Its automatic. I get them on my generator, and im a certified generac tech so i am not even eligible to get extended coverage. Its like any warranty, not needed till its needed.
The standard warranty is 5 years, but only the first 2 cover parts, labor and travel. The other 3 are parts only. Doesnt cover basic maint like oil change, valves and battery.
They have an extended 5,7,and 10 year that cover parts,labor and warranty. I have customers that have extended warranties and never used them. I have customers that dont, and get a bill for a new controller, travel time and labor. Its a crap shoot.
For a while generac was offering free 5 year and sometimes 10 year warranties if you schedule an appointment thru Generac. Those days are gone. They cant even keep up with demand. Why give free warranties.
I am not sure if the free 5 year extended warranty if you sign up for MobileLink monitoring is still going on or not.
On the positive side, the 22 KW i ordered for a friend last Sept arrived today. Im installing it monday.