WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Consumer Reports and other experts advise against purchasing extended service warranties for appliances or for such systems as air conditioning. Instead, they recommend you set money aside each month to cover repairs or replacement.

“Research has shown that the bill for any needed repair is often comparable with the typical cost of a warranty,” Consumer Reports reports in its July issue.

It's also important to maintain appliances and air conditioning properly to keep them running longer.

If you do sign a service agreement, make sure you understand what's covered and what isn't. For example, some service warranties exclude coverage for rust and corrosion. That means that if the appliance or air conditioning equipment has any rust, the service contract is void.