the same night

A real offer will still be there tomorrow. "Tonight only" pricing is a pressure tactic, and we don't use it. Read our list of things we won't do.

Your right to cancel

If you sign a sales agreement at your home, North Carolina law gives you the right to cancel a home-solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign.^[source] The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule provides a similar three-business-day right for many sales made at your home, and requires the seller to give you a written notice of cancellation and to refund payments within 10 business days of receiving your notice.^[source] South Carolina has its own home-solicitation cancellation notice, which SC contracts include.

What financing covers

Our quotes and contracts cover equipment, service plans and testing only. Installation is a separate agreement between you and an independent licensed plumbing contractor; here's how that works.